大三出國、全英語課程 - 國際視野 : 淡江大學大三出國通報及學分採認系統

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2018大三出國輔導通報系統 - 留學心得報告[編輯]

觀光Ｂ 405860346 　李庭瑜　　留學學校：紐約州立大學科特蘭分校

(一)基本資料

The place I decided to spend my junior abroad year is SUNY Cortland instead of CSULB which I have been desired to go to since being a freshman in TamKang. SUNY Cortland is located in upstate New York which is well known by close to Niagara Falls and the cold weather. (51字)

(二)課程學習

【照片說明：Rock, Jazz and Blues Ensemble Gig】

I choose several different kinds of classes in SUNY Cortland. The first semester I chose ice skating. There is not a chance for people to take ice skating class in Taiwan because none of the school in Taiwan owns an ice arena. There were around 10 students in a class so that the instructor is able to take care of each student. I also chose cultural geography. The reason that I chose this class because I have been interested in geography since high school. The professor introduced various topics in class. Compared to high school, the course is so much more difficult because it is not your mother language and it is more in-depth. The professor spends so much time teaching us how history influences the culture then geography. I have gained so much knowledge in that course. The course that impresses me the most is gender, race & sec class. There are more than 200 students in that class. This course has helped me clearly understand the problems related to race and gender in the United States, such as White privilege, indigenous identities and education, and gender issues in schools and society. This course emphasizes discussion and participation. The professor is the coolest professor I have ever met in my life. She not only shows us pictures of genitals she even talked about how she is in love with WGS topic. I can feel her passion for this course and have learned a lot from her. However, the most important thing that I learned from her is the cultural difference. In our culture, it is impossible to accept the ways she is teaching but I enjoyed it because of the liberty of actions. It is pure awesomeness. I guess that what makes their education system so special, and make their students so creative and always thinking out of the box. I have never experienced this kind of education in Taiwan. No one would judge your perspectives during the class. Everyone is so open-minded and thinking independently. All these experiences have developed my ability to begin the process of reflecting upon and critically analyzing our own understandings and life experiences in and out of school related to identity characteristics. (366字)

(三)生活環境

【照片說明：Me and mi amigos】

SUNY Cortland is located in upstate New York. The first thing that led me to SUNY Cortland was the scholarship, they not only provide scholarship but also let students choose whether we want to live on campus(more expensive, must buy meal plan) or the off-campus apartment(school bus will loop to the apartment and meal plan is not mandatory). However, I have never regretted choosing SUNY Cortland ever since. The weather is lovely during summer and spring, but winter is terrible. It starts to snow during mid-October till the beginning of May. Most of the international students will choose to stay at West Campus Apartment. It's part of the school dormitory but it's located off- campus. Compare to the dorms on campus, it's much more convenient. You can go to Walmart or Price Chopper by walking, there is a Mexican restaurant beside it. There's two restrooms, one full-size kitchen, and a living room. Each of us has our own single room. In fact, it's actually my first time lining in a place that snows, I was so excited when the first time seeing snow. I ran out of my apartment and I was filled with happiness. After one month, the weather was crazy, snow flooded into my lower leg, if it comes with rain, the feelings are much more terrible. The only transportation here is either the school bus or taxi. I also found that the school bus service operates until midnight almost every day, it gives students rides to the grocery store or bars, and the best part is you don't have to worry how to get back home after parties with friends, the school bus driver always drives students home safely which is very considerable. (288字)

(四)自我成長

【照片說明：Presenting a presentation about Taiwan to local students and staff】

The picture showed is when I was presenting about Taiwan. The presentation was right after I came back from the Model UN trip to New York City which was so remarkable. I went to NYC because of the National Model United Nations conference which is taking place in the UN headquarter. I have learned a lot during the trip, worked with a lot of distinguished people from all over the world. That experience had indeed widened my horizon and strengthened my abilities. I worked a lot during my study abroad year at SUNY Cortland in the dining hall called Neubig hall. The biggest challenge I need to go through is to have decent time management. How to strike a balance between working and studying? For me, I live at West campus Apartments so actually, it’s not that convenient to go home between classes or before work. What I do is I’ll bring my computer and books to the library and study there. There are a few differences between their library and ours. In their library, people don't whisper because it's not like a study place for them instead, it's a group discussion area. Also, drinks and food are ALLOWED in their library! Also, when I first got there I found out that people are using a lot more spoken words/slangs than I imagined. Like they would say “How’s it going” or “What’s up” instead of hi and hello which we are used to saying. What’s more, they like to use the abbreviations of words no matter for having a conversation or just typing and chatting. At first, it feels pretty weird or might not be able to understand, but as time goes by, everything will become like a habit and even get used to it since it is so much more convenient.(308字)

(五)大三出國建議

Studying in a country that is not using your mother tongue can be a very stressful experience, from learning the cultural norms to new foods. Culture shock is common with international students. Culture shock includes meeting new people, language barriers, social behaviors, and a sense of community since their culture are more likely to be considered as individualism. While it may be difficult for some international students to understand, it is completely acceptable to ask for help when you are having problems. Try to meet as many people as you can! This may seem difficult, but really, a university is the perfect venue for meeting people with whom you share common interests and there is no better chance to make friends than when you are alone in a foreign country for a year. The more you speak English with your new friends, the easier it will become to understand their speech. If you take time to communicate with your new friends exactly what your language limitations are, many of them will work to accommodate your needs. I've never deeply experienced international cultures until going to the States as an exchange student. It’s easy to quickly fall into homesickness, especially if you find yourself feeling isolated. You may start missing your family, your friends, the customs of your home country, and even the food you are used to eating. You may find that it makes you feel better to tell your new friends about your life at home, share the cultural differences. Teach Chinese words to native English speakers, and even to expose your new friends to the foods you are accustomed to eating are all decent experiences you will gain. (281字)

(六)其他

(0字)

補充照片

【照片說明：United Nations Headquarter】

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資料更新時間：04月24日 19:56

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