Travel has become a huge part of my life so I feel that seeing images like this only fuels my ambition to fly farther, to discover more, and to see the rest of the world. It gives me a push and a drive, inducing an incurable excitement in me, a longing to achieve my aspirations.
This picture is very powerful not only in itself, but also to me as a person. I have been incredibly invested in both performing music for quite some time, and this specifically reminds me that through the power of music, we are able to convey ideas and emotion that might not always be completely understood. This is true for not only animals who don't speak human tongue, but also those of different races and cultures who are unsure of words spoken to them in anything but their native language. Music is something worldly, and something that will forever be a spiritual and emotional connection that knits together the human race.
The Beatles were a band that I was raised on. My father was a very big advocate for them and their music, so every time I see an image of them (this one, specifically), I am brought back to his many speeches of how they spread the idea of love throughout the world in even the most difficult of times. Each song held a message, most of them which were powerful in very emotional ways.
The beauty of Russia is not often captured in many photographs, often times portraying the country as nothing but frigid and poor. By looking at images such as this, I am able to connect with them specifically due to the fact that my family consists of three little boys from here. Some years ago, we brought them back to the United States and our lives changed forever.
Four years ago, our Boxer passed away at the age of nine. She had been a huge part of our family for her entire life, so seeing images like this brings up a certain sadness and nostalgia that has been pushed to the back of my mind. This image in particular, however, speaks in volumes about how having a pet is a partnership; the animals that you adopt or save are a part of your family, and it shows through this image of the dog waiting to be walked by its owner.
When it comes to studying abroad, there are a number of priceless experiences at your fingertips. You are immediately thrust into a brand new culture, language, and society, adapting to customs and ways of life, simultaneously stitching it together with your own. Through such involvement, you gain irreplaceable knowledge and a unique understanding for the way the world works, despite having typically known a single approach to living for a majority of your life. While many students may think that the cost of the program in its entirety is quite a high price to pay for cultural experience, there are numerous scholarships, loans, and sponsors willing to aid them in their travel and exploration to further their knowledge. In addition to this, studying abroad is a wordless confirmation on any resume that their potential employees are both worldly and adaptable.
While it may be true that studying abroad will boost your marketability in the corporate world, there are also important emotional and social aspects of embracing other cultures and branching off on your own. Studying abroad will test and nurture a person's independence, as they are stepping off into uncharted waters, so to speak. These students who are still (mainly) a year or two shy of being fully-fledged adults are not only moving from the parents that raised them for eighteen or twenty something years, but also being forced to provide their own food, make their way around whichever city their host school is located in, and completely immerse themselves in the culture. By doing so, their independence will reach a new pique, as they are expected to essentially become fully functioning adults, being held responsible for not only their classes, but also representing their country and not upholding any negative stereotypes that come along with that. It can also be a very humanizing and humbling experience; for those students who do come from nicer parts of the world and have picked a second or third world country to study in, their eyes will be undoubtedly opened to the fact that not all have it as great as they do. They will learn to appreciate the conveniences that they have been desensitized to while, at the same time, becoming more sensitive to the world around them.
While there are many good points that come with the territory of studying abroad, negative aspects have also been brought to light throughout many students’ experiences and hardships they underwent when being away. It’s difficult to adjust; being halfway around the world, away from your family and friends, can be rather disheartening for the first few weeks (or months) of someone’s program. This innate feeling of loneliness has been linked with culture shock, and despite having the fast, effective aid of Skype, Facebook, and other social media platforms, being unable to see loved ones for an extensive period of time can take a mental and emotional toll. In her blog post, “Disadvantages of Studying Abroad,” Marie M. states that “you could feel excluded in the country where you are and not have the social network yet that can give you support and strength. And if, god forbid, something bad might happen back home, you might not have the chance to be with your family and friends and have to stay in that country with your pain and alone,” (Marie 1). While it is possible to conquer this feeling of loneliness and homesickness, culture shock is something that has been widely known for being severe enough to so much as cause students to return to their home universities before completing their program. The Center of Study Abroad Global Consortium wrote an article about culture shock while studying abroad, describing the condition as “an uneasy feeling of disorientation brought on by the inability to respond appropriately to the social cues of another country which you may be introduced to in daily life situations,” (CSA 1). Culture shock may include symptoms such as homesickness, boredom, withdrawal, frustration and anxiety, irritability, stereotyping of host nations, and hostility towards host nations. While not all cases become so severe, there have been many situations where the culture shock has become unbearable, ultimately causing the student to pack up and leave before the end of term.
The final, and most notable, negative aspect of studying abroad is the usually high price point that drives students away before they even have a chance to introduce themselves to the idea. Between cost of living, a high tuition, and having to provide your own food and travel expenses, it’s quite expensive as a low-wage college student to afford such grandiose expenses. This can be blamed partly on the high cost of higher education that has become such a growing trend in America, Britain, and Canada, America’s in particular having been raised by at least $500 USD over the last three years. Having already accumulated a number of student loans that will follow them through most of their adult lives, studying abroad is rarely an expense these students wish to add to their already heavy financial burden.
After reviewing all of the points stated previously in this evaluation, I feel that despite the daunting negative aspects that have been shown, studying abroad is an experience that you’re unable to put a price tag on. While it may be expensive, or perhaps its nerve wracking leaving your family and friends for up to an entire academic year, culture shock and the initial loneliness are fleeting. If you’re able to push through these debilitating stages, you will find yourself putting all of your previous worries on the backburner and enjoying your time abroad. The price may be high, but there are a number of scholarships available, most notably if you are studying in a less popular country. Additionally, I firmly believe that having something that is so worldly and experienced on your resume will aid you in landing a more well-paying job than without. Due to this, loans will be less of an issue in the far future, although it’s better to only take what you need rather than what you can. In my opinion, I feel that the pros of this adventure truly outweigh the cons and that if you ever have the chance to go, it should be without question.
The prospective concept of studying abroad is something that many students solely lust after, never realizing the full potential of the seemingly far-off pipe dream. Such aspirations are often promptly derailed due to high program cost and the extensive amount of paperwork required to complete registration in a limited and timely manner. While it may be a stressful process, upon reaching the actual outcome all of the blood, sweat, and tears are unquestionably worth it. From my personal experience, the pros have heavily outweighed the cons when it comes to studying abroad, and although I have faced a few hardships I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.
My recommendation to future students who are interested in studying abroad is to, first and foremost, do your research far ahead of time. While I believe it is something that everyone should experience at least once in their lives, it isn’t for everyone so you need to be absolutely sure before making such a big commitment. If you have decided that it is for you, however, remember to plan accordingly; prepare your loans and save money before setting off, speak to a counselor about how to offset or calm down initial bouts of culture shock, and make a scheduled plan to speak to your family and friends at least once a week as to avoid any feelings of depression, anxiety, or loneliness. While you are on your study abroad, let go and take the time to truly find yourself. This is an adventure for you, for your mind and spirit to experience the ways and workings of a world you haven’t yet discovered. Try new foods, learn a language, make international friends and connections that you will hold close to your heart throughout your life; and, most importantly, absorb the world around you with an open mind and wider eyes.
The vast and expansive universe of gaming isn't only a boy's world, anymore. While it may have started out as such, the past few years have shown an influx of women gamers not only in the United States, but around the world. Often times, women are ridiculed for participating in what is considered to be a man's realm, constantly belittled with either inappropriate or discrediting stereotypes, but I would like to consider the era of the 2000s as one belonging to female gamers and their quickly increasing percentage.
In the Article "Female Gamers On The Rise," Peter C. Beller explains that "New research from NPD Group shows that the number of female gamers increased to 28% of all U.S. console (note: this does not include mmos, other computer games, and non-electronic or console games) gamers compared with 23% a year ago." NPD also states that the percentage increase reflects the fact that 2 million more girls and women started playing games in the past 12 months. "As of 2010, 42 percent of the gaming audience is female, up from 40 percent the previous year. And interestingly enough, turning the whole "video games are for teenage boys" stereotype on its head, women 18 and older make up more of the gaming audience than boys 17 and younger," (Hancock 1).
For years, women have been dealing with different stereotypes when it came to gaming; notably online. Whenever something went wrong, it was easy to blame the one female in your group because everyone knew that men were much more conditioned to play these games; that the girls playing were inferior in every way, shape, and form. In addition to that, many women are also branded with an inappropriate stereotype that highlights them being overly-sexualized, which is often times due to the content of the games themselves. There is the famous example of the 'gamer girl' posing whilst scantily clad and a gaming controller in her mouth. The moment that this went viral, the entire demographic of female gamers, as a whole, became that much less respectable to the other side of the spectra. As a female gamer, myself, I have experienced some - if not all - of these predetermined mindsets, being looked down upon when my gender is made known to my current party or what have you. Funnily enough, there had been nothing but praise until I'd made it known, after which a debate was immediately brought to the surface; do girls really know how to play games? Are they good at stats and crafting and properly balancing a character?
In short: it depends wholly on the person. While there are some girls that are worse than others, you must keep in mind that there are also male gamers who have absolutely no idea what they are doing or, even worse, follow in suit of one Leeroy Jenkins.
While the audience was originally men, the past few years have shown a spike in not only female gamers, themselves, but also many games produced that have been done so solely for a female audience. In the future, I can only hope that the demographic of female gamers will increase not only in number, but also in the level of respect that they collectively deserve.
For quite a while, I have been heavily interested in East Asian - specifically Korean - fashion, which is one of the many factors that brought me to this country. I have always been interested in Korean fashion, but because I live in America it is difficult to obtain and the shipping prices are nearly through the roof. By living here, I have uncovered some stark differences, both good and bad, between Korean and American fashion so I thought I'd share what I've found here.
I'll start with American fashion so that we have something to go off of for comparison's sake. The fashion of America is ever changing, constantly growing and sticking to its elements, yet retaining a fluidity to move with the times. American fashion is often times heavily focused on what you would call basics. We adhere to simple colors and patterns, dressing them up with accessories or down with sneakers and a pullover. Mostly, when we are aiming for a formality level we tend to stay within that range, never daring to wear sneakers with dresses or suits or anything of the sort. Over the past few years the clothing style of America's youth has grown more and more provocative due to the immense and dynamic influence the media holds over them. Crop tops and high waisted shorts riddled with holes and slits have reached the top of the fashion tier (much of the fashion world is turning to bold performers such as Miley Cyrus for current inspiration). All in all, American fashion can be considered rather vast and not completely one-style. In America, the motto is to dress in a way which makes you comfortable, to the point where you can be proud and, most importantly, feel good enough to take on the entire world in what you wear.
"The clothes we wear and the trends we follow are often associated with superficiality and materialism. Fleeting styles come rapidly into vogue, then disappear as quickly as they came. But fashion has always been intrinsically connected to deeper elements of the American experience, from the economy and labor system to culture, religion, and class. From our underwear to our Levi's to our sneakers, what we wear has, for centuries, spoken volumes about who we are, what we do, and what we want. Whether Americans have dressed to make a political statement, to assert their class status, or simply to be irreverent, every style has carried a certain social meaning. This is in part because our culture has long ascribed great significance to individuals' public image, and because image has long been intertwined with the American capitalist economy. As Mark Twain once wrote, "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."Then again, Twain never lived to see the rise of Playboy. Clothes—or the lack thereof—remain central to contemporary American culture and integral to our national history." In Korea, there seems to be one key element that has taken the youth's fashion trends by storm: business casual. Every time I walk out my door, I am completely immersed in a world of blazers, tights, pencil skirts, and heels. Korean women have taken up this concept of a powerful image, which they definitely know how to pull off, while America is still aiming for comfortability and personal expression. Typically, an average American college student will be spotted in sweats and sneakers before a skirt and blouse. Americans in their teens and twenties are all about embracing their youth and dressing accordingly, yet here, the majority of college students I see here look dressed up enough to attend a business meeting and fit in without issue. While I do love this look as a whole, I'm not entirely able to pull it off, myself, so I really commend them (also for running in those heels, something I've seen multiple times).
On the other side of the spectra, Korea is ahead of its time when it come to contemporary fashion. Stores like Aboki, Arooki, and namely Stylenanda have completely captured my attention and adoration. Stylenanda, in particular, carries Jeffrey Campbell shoes as well as a number of vintage pieces that make it so unique and sought after. In addition, it is moderately affordable (unless you get into the vintage or hat section), which makes it a jetsetter fore Korean fashion as a whole. They are bold and brave in their choices, and additionally have a top Ulzzang working for them which brings in a lot of business. Because stores like this are garnishing more and more attention, I think there will be a bit of a shift in Korean fashion in the next few years - at least in the younger generation.
