Tag Archives: study abroad

Writing Tips for Study Abroad Applications

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Happy October, everyone! I’m so glad to share that I have officially submitted my study abroad application (the real one, not just the petition) and am now in a sort-of-resting phase while I wait to hear back from the folks at Boston University. Many thanks to two lovely career consultants at CP&R, Laurie and Janine, for their constructive feedback. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the process of applying to study abroad, the application usually involves some sort of written statement.

The Boston University London Internship Program’s prompt was this:

“In a clear, thoughtful, and carefully prepared one-page essay (1 page, double or 1.5 spacing), describe your academic, career, and personal goals, and how your participation in this program will help you achieve those goals. Explain how you plan to take advantage of the cultural and educational resources available through this program. Describe the kind of internship assignment you would like, emphasizing the type of work rather than a specific organization.”

I’ll be honest, reading the prompt was a little like applying to college all over again. I felt torn between being interesting and unique, but naturally so; writing with my voice, but not like I’d talk to my friends; giving the reader a sense of who I am, but the best possible version of me, etc.

If you’re having trouble starting your application:

  1. Open a Word document.
  2. Name it.
  3. Paste the prompt at the top.
  4. Let the icon sit on your desktop (not buried at the end of some convoluted file path) while you marinate ideas. For me, having this receptacle easily accessible instead of trying to work within some online portal was essential. It meant that I wouldn’t open Firefox with the intention of accessing the BU application portal, decide to check my Facebook news feed, and end up Googling pictures of Clint Eastwood’s son, Scott. #sorrynotsorry
  5. Ask your friends, “If you could go anywhere/do anything and have time and money not be an issue, what would you do? Why?” Some of the responses you get will be silly, but others might make you reconsider what you find fulfilling.
  6. Talk out your ideas with a professor. Professors are an excellent sounding board, because they’ve all had experience writing recommendation letters. They know what previous students have done and what project ideas will be compelling to a reviewer.

And when you’re cleaning up your first round of drafts, here’s the advice that ultimately got me through the worst of it:

  1. Make sure you’re answering the question. When Janine helped edit my statement, she marked “academic”, “career”, “personal”, “cultural”, and “work” in the margins to show me where she thought my most effective sentences were. I ended up with orange highlighter (the good parts) only at the end of each paragraph, so I did my best to cut the unnecessary areas.
  2. Cutting unnecessary parts is difficult; find a fresh pair of eyes in a friend, in CP&R, or at the Writing Center, whichever suits your needs.
  3. Try and make each sentence something only you could have written. (Laurie says she got this gem from Professor Simeroth, who will be leading a writing workshop during Life After Scripps on Friday—see the online schedule for details)
  4. Be efficient in what you’re trying to communicate. Don’t make the reader work.

Looking Back, it all Connects

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Lately, what with all the personal statements for fellowships, thesis planning, and suddenly turning into a senior and (supposedly) oldest and wisest of students, I’ve been thinking about the trajectory of my academic and career interests over the last four plus years. How did I arrive where I am today? Plans and interests will keep morphing, likely narrowing, but for now it’s pretty satisfying to look back and be able to trace a thread through my activities, interests, and classes dating relatively far back. I think this is probably true for most of us. For periods of time, I may not have seen what path I was on, but looking back it seems surprisingly coordinated. Hopefully giving you a picture of this trajectory will provide good background for future blog posts.

Growing up, I learned about practices and tenets of different faith traditions including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. My family celebrated Christmas, Hanukah, and winter and summer solstice every year, and I fully observed Ramadan in 10th grade. We have a number of  Muslim Sufis family friends who are scholars of Arabic, Arab poetry and politics, and the like. I have no doubt that all this influenced where I’ve ended up interest-wise and academically, as a Middle Eastern Studies and Religious Studies dual major taking Arabic.

When I was 12 I started attending youth Vipassana meditation retreats. Six years of these and the resulting meditation practice have deeply affected  my outlook on and method of living life. In addition, I grew to delight in hearing about others’ beliefs, life philosophies, and personal thoughts on religion, especially those of people near my age. A regular fixture of the retreats were discussion groups, where we shared and and unpacked each others’ beliefs, worries, and life experiences in small groups. Since, I feel I’ve carved out an area of study that incorporates this interest in others’ relationships with religion into the more theoretical fields of anthropology, ethics, and religious studies.

Since, I’ve become a Middle Eastern Studies and Religious Studies dual major. My concentration within Religious Studies is Middle Eastern Studies, Islam being the faith I focus on most closely. Some of my favorite classes focusing on Islam include Islam versus Islam with Professor Alwishah at Pitzer and Mysticism and the Great Traditions and Islam and Democracy during my semester abroad at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London (check it out as a great possibility for those of you interested in studying abroad in the UK and focusing on regional or language studies). I took several years of fusHa, Modern Standard or media Arabic at CMC then segued into independent studies covering specific Arabic dialects. Last semester I created a class with Arabic Professor Ramadan and another friend focusing on Levantine Arabic. This semester, I meet once a week with a Lebanese CMC professor and several other students to speak and improve our Lebanese dialect specifically.

I took at CORE III called “What is Happiness?” about ethics, happiness, religion, and psychology, which led me with help from Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, and the Dalai Lama to clarify much of my personal philosophy on life. Religion, Ethics, and Social Practice junior year at Pomona brought me again to look at personal thoughts and struggles around religion and life philosophy, both mine and others’. Sharing personal stories and reflections on social justice issues got me turned on again to hearing other people’s stories. Presently I am taking Jerusalem: the Holy City in alignment with my focus on religion and the Levant area of the Middle East as well as an Anthropology seminar on Sexuality and Religion, focusing on Islam and Christianity.

This summer, I interned in Beirut and started a part of my thesis research interviewing 20 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who had lived in Beirut for much or all of their lives. I interviewed mostly Lebanese, but also Palestinians, Syrians, Fijians, and Sudanese of all different sects about their relationships with and feelings around their sectarian and religious identities. These interviews were especially interesting for me considering the way religion is ever present and relevant in Lebanon, and what’s been going on in the Levant region for the last several years. I not only got to conduct first-hand research on a topic that fascinates me and in the region I have been specializing in and hope to work in, but also affirmed the idea that I enjoy ethnographic research and may apply for a graduate program in Religious or Middle Eastern Anthropology within the few years. Additionally, I got to work on improving my spoken Arabic (both Lebanese and Palestinian dialects). If you’re interested in learning more about different Arabic dialects, or if you’re not sure where the Levant region really is in the Middle East, check out this Wikipedia page. I like the map, but don’t forget to take it with a grain of salt.

I sort of did my thesis research backwards. As my advisor told me a few days ago, I have research but I don’t necessarily have a framework. What I’m working on now is reading scholar’s works on youth and sectarianism in the Levant and in Lebanon, as well as looking further into topics or events that were referenced by my interviewees this summer. Key topics and patterns that came up in many interviews include changing perception of the divine, the idea, even among the relatively devout, that all Abrahamic traditions essentially land you in the same place, colonization, language and religion, and hopes for the future of sectarianism and politics in Lebanon. There’s nothing I would rather study. For now, it looks like my thesis will likely be focused on shifting perception of sect and personal religious identity among young people in Beirut or the Levant, based at least in part on my interviews.

How is everyone feeling about thesis? When and how did you decide where your interests lie academically?  Can you see how your interests led you to your current point or do you feel like your path is still forming?

My friend Carly and me at Roman and Byzantine ruins in Sur, southern Lebanon. My friend Walid, who was also with us, happened to be distantly related to the soldier guarding the ruins so he gave us a very detailed private tour.

I wish I had a time machine…

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I wish I had a time machine to rewind a year and begin again the incredible adventure that was study abroad. Just a couple of weeks ago marked the official One Year Anniversary of when my program began, and because of that I have been reflecting on my trip much more frequently. I find myself thinking about what I was doing this time last fall (planning a trip to the Taj Mahal) and wishing that I could re-live and re-absorb those incredible moments. The SIT program I chose was based in New Delhi, India with a focus specifically on the health and human rights of vulnerable populations throughout the country.

During the time when I began applying to study abroad, I was questioning and rethinking my decision to be pre-med. It was an internal debate that left me everyday feeling more conflicted, and I was slowly starting to think that I had made a premature commitment to medicine. I had very recently begun developing an interest in public health, but was too cautious to abandon my structured plans for med school in place of a field that was still really vague and undefined in my mind. I wanted to be able to experience public health issues and practices personally in order to determine if it was a field I actually found stimulating and fulfilling. It was this train of thought that led me to petition for the program I did. I was also beyond thrilled by the idea of returning to India (which I had visited several times growing up) as a student living in the country.

SIT is known for its experimental, field-based approach to learning. That could not be truer. For five months I was constantly immersed in the country’s dynamic spectrum of health disparities, not just through just textbooks and lectures, but also through direct connections and interactions with people and their communities. Another component of many SIT programs is an Independent Study Project (ISP), which you design and complete entirely yourself. My field study concerned the vulnerability of Kothis and Hijras, two high-risk sexual minorities, to HIV/AIDS and was beyond a doubt one of the most transformative learning experiences I have ever had. My program challenged me to face the scars underlying India’s wonders, but this only left me with a truer love for the country. I could literally go on for hours about my program and ISP, but to keep myself from writing a novel I will stop here and just say to please feel free to contact me whenever if you are interested in more details/ information.

Hanging out with adorable school kids in a rural village in Jamkhed, where we were working with an incredible organization called the Comprehensive Rural Health Project.

My friend Tania (also a fellow Scrippsie!) and me riding an elephant to the top of a fort in Jaipur, India.

To put simply, I left India inspired and impassioned to pursue global health as a career. But even setting this realization aside, I reflect on and treasure the seemingly unremarkable moments in which I felt truly integrated into the society. I loved eating street food, haggling in markets, learning to read and write Hindi, etc. Off-campus study was one of the highlights of my life so far, and I while I recognize that it is not for everyone, I would strongly encourage you to consider your options. There are few chances to live as a student in a new environment and gain an understanding of the place with a depth only afforded by complete immersion. From gaining a heightened sense of independence to a new appreciation of home, the personal merits of off-campus study are unparalleled. Take advantage of the amazingly strong and supportive Off-Campus Study department we have at Scripps! They make study abroad SO easy and accessible regardless of your major or financial aid status. Freshmen/sophomores: any ideas of where you may want to go? Seniors who went abroad, how do you feel about your off-campus study experiences? I’d love to hear your stories and thoughts— share away!

My lovely host family and me celebrating Diwali, the grand festival of lights that enlivened the entire city for nights.

And finally, a picture that I just love. The sign says “Smile and Serve” and was posted in an overcrowded, understaffed government hospital in Aligarh. You can see the long queue of patients waiting in the hallways.

 

 

After a Semester in Washington DC

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I knew studying in Washington DC would be a fun experience. I knew I would meet new people, have numerous opportunities to hear important and influential people speak, and add some work experience to my resume. I never thought that the study abroad experience would change my career goals as much as they did.

When I left for Washington in August, I wasn’t entirely positive what I wanted to do in the future, but I had a fuzzy sort of idea. After graduation, I would get a steady job in a bank in California, maybe go to business school, and continue in banking or business. While I still have an interest in banking and definitely want to attend business school in the future, I now have a more concrete idea of where I want my life to lead me. I think I want to run for Congress someday.

It’s still a far-off daydream for now, but I think it’s a noble goal. I’m interested in working in business, but I have a lot of good ideas and want to make positive changes in California and the country. My focus on international relations will also probably help me, as I have a good sense of how other countries are run and what is positive or negative about their governments. The presidency is not for me, but I believe Congress will be a good way to make change.

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