Review of Problem-Based Learning at Maastricht University
I studied abroad at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and it was a huge culture shock! From the Dutch food to the public transportation to the cold weather, there was a lot to adjust to. One of the biggest changes was the university itself. Maastricht University uses problem-based learning (PBL), where students work in small groups to solve complex, real-world problems. This was a major shift from USC, where I was used to large lecture halls and scantrons. As someone who is comfortable speaking up in class and working in groups, I was eager to try out this new approach. So, is problem-based learning the future of education? Here's my take.
Checking In From Milan Fashion Week
Visiting Milan, Italy, one of the world’s biggest fashion capitals, is a notable experience, especially during Fashion Week. Similar to New York and Paris Fashion Weeks, Milan Fashion Week attracts some of the most well-known celebrities, designers, and brands. However, with Italy being home to exquisite leather goods and one of the most notable brands – Gucci – Milan Fashion Week stands out above the rest.
My Experience Traveling to China as a First-Year Business Student
By: Adriana Bernal Martinez ‘20
I remember the day I got this little red and yellow box in the mail. It was in late March of my Senior year of high school. I was coming back home from Debate practice at around 6 and at the sight of two little boxes just chillin’ on my doorstep, my breath caught in my throat. I wasn’t really sure what they were about whatsoever, but they seemed rather important and they had the colors of the school I had just committed to on them, so. I was anxious and excited and maybe a little teensy bitsy sweaty but upon opening them, I learned one thing and one thing only: I was going to China.
A Triumphant Return to Campus
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
My friends keep asking me if it’s weird to return to USC after two semesters and a summer program abroad and the answer is a resounding “Yes!” A lot of other folks who were abroad have had similar experiences of reverse culture shock. I saw a line down the bookstore steps and decided to order my textbooks online only to discover later that my peers were in fact waiting for $6 cupcakes to be dispensed from an ATM.
Alternative Spring Break in Peru
By: Carolina Canseco ‘16
If someone told me I would spend my spring break with 18 strangers in a foreign country and love every second of it, I would have been skeptical. But now that spring break is over, I can’t believe how lucky I was to go on this amazing trip. Hours of volunteer work, late nights playing Mafia, and tours of the city left me more exhausted than any midterm season ever could. However, every long day made the trip an unforgettable experience.
¡Felices Pascuas!
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
In my experience, the most difficult times abroad, whether for the culture shock or the homesickness, are during holidays back home. If you would like anecdotal proof, last Thanksgiving I was probably going on hour ten or so working in front of my laptop and a fan on my ISP in Nicaragua when I FaceTimed by family during Thanksgiving dinner. Eating a bag of peanuts and raisins from the pulpería while everyone I missed dearly passed the phone around mid-feast, including my new “brother” Kevin (who’s from Nicaragua studying in my home town), was a less than festive experience.
Gracefully Abroad: The Tango
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Some of my tango partners might protest to the title of this blog citing their sore toes from me stepping on them as evidence to the contrary, but I was blessed with a name that can be turned very smoothly into a modifier (adjective OR adverb, how versatile!) and who can blame me for playing the cards I was dealt?
The Truth About Being “That Annoying Person Studying Abroad”
By: Judy Lee ‘17
I’ve definitely been there. My older sister studied abroad in France when I was in high school and I remember her returning from her trip and complaining about the disgustingly large food portions America has. “There they go again,” we all collectively say, “just another study abroad student bragging about their trip that somehow makes them so much more special now.” Not gonna pretend that isn’t the attitude most people have, and the person I have come to sympathize with.
Missin ‘Murica: A Homesick List
By: Judy Lee ‘17
Don’t get me wrong, studying abroad is an immense privilege and every day I am grateful to wake up and experience something new. But I’m not going to pretend like there’s no place like home. There is a big chunk of my life missing from the current picture:
5 Things To Consider Before Taking That Day Trip
By: Judy Lee ‘17
Day trips anywhere are usually tons of fun. However, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement and neglect a lot of small (but important!) details that can make or break your trip. Here are five things you should consider before leaving!
Out of SCight, Out Of Mind
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Before you go abroad this spring, you’re probably feeling nervous and excited, and maybe a little worried about leaving USC and your friends there behind. All of these are completely normal emotions, and as you learned in your Overseas Studies Orientation, there will inevitably times where you feel homesick not only for your family, but for your Trojans and the familiarity and comfort USC has offered you all these semesters.
Holiday Wish List For Studying Abroad
By: Judy Lee ‘17
If you’re studying abroad, you’ve got to be strategic this holiday season! Here are some things you can keep in mind in case someone asks you what you’d like this year:
Greetings from Managua
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
It’s been far too long since I’ve posted and I’m not really sure where to begin exactly, but drawing from The Sound of Music, let’s start from the very beginning, the beginning is the place to start.
A Nod To Modern Technology
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
I would just like to take the time to thank all the great inventors and big dreamers out there who made the world what it is today. Without you folks, I would have no choice but to continuously be at a loss for words with my host family’s hairless cats as my only companions.
USC Sand Volleyball European Tour
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
As an athlete, one thing I didn’t have an opportunity to do at USC was spend a semester abroad. USC has so many fantastic global programs and judging by friend’s first-hand accounts, blogs, Instagram posts, and Snapchats, it seems like the time of your life. Luckily, with fund raising and support from the athletic administration and donors, I received the opportunity to travel with the USC Sand Volleyball Team on the program’s first-ever European Tour!
Summer Study Abroad Checklist
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
As I sit amongst my possessions in the beautifully chaotic metamorphosis from unpacking to repacking, I feel mildly overwhelmed by just how much I still have to do before I leave for Madrid on Saturday. I take comfort, however, in knowing that I have already survived finals so I’m probably immune to stress at this point and that I have compiled a very thorough To Do list with the help of those who studied abroad before me and the Internet community as a whole.