Richa spent an academic year at the University of Manchester in England. When asked why she wanted to study abroad, Richa replied, “I have always been interested in going to new places and meeting different types of people, and I felt this would be the only time in my life that I could get an experience like that.”
Naturally, Richa faced some challenges in the beginning, but she accepted them, explaining, “It was hard at first because I have never left home and I had to go somewhere new by myself without really knowing anyone there. It was a bit intimidating at first, but I realized that there would be others in the same boat.”
Another issue that she faced was convincing her parents to let her study abroad. Richa said, “My mom was more supportive than my dad; he didn’t really understand why I would want to go somewhere else when people come to America to study, but finally he came to terms with it.”
On an interesting note, rather than being a minority in England, Richa found herself in the opposite situation. “I am South Asian and there are not that many here in Iowa but when I was in England, there was so many of them, I didn’t stand out anymore which I am used to here.” However, that did not necessarily work in her favor because she claims, “I felt like it was harder for me to really connect with the British Asians there.”
Nevertheless, Richa felt that studying abroad benefited her in many ways. For instance, “It has made me more independent and aware of other kinds of people and has made me more open minded. It made me realize that if I can make it in a foreign country, I can make it anywhere.”
Overall, Richa describes studying abroad as “one of the most important things I’ve done in my life. Not only did it open my eyes to different kinds of things but it helped me figure out who I was and what kinds of things I want out of my life.”
Richa spent an academic year at the University of Manchester in England. When asked why she wanted to study abroad, Richa replied, “I have always been interested in going to new places and meeting different types of people, and I felt this would be the only time in my life that I could get an experience like that.”
rather than being a minority in England, Richa found herself in the opposite situation. “I am South Asian and there are not that many here in Iowa but when I was in England, there was so many of them, I didn’t stand out anymore which I am used to here.” However, that did not necessarily work in her favor because she claims, “I felt like it was harder for me to really connect with the British Asians there.”