TESTIMONIALS FOR STUDYING ABROAD

TRANSFORMATIONAL LIFE EXPERIENCE: An experience that surely will affect any student's life and something to look back on with fond memories. • One of the greatest education experiences I have had. • The friendships that were formed and the learning that took place was way beyond my expectations. • Once in a lifetime experience--to understand different culture, attitudes, people, locations, monuments, old cities; it was amazing. • It really changed my outlook on life and my self perception. If I can handle Europe on my own I can do anything. It will make the world a smaller place and you a bigger person. • Study abroad gave me a clearer picture of who I am and what I want out of life than the four years I spent at university. I am now more driven to meet my personal goals. I now know what those goals are. I feel that study abroad has given me the tools and independence to really expand my universe.

ADDED VALUE TO EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL CAREER: • Helped me get a tutoring job with mid-school and high school students in Spanish that pays well. Also helps in pursuing my job career.• Will always be able to relate business practice back to Lyon, France, to compare U.S. business practices with France. • Since I want to be a bilingual kindergarten teacher, my two months in Spain put me one step closed to my goal. • Before visiting Tokyo I was considering the possibility of maybe teaching in Japan. Now I am positive I will return after obtaining my masters. • I experienced in London what I had only read or talked about in classes, and for a theatre student it was great. • It has made me more focused on my academic career so I can experience more like this trip to the UK. • Studying abroad gives you a new knowledge of another country that you could not acquire in a classroom. • Each place I have lived and studied has taught me different perspectives on Political Science and Government. I feel that these experiences have challenged my way of thinking about my country’s government. Being able to study other countries' government and their perspective of my country's government has been very interesting.

ACCELERATED LANGUAGE LEARNING: • My Spanish improved incredibly within a few days and in 4 weeks the change was phenomenal. • In two months in Spain learned a lot of grammar, really practiced speaking Spanish. • I was forced to communicate and use the Spanish I was learning. In New Mexico there are many opportunities to use Spanish, however it is very easy to lapse into English. In Ecuador this wasn't an option. It was fun because I could see my progress in daily activities such as going to the market or catching a cab. • Immersion really does work! • More confident in learning Spanish. • Learned more Spanish in 8 weeks in Costa Rica than I learned in 4 years in college. • ...fun, interesting, only way to really learn another language. • ...forced to use what you learn and that makes the experience challenging yet fun. • Learning-wise I learned so much more Spanish than taking classes at the University.• I learned more Spanish there in a month than I did in two semesters at NMSU. • ... ultimate way to learn Spanish and open your mind. • I always struggled at my university with language and never thought it possible for me to learn a language until this program. It is very flexible meaning you start and stop when you want and you learn so much very quickly (Distance education student studied in Chile). • I don't think I would have ever had understanding in Spanish without this experience. • Nice to learn Spanish different from that spoken in Mexico. • I gained self confidence and had an incredible time. It is also a more efficient way to learn a different language. • Get to practice to speak the language daily. • They force you to speak and practice and outside of class you are surrounded with native speakers. • Classes are smaller and lots of time to practice, but in NMSU classes are larger and less independent time talking in Spanish. • They teach every day spoken Spanish, but NMSU teaches book Spanish. • Language institutes are there for students motivated to learn a language, but universities allow unmotivated students to earn credit to meet academic requirements. • Emphasis is on hands on use of the language and mastering it, not just getting grades and credits. •Language is embraced as a way to make connections between people, not just as a subject in school. Universities tend to go by the book too much and don't allow the students to converse and really learn the cultures behind the language. • As a Spanish Education major, I enjoyed having an example of teaching Spanish by a native speaker.

EXPANDED WORLD VIEW: • The experience of getting a feel for daily life in Japan, the different aspects of history and politics, was an experience I will never forget. • Appreciate the luxuries we have in terms of basic amenities such as hot water and utilities. • I met some great people that opened my eyes to see outside of the box that Americans live in. • You get to learn about life and culture outside of America. • I would recommend just to see that other parts of the world operate differently. • I would encourage everyone to go study abroad since it is a great experience that teaches you many things about life, the world, and also more about yourself. • ... Necessary to get a "world view" and understand one's place as a world citizen and as an American. • Appreciate I live in a country without bars on windows and doors and neighbors one can trust. • Seeing all the poverty in India has changed me. • Being in Tokyo allowed me to let go of my romanticized Western preconceptions and to see Japan as a real place, far better and more breath taking than I had ever imagined. • Learned how the values of a culture impact the culture's management of their natural resources (Belize). • Belize trip expanded view of different ecosystems around the world and how unique and important tropical forest of Central America are. • Academically, study abroad brought new meaning and context to things I have learned in the classroom and from textbooks. • Shed light on how far behind Americans are with their criminal justice system compared with countries in Europe. (Croatia).

CHANGED CULTURAL PERCEPTIONS: • I gained so much culture and learned about different places and people. • In two months in Spain learned a lot learned about other cultures. • I feel I am more informed and culturally aware about the world at large. • Now understand more about French culture, what is important to them, how different America is from Europe, what we take for granted as luxuries the French would hold dearly.• Developed a great appreciation for Costa Rican culture. • Guatemala allowed me to experience a world completely different from the U.S. • The people you meet in Spain make an impact, so that upon return, you realize how the cultures are so different and you gain respect on a national level. • It is an incredible experience to be completely immersed in another culture completely different from your own. • Other countries conserve their natural resources and we waste ours. • Their lives are simpler and people are more relaxed than in the U.S. • They are more family oriented and blood relatives have higher priority than in the U.S. (Mexico). Ticos in Costa Rica are friendly to a fault sometimes. Ticos say: Most Americans live to work, and Ticos work to live. • In Costa Rica, major difference in father-monther roles in the house compared to the U.S.

IMPACTED PERSONAL GROWTH: • Became more confident as a person: I can rappel down an 80 meter waterfall, raft down class 4 rapids in Rio Pacurare, and zip line over the rainforest going 50 miles per hour, so I feel like I can do just about anything. • It was great to experience being the "foreign guy" and having people be so understanding about my inabilities.• I have gained independence by going to Europe myself, have more confidence now. • I am a small town kid and to see a large city (London) and experience another country was fun. I learned to be more assertive, because before I was scared to try to new things, but after a week I learned to be more willing to try anything. • Studying abroad, especially alone, allows you to discover what you are capable of and know yourself 100% better. I went alone, not knowing anybody, and left with great new friends from around the world. • Learned about who I am and what I value in life. • Great experience to expand the mind and social understandings. • It is amazing how much knowledge you gain by studying abroad not only what you learn in the institution but what you learn from the culture and viewpoints of other people. • It is a great growing and self learning experience. • This experience opened my eyes and made me stronger. • It is experience that can only be explained if you do it yourself.• You test things about yourself you've never challenged before. • I discovered a lot about myself and my personal limits. • Helped me realize I can live on my own because I have always been close by and dependent on family or others if I needed anything. • I found that in Croatia I found a perfect place to learn and explore. • Living in Austria helped me realize that I can learn from other cultures. • I have learned to be adaptable in new cultures by planning and preparation to handle differences.

CHANGED EDUCATIONAL PERCEPTIONS: • You grasp how different countries educate, the methods they use, and you meet people from around the world. (Croatia). • Studying in Austria made me more responsible for all my courses. • Tropical field experience adds practical and applied aspects to studying tropical ecology. • I learned how highly valued higher education is worldwide. • Programs in Austria are established in advance for all degrees—no electives. • In Finland exams are different as is what they value about learning. • In Austria, the program is pre-set for the degree.

OPPORTUNITY FOR TRAVEL AND MAKING FRIENDS: • Get to travel, meet people, learn about yourself. • I met many people from all over the world who have traveled a lot, which made me want to see more of the world. • You meet a lot of people and you travel a lot. • I gained so much culture and learned about different places and people. I saw much of the world that I would never have seen. I also met so many new people . People were really nice and the families were all very involved and nice.