Each year, Susquehanna University allows students to have a study abroad experience. There are different places that students can travel to, and Stirling, Scotland, is one of those locations. Now, this isn’t an advertisement for Scotland. It’s a great place, but wherever people decide to go study abroad, there is always something new to learn and experiences to grow from.
This past summer, Susquehanna University student Hanorah Lucas visited Stirling, Scotland, for her GO trip. She participated in the University of Stirling’s international summer school program. She took classes with the program, and the international school immersed students in different areas of Scotland.
In Scotland, Hanorah was never alone. There were other students from Susquehanna, along with others from other schools. The majority of the program was Americans. There were only three non-Americans during her program’s section. Because she was around familiar people from school, it created a safety net for her, which had its pros and cons. While it may have changed the way she experienced her trip, it worked out for her because the other students wanted to enjoy Scotland as much as she did. This created motivation to explore more.
Otherwise, this trip made Hanorah more thoughtful about how she acts around others. She expected bars to be rowdy like in America, but she saw how it was mostly local people enjoying their time together. Instead, she realized how loud Americans were when she was out in town. That perception fit into the stereotypes that she had learned about Americans during her prep class for study abroad. She saw how she was perceived and realized that she was an outsider to Scotland. There were times when she realized that she was louder than the locals around her, so she started to adapt to the culture. She adjusted her volume to not out herself as an American.
There were other things she needed to do to acclimate herself to Scotland. She relearned public transportation. For her, it was different compared to the U.S., where people can walk sometimes or drive. In Scotland, she had to learn how to use the trains and the buses. However, this did not stop her from exploring the town. She found that her schedule allowed her to be more productive. She visited the Stirling city center, went to the café, spent time with friends, and overall, had more free time. For her, Scotland seemed to be better at managing time even though this meant that stores closed early, unlike in the U.S., which seemed inconvenient at first.
While Hanorah did not have many expectations when going to Scotland, she was nervous about traveling to a new country because she is a vegetarian. However, she found that there was food for her there. Her favorite new dish was the macaroni pie, which she described as a shepherd’s pie but with macaroni and cheese instead. According to Hanorah, the food in Scotland was healthier too!
During her time abroad, she took time to get to know the locals a little more. In Aberfoyle, she met a woman who owned a vintage shop and talked about the community. On the way to Stirling, she spoke with the bus driver and learned more about the education system. She learned specifically about how STEM is still in progress in their schools. Because of the underdeveloped STEM programs, she realized that the education many people received sometimes made it hard for them to further their knowledge.
Beyond her conversations with locals, she learned so much from her classes in the summer program. Hanorah took two classes: photography and witchcraft. Because of her photography class, she was able to explore and discover more about nature in Scotland. She saw how its natural aspects are a huge part of Scotland.
The witchcraft class showed how folklore back home did not just exist in America. Scotland also had similar folklore. She talked about how Scotland had its own version of the Salem Witch Trials; however, it was worse. This class bridged the gaps between the U.S. and Scotland in a unique way.
Each course in the University of Stirling International School program had its own excursion. Hanorah enjoyed visiting Aberdour for her witchcraft class, which took her to the highlands of Scotland. At Aberdour, her class visited a cemetery that honored a man who was a big supporter of faeries. This excursion highlighted the folklore and fantastical aspects of Scottish culture, which is not heavily emphasized in American culture. She saw how people left gifts for the faeries. This was something that she was not used to, but she became more aware of folklore’s impact on the country. It felt different than just spirituality. It was personal, and it was a tradition that had been passed down. She noticed how people were taking trips to talk and sit at the tree in Aberdour. It is a tradition that is continued by families who brought their children too.
For Hanorah, Scotland became a place of magic and tradition. It is not just the stereotypes that people create. The more you travel, the more you can immerse yourself in a new culture. So, if you’re thinking about studying abroad, do it. Take that big leap. It is going to be different from what you are used to, but it is also going to be a memorable time.