The Transfer Student Interview Series continues with Lexie Munevar, past community college student leader and now university transfer student studying abroad.
“When in my life time would I ever be able to live abroad if not now?” How often does that thought cross your mind? For many of our college and university students, the thought of living abroad might come to them when they see a flyer on a campus bulletin board or a tweet reminding them that the deadline for the next study abroad trip is in a week. For my latest transfer student to interview, the idea came from the Transfer Event during her first quarter at university, where she saw the study aboard program.
Some students have always wanted to live abroad. For others, it may never have crossed their mind. For some transfer students, attending the university is a huge step in their lives. To even think that the next step could be studying abroad for a semester might seem impossible. Until you meet another transfer student who made it happen.
Lexie Munevar is a former student leader of mine. She graduated from Cañada College in Redwood City, California and is now attending the University of California at Davis, double majoring in Psychology and Spanish. For the upcoming fall quarter, she is studying abroad at Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina. Here is what she had to share about her program, how she found out about the program, and what she is looking forward to the most. You can follow her experience at her blog Aggie in Argentina.
1) Hi Lexie! What is the name of the program and what department is the Study Abroad out of? The name of the program is Spanish Language & Culture in Argentina and it is through UC Davis Study Abroad.
2) How did you find out about it? I found out about it at a transfer event that I attended my Fall Quarter (2013). The study abroad program was tabling at the event.
3) Where will you be studying? I will be studying at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina.
4) Do you know anyone else going? Yes, I have two friends that are also Spanish double majors that will be going.
5) What inspired you to go? I was initially going to minor in Spanish, but through this program I will be taking a years worth of Spanish in one quarter which allows me to double major. Study abroad has always been something that I’ve wanted to do since I started college. It was just a matter of finding the right program.
6) As a transfer student, do you feel treated the same and have had access to the same information as a transitional junior? If anything, I think transfers are given more support than third years. We had a lot of events that were specific to just us. UC Davis made me feel welcome since before school even started. We even have a center that is for transfers, vets, and returning students called the TRV. They keep us in the loop about what’s going on at UCD and anything that might be specific to transfers.
7) What are you doing with where you are living? I found a female grad student to sublease my room while I am abroad. When I come back I will be sharing that room with one of my friends who will be going to Argentina with me.
8) How many units are you taking abroad? I will be taking a full load – 18 units! That’s four 4 unit spanish classes and a 2 unit directed study group.
9) What are you looking forward to the most? Now that I’ve lived on my own for a year, I am excited to live abroad on my own. I will be staying with a host family which is one of the main reasons why I chose the program. I feel that living with Spanish speaking residents is the best way to fully emerge myself into Argentine culture. What I am looking forward to most is the excursions and hikes we will go on such as Patagonia and visiting the regional vineyards.
10) What advice would you give to a community college student thinking about studying abroad after they transfer? I would say to stick around your first year and get a feel for all your options. Four year colleges have many more countries to choose from for study abroad in comparison to community college. I am very happy to have been at UCD the whole school year before leaving for a quarter. Throughout the year, I was able to attend informational sessions, a study abroad fair, and workshops on how to finance study abroad. I did a lot of in-depth research before selecting Argentina. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! It is important to personally get to know the coordinators of study abroad programs so that you can get a hold of all the information you need in order to choose the program that best exemplifies the study abroad experience you want.
Thanks Lexie! This is great information. I’m looking forward to interviewing you when you return. Safe travels!
For more information on Study Abroad visit your college or universities website and search Study Abroad. You might be surprised to see how possible it really is. And by next year around this time, you could be studying abroad too.