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The University of Southampton
Humanities

Meet the Study Abroad Bloggers

Published: 27 September 2013

We’re pleased to introduce our Study Abroad Bloggers, a collection of six Humanities Undergraduate students who are currently on their third year abroad study/work placements.

Our bloggers, who have been selected from a variety of Humanities disciplines, will be writing about their experiences from the very beginning of their journey as they step into the unknown, right up until the end of their trips as they arrive back in Southampton in the summer of 2014. They will be offering advice for anyone who may be thinking of taking up a similar opportunity, and sharing their personal anecdotes and stories to give you the real Study Abroad experience.

We hope you enjoy reading about their adventures, and join us in wishing them the best of luck with their travels.

Meet the Bloggers:

Amy Ashenden
BA French and Spanish
Madrid, Spain
http://madridforbeginners.wordpress.com/

‘I will begin my year abroad in Madrid in September, where I will study photography, Spanish and journalism at Universidad Complutense de Madrid whilst living at the heart of the city centre.

My aspirations whilst studying abroad include exploring Spanish media in comparison to the British by shadowing the BBC’s Madrid Correspondent, researching the identity of the Chueca district by interviewing its LGBT community for my dissertation, deciding where I stand on the bullfighting debate (I was a vegetarian for eight years), becoming a Hispanic film addict by visiting the city’s huge number of cinemas, seeing if its nightlife lives up to Southampton’s, and discovering what it really means to be a Madrileño. I am also thrilled to live with a mix of Spanish, French and English Erasmus students.’


Daniel Smith
BA English
Kyoto, Japan
http://iamdanielsan.wordpress.com/

‘I chose Doshisha University for my year abroad because of the contrasting culture and history of Japan and the UK. I believe that this opportunity will widen my experience of the world due to the vast differences between the two countries socially, geographically and culturally. The chance to experience a country to which I have never been, along with a way of life that I currently know little about, is highly appealing.’


Hannah Talbot
BA Spanish and Portuguese
Florianópolis, Brazil
http://brazilandthenut.weebly.com/

‘There was never a doubt that I would go to Brazil: I love travel, I love Latin American culture and I love having different experiences from the norm. I wanted adventure and I wanted to come back with my own, individual stories to tell to friends and also in interviews. I chose Brazil because I liked the idea of a different lifestyle and experiencing the excitement of unfamiliar environments and norms. The unknown is exciting to me, I like to challenge myself and so I went for somewhere relatively new for Year Abroad students.’


Imogen Posford
BA Modern Languages (French, Spanish and Chinese)
Xiamen, China
http://whereonearthisimogen.blogspot.com/

‘My main aim for the experience is to improve my Chinese. When I studied in Nanjing last summer I was surprised at how much I was able to learn in such a short amount of time, due to both immersion and intensive teaching, so in a year I expect to learn a huge amount. Studying abroad will not only give me the opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture, but also to meet students from all over the world. This will help me develop as a person, making me more knowledgeable of other cultures; it will be an unforgettable experience.’


Lara Keay
BA English and French
Paris, France
http://laralarajayne.wordpress.com

‘I want to start a career in journalism when I graduate from Southampton, and thus when organizing the year abroad came around I decided to take the plunge and opted to find my own placement. After completing a placement at a PR company in Kerala, India the summer before I wanted to carry on building up my portfolio of work and look for another journalism opportunity. Eventually I was offered a placement with the travel website http://www.easyvoyage.com as a journalist at their UK desk.’


Thais Santos Paulo
BA Philosophy and Sociology
Hong Kong
http://babblingblunderer.wordpress.com/

‘The exchange opportunity to study in Hong Kong immediately stood out to me. Hong Kong's unique British heritage fused with Eastern cultures and traditions make it a unique and fascinating country. This East meets West vibe was a strong appeal. The opportunity therefore to live, learn and experience a culture which is both similar and at the same time so different from my own, was one I could not pass up. Moreover, Hong Kong being an important business hub, not only in Asia but world-wide, drew me in even further and it culminated in my decision to spend the year studying Chinese and Marketing.’

Amy Ashenden, BA French and Spanish
Daniel Smith, BA English
Hannah Talbot, BA Spanish and Portuguese
Imogen Posford, BA Modern Languages (French, Spanish and Chinese)
Lara Keay, BA English and French
Thais Santos Paulo, BA Philosophy and Sociology

Previous Study Abroad Bloggers

Read about previous student's Study Abroad experiences

Tayler Groom, BA Modern History and Politics
Isabella Hunter, BA History
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