Charlee Amason Gives Us Honest Study Abroad Advice

Future professor and researcher, Charlee Amason, is a senior at Agnes Scott College majoring in Astrophysics and double minoring in English and Math. He knew right when he entered college what his major was going to be so it was an easy decision to study abroad when he realized credits weren’t going to be an issue. It also helped that the Irish American Scholars program was suggested to him by the Senior Study Abroad Advisor, Stephanie Escobar. It’s a competitive program in Northern Ireland and Charlee took a chance and applied. Intelligent, talented, and ready to learn, Charlee started on his adventure in Ireland in early September.

Belfast, Ireland

HC: What’s your favorite food?

CA: Pasta, “it’s versatile.”

HC: Current favorite song?

CA: “Snow Cats by AFI, they just released it and they’re coming out with a new album.”

HC: Current favorite book/author?

CA: “This is a big question, I need to reflect for a moment…. The last thing I really liked that I read was probably Stephen King.” He read a collection of short stories called Skeleton Crew. “There are some good ones in there.”

Those of you who know Charlee know that he wants to become fluent in Japanese. The problem with going to Japan was finding a school with an upper level physics course taught in English. As disappointed as he was, the priority was always finding a good program, not the location. So it was an easy decision once he got accepted into the Irish American Scholars program.

One piece of advice Charlee can give to travelers is don’t underpack. Everyone told him, “You only need one bag, you only need one bag, Charlee.” So he took one suitcase and a small carry-on. He ended up “[overestimating] how cold it would be.” “It hasn’t gotten under 40 degrees yet,” he told me in early November. The reasoning is that, yes it’ll be a hassle to carry everything to and from the airport, but that’s only two trips. Otherwise your things will be stationary, so it’s worth it to be prepared.

“Screw the advice that they give you,” he said. It’s good to pack light but be aware of what kind of packer you are and take the advice based on that. For example, I always overpack so Charlee told me I’d probably be fine taking the advice of packing less.

First arriving in Ireland was a little disconcerting. Most want to imagine that time to be only wonder and amazement and excitement, and of course that’s all there, but after being on a plane for way too long, the exhaustion and jetlag gets to you. It was of course it’s great to be there, but it was uncomfortable for Charlee not to able to use his phone right away and contact family or friends, letting them know he was safe. It also didn’t help that being vegan is a little difficult to maneuver with airplane meals, so he had to go grocery shopping that night to make sure he could have more than a tiny vegan bar he was able to buy at the airport that day.

Despite all that stress, you can definitely expect to see some beautiful scenery. If you’re ever in Northern Island, Charlee would recommend that you check out the Giant’s Causeway. It’s a beautiful area next to the water that’s filled with volcanic hexagonal rock formations. “That was very beautiful,” he said. He also enjoyed being able to travel around Europe a little bit and visit Munich, Germany. Of course he was there to take the GRE, but it was still a beautiful city to visit. Though, he would definitely recommend taking the GRE in the US. Taking exams like that abroad will provide the stress of a new environment plus a method of testing you are not used to. It will also take away from your time exploring the country you’re in and adjusting. Charlee had a week and a half before classes started and he took that time to stay inside and study.

Giant’s Causeway

One of the more interesting questions I asked had a surprising answer for a country that also speaks English. Of course there are some linguistic differences, but take a look at some cultural differences between Ireland and the US:

• “They call band aids ‘plasters.’”

• His bedroom has a sink in it.

• Classes have one final exam that’s 70% percent of your grade and no other tests. The finals are also taken after Christmas break.

Cultural experiences and traveling are important and awesome but Charlee definitely believes that Agnes Scott is “way better academically.”

The first thing that came to mind when I asked Charlee about general advice for anyone studying abroad is money; “Cash, carry cash. A lot of places don’t take card and if they don’t take card you will be hungry…. You can do currency exchange at the Atlanta airport.” The next piece of advice he gave is to take the time to learn public transportation. One time the bus he was going to ride broke down when he’d already paid for the pass. So he had to call a taxi and “mourn the $100 [he] lost…. Taxis are expensive. Never take taxis.”

Our intelligent and determined Charlee will be coming home on December 23rd. As much fun as he has had, he is definitely ready to come home. Studying abroad is an important experience for anyone who can take the opportunity. Just remember to keep in mind that you won’t always be prepared and that’s okay.

Every country is different so do your research. Let us know if you agree with Charlee’s take on study abroad on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook!

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• culture
• ireland
• study abroad
• travel