WINTER OR SPRING BREAK A GREAT TIME TO GO ABROAD
Can't devote a semester or year to study abroad? Short-term programs are a great way for students to complete discipline-specific credit while experiencing another culture. KU will offer a number of short-term programs during Winter and Spring Break this year. All courses are taught in English.
Winter Break: The Costa Rica Experience
This 12-day program offers Honors students the opportunity to investigate a variety of current issues in Costa Rican politics, culture, and environmental conservation through lectures, field trips to sites of interest, and individual research projects.
Spring Break: Humanities and Western Civilization in London, England
Enroll in a specially designated section of Western Civilization II on the Lawrence campus this spring and spend Spring Break in London visiting museums, historic buildings, and other locations related to course content. Assignments, examinations and discussion activities will integrate Western Civilization II readings with London venues.
Spring Breaks The London Review
The London Review allows Honors Program and Department of English students to plan and research a visit to London, to spend Spring Break visiting London, and to create a publication of reviews and essays about their stay. Students attend class weekly during the spring semester, both before and after the program.
Spring Break: International Careers in London
The purpose of this Learning Community/Study Abroad opportunity is to assist students in gaining a greater understanding of work in countries around the world as well as identify the avenues leading to employment opportunities abroad. Students meet weekly during the spring semester, both before and after the program. The course will include a spring break trip to London, England and Glasgow Scotland where students will visit three or four global companies and organizations as well as a graduate school.
NEW PROGRAMS IN 2008!
Contact the Office of Study Abroad for more information.
Winter Break: Social Welfare in India
Learn first-hand the social, economic, and political currents that impact the welfare system in India. Open to undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines; students enroll in one 3 credit course in the School of Social Welfare. The one-month program will take place in Kolkata, India with excursions to Darjeeling, Puri, and Bolpur.
Winter Break; Music Therapy in Thailand
Open to BA and MA Music Therapy students. See Office of Study Abroad for more details.
Winter Break: Architecture in Asia (South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore) This program explores architecture and culture in South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. Open to all students in the School of Architecture.
Winter Break: African Studies, History and Politics in Ghana
This program is an intensive, academic study and tour course that will teach students about Ghana's history, culture, political system, economy, environment, health care, and women's issues through class lectures, readings and discussions, site visits and community service.
THE TALE OF THE BOULANGERE
Brenna Daldorph studied abroad in Angers, France during the 2008 spring semester.
Running is a solitary sport. If you run long-distances, like me, you use your time jogging as alone time: time to contemplate your life and to take in your surroundings.
While I was studying abroad in France, I needed even more the time to reflect over all that I was learning. Because I ran before my classes each day, I often started before the sun poked out over the horizon. In the dark of the morning, as I wove down old streets, I seemed to be the only person alive.
huge stove by the window: leaning over huge wooden slabs, rolling dough, pushing it into the oven, and then pulling out fresh brown loaves. He was just how I would imagine a French baker-- chubby with dark hair, a round pink face and sparkling eyes.
I started to watch for my pre-dawn companion every day. He was there weekends with the sun shining and his shop bustling. The only day he wasn't there was Tuesday, when the bakery was closed. I realized Tuesdays were sadder somehow.
Illuminated in the window stood the baker himself, intent on his work. Every morning, he was at the
One morning, I was surprised to notice that there was one other person awake at this hour. No matter how early I passed, warm light shone from the bakery window. It was a change from the quiet darkness of my runs. I began to look forward to the light and warm aroma, like small beacons on my jog, comforting evidence that the world would soon be awake also.
Brenna submitted this photo taken of the baker featured in
The baker soon noticed me, too. One day he was outside, meeting an early morning delivery van.
"Bonjour!" he said, looking very pleased to see me.
I was so pleasantly surprised that I didn't know how to respond. I decided to return later that day. It felt odd to be inside the shop. As ever, the baker was at work. "Bonjour," I said shyly. How strange it was to actually be speaking to him after our mornings in silence.
He looked bewildered, but then, with a grin of recognition, he said, "AH! C'est vous qui passez chaque matin!" (It's you who passes each morning.)
I was acutely aware of my inadequate linguistic ineabilities as I launched into an awkward, badly spoken French speech. I was nervous, and had over-practiced the words, matching them to the pounds my feet as I ran home that morning. He looked at me curiously, though smiling, and I realized then he had no idea that I was a foreigner.
As I left with my purchase of warm brioche, he ran up to me and pressed into my hands two beautiful and tiny pastries—a special gift. I was touched. I had made a friend on my morning ritual of solitude. Moreover, my friend was an undeniably perfect French baker.
After that, I waved at the baker each morning. The days grew lighter, and soon it felt more like I was seeing a friend than simply the only other person alive.
"Bonjour," I called.
"Bonjour," he replied.
One morning, my baker saw me and scurried away, calling out something I didn't quite hear. I had already crossed the street, but he called me back. Through the grill of the door, still not yet opened for the day, he pressed again into my hands two tiny muffins. I treasured them home, cupped in sweaty hands. I saved the muffins for my host family, wanting no longer to be alone but to share my morning magic.
Mt. Fuji in Japan
STRANGER IN AN EVEN STRANGER LAND
Nick Kellerman studied abroad during the 2007-2008 academic year in Japan.
Of course things are difficult at first when studying abroad, finding your bearings, learning which local foods are to your liking, how to not get lost on the public transit; though in my case these were part of the reasons I wanted to go in the first place. I chose to go to Obirin University in Tokyo for a full year. The best thing for me about studying abroad is even though you may not be a local, and you may not speak the language fluently, eventually you will find your place, and begin to fit in. Even though it soon became home, I constantly found new things to experience from temples to amazing local cuisine to climbing Mt. Fuji and swimming at beaches in beautiful Izu.
The educational opportunities are limitless. Getting a snack at the local convenience store or shopping in Shibuya or Yokohama, these everyday experiences proved to be a great help with both kanji recognition and perfecting the language in tandem with my regular studies. Obirin University also provided many unique study opportunities such as weekend home stays with a Japanese family, having a sensei that also doubled as a TV star in Japan to discuss pop culture, and the previously mentioned opportunity of climbing Mt. Fuji.
I can't thank our study abroad office enough for helping me to follow my dreams and study abroad. Everyone in the office proved to be extremely helpful at answering questions and working along-side me to finish all the necessary steps. If you have any interest in studying abroad don't hesitate to call upon our amazing staff in the KU Office of Study Abroad.
Jayhawks Abroad
2
Fall 2008