Over the course of my abroad experience, I was faced with many different cultural challenges that allowed myself to grow in a new way. When embracing any culture that is not your own there will always be different values, behaviors, and attitudes that one may need to adjust to because they are different from your…
Final Blog Post: Portugal!
When eating at group meals during excursions with my Academic Director, we usually ate at restaurants who served traditional foods. At Portuguese restaurants, they expect customers to finish their entire plate of food. If the meal is not finished, they assume the person didn’t like it or they were dissatisfied with it. When clearing plates,…
Final Reflection
After spending 4 months in France, I still think that the single thing that surprised and shocked me the most is the way in which people work and the differences they have compared with the American work ethic. In France, people seem to have a less strict and less demanding work life, where they are…
Blog Post 3
At the beginning of my semester abroad I wrote about how I disliked the capitalist nature of America. I spoke about being work and money-hungry. What I didn’t realize is how much those values influenced me. I thought because I did not have the survival mentality of needing to find the job that secures…
Blog Prompt #1
An aspect of the U.S. culture that is present in daily life is freedom. The environment in our Rollins Campus fosters a sense of inclusion. Each person may express their uniqueness through fashion, speech, and actions. The U.S. embodies a melting pot where so many of us, are second generation immigrants, and contribute to the…
Blog Post #1
Since its origin, The United States has been known for the value it holds in independence. The importance placed upon operating and acting independently as a country has trickled down into the independence of each individual separate from the others around them. This sense of individualism is one that is key to this country’s culture…
Final Blog Post
Before departing off to London I was filled with all different types of emotions. I was sad to leave my family but so excited for the journey ahead of me. As I arrived at my Maida Vale apartment for the semester I was greeted by two amazing CAPA staff. I spent that day unpacking, meeting…
Final Reflection – Lancaster University
Living in the United Kingdom was extremely different than living in the United States. The first thing that stood out to me was how much the United States attempted to change small aspects of life so that they were opposite of those within the United Kingdom. The first of these was that they drove on…
Blog Post #1
One aspect of American culture I never before reflected upon is the individuality our country promotes for all its citizens. I was talking to a friend of mine, who is an exchange student from Japan, and she was telling me how bummed she was to leave America because she feels her country does not promote…
Pre-Departure Blog Post
An important aspect of U.S. culture is privacy. Many Americans strongly believe in the importance of privacy because its gives us the power to choose our thoughts and feelings and who we share them with. Americans value privacy and their own space. They believe it is important to maintain privacy and confidentiality in commonplace activities…