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| Home : Volume 31 : Winter 2005 : | |
| International experiences | |
| International experiences that help broaden and engineer's education |
While Holly Banaszak studied in Spain, she traveled as much as possible, including a trip to the Rock of Gibraltar, on the southern tip of the country. Morocco, Africa, is visible in the background. |
After growing up listening to her aunt, a Peace Corps volunteer-turned-recruiter, and her friends tell exciting stories about their experiences abroad, Holly Banaszak knew international travel was something she wanted to do, too.
So in early January 2004, she hopped a plane for Spain and signed up for a statistical quality control course, a machine theory and fluid mechanics course, a statistics course, and just for kicks, a German class at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, in Valencia.
That reduced course load fulfilled some UW-Madison engineering requirements but enabled her to make the most of her time abroad. During the day, she attended classes, then headed to the beach with friends until the sun went down. At night, she met friends at cervecerias or at parties in flats. "Being an international student is amazing because you are always surrounded by people from several different nationalities all in the same situation with the same basic interests: travel, learning and enjoying life," she says.
On the weekends, and for a couple of weeks after the semester ended, she traveled. "Once in Europe, it is so easy to get around, whether by plane, train or bus," says Banaszak. "Another perk is that everything is so close. I could go halfway across the country of Spain easily in a few hours."
When she returned to the United States, she brought back a batch of her own exciting stories — and some new perspectives on her life. "I have a much better understanding of what my personal goals and interests are and the direction I want my life to take," she says. "I learned humility and resourcefulness. Finally, I learned how important networking is!"
Where else can you pet a kangaroo? Jessie Palmer studied during the spring of 2004 at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. |
In the first semester of her freshman year, Jessie Palmer attended a study abroad informational meeting and decided a semester in Australia was an experience she couldn't pass up. "I chose Brisbane because it was near the coast and had warm weather all year long — a big change from Wisconsin, which is what I wanted," she says. "I am very happy with my decision."
Since the University of Queensland doesn't have an industrial engineering major, the fourth-year student "saved" liberal studies and engineering science electives to take in Australia last spring. After a 15-minute bus or bike ride to campus, she attended a mechanical and civil engineering class, an Australian history class, an Asian history class, and a math course. When she had time, Palmer and her friends took the train into Brisbane to shop, walk through the botanical gardens, do some sight seeing, dine out and dance.
Some of her favorite Australian destinations included Frasier Island, the Great Ocean Road, and the nearby beach. She climbed a glacier and went sky diving over the mountains in New Zealand, saw waterfalls, and lived in a house with Australians. "These are all things I would not have had the chance to do if I would have decided not to go abroad," says Palmer. "I also met a lot of great people from all over the world."
Each of those people, she says, had a different attitude toward the United States and opinions about world issues, such as the war in Iraq. But knowing them helped Palmer appreciate where they come from and her own home as well. "I learned how to work with people who I had differences with and how to listen to their opinions," she says.
While studying in Vienna, Sonya Schilcher traveled to Prague on a trip organized by the Buddynetwork, a group of Austrian students that plans events and trips for international students. |
One of Sonya Schilcher's motivations for studying abroad was to improve her German — a language she'd been studying since she was a seventh-grader — and learn technical terms. "I saw it as a fun experience while gaining marketability for a future job," she says.
Five years ago, Schilcher, who is double-majoring in German literature, spent two weeks in the country. Since that time, she's been waiting for the right opportunity to return to Europe. Although she originally hoped that return would be to Germany, Schilcher heard glowing reviews of Austria from others who'd traveled there. "The semesters coincided with a university in Vienna, and I thought it would be nice to go somewhere different," she adds.
While there last spring, she took two mechanical engineering courses, a technical German class and a math course. Although she attended classes about two hours a day and spent a good deal of time learning the CAD program, Schilcher enjoyed the freedom of having only an end-of-the-semester exam.
So she immersed herself in life in Vienna. She attended the opera and the theater, had dinner with her international friends, and took long walks around the city and its elaborate gardens. "I almost felt like a European while I was there since most of my friends were from Europe," she says. "They cheered for their countries while watching soccer games, talked about the European Union and about all the countries they had visited."
Schilcher's experience reinforced her decision to pursue a job that enables her to use her second language. "It made me realize I do have a need to travel and I will not be complacent to stay in the U.S. for the rest of my life," she says. "I would at least need to travel and see what the rest of the world has to offer and know that the way we do things is not the only way."
Content by perspective@engr.wisc.edu
Date last modified: Tuesday, 26-Apr-2005 17:06:42 CDT
Date created: 26-Apr-2005
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