What is something you want to remember about your time abroad? ”During my time abroad, I want to remember the awesome people that I met and experiences I was able to have. I was able to have an experience of a lifetime and I want to cherish the memories cultivated here.”

Describe a moment where you experienced culture shock. How did you navigate it? ”There honestly was not much of a culture shock for me. I came into this exchange with a lot of pretty conceived notions about the people that would be here, but after getting familiarized with the culture in the people here- I realized that they aren’t so different from me. Sure they have different beliefs and ways of living, but so does everyone. I didn’t find anything to be super shocking, besides the lack of diversity which I expected because this is Finland. The population is very homogeneous.”

What is one challenge you experienced during your first month? How did you overcome that challenge? “The bus system is the first challenge I have experienced while in Colchester. Being raised in a small town forced me to walk or drive, so I had only experienced riding a bus once I came to the United Kingdom.

What is one challenge you experienced during your first month? How did you overcome that challenge? “My first month in Finland was definitely a transition I had to get adjusted to. I had trouble penetrating the social spaces. I realized that I needed to put myself out there. I couldn’t isolate myself in my apartment and expect to make friends, so that’s exactly what I did.