A little island full of rabbits was Katelyn Marshall’s favorite thing about studying abroad. It’s probably not the expected answer from a student working on her PhD in molecular biosciences at Rutgers University, but Marshall, who has her own pet rabbit, cherishes “bunny island” over any other experience she had studying in Nagoya, Japan in the spring of 2012.
The island was once a teargas testing site during World War II, and now, for reasons unknown, is inhabited by domesticated rabbits. As an animal lover, Marshall found the sci-fi-like experience fascinating.
Marshall’s story is a perfect example of studying abroad, in that not only does everyone rave about the benefits of going to a foreign land, but each person has a unique experience to share. “I always say it doesn’t matter where you go, just go,” Marshall says. “You are going to regret it if you don’t.”
Along with Jeff Powell and Ryan Tripp, Marshall is a Maple Grove native who studied abroad during college. They all also happen to have attended Coe College, a small liberal arts school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Whereas Marshall and Powell are both alumni of Coe, Tripp is a current student heading into his junior year double majoring in business administration and Asian studies, and spent his semester last spring in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and also Thailand, where he studied Thai language and culture. The distance between Thailand and home is so great that Tripp spent much of his time off the grid, unable to reach home even with all the technology available. (A fact made obvious by several failed interview attempts over Skype.)
While overseas, Tripp took part in an intensive language-immersion course that crammed a full semester of work into seven weeks. In addition, he spent time traveling to various historical sites and taking Asian business classes from one of the Coe College professors. However, along with the structured academics, there was plenty of free time. Tripp estimates that about 60 percent of his time was outside the classroom. Because of this, he had the opportunity to study government, business, culture and history.
“My favorite part of the trip was being in Chiang Mai for Songkran,” Tripp says. “This holiday uses water to celebrates the lunar new year in Thailand. It’s the equivalent of our New Year but over several days of festivals, and it is absolutely crazy. It's a nationwide water fight that never stops.”
The experience was great but things weren’t always easy. Marshall had a similar experience to Tripp in terms of class time, and having studied in an Asian culture as well. Although she wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, there was a culture shock to overcome.
“The culture there is hard to break into because when foreigners go there it is very obvious you are foreign,” Marshall says. “The area I was in, not a lot of people speak English so it was hard to feel like I had friends, but you just find a way to make friends, make the best of it and have a great time.”
Marshall and Tripp’s experiences both centered on language and culture. However, Powell, who graduated from Coe in 2012 and is now a staff scientist at Pinnacle Engineering, had an entirely different experience abroad. He went to the Bahamas for a month right after he graduated, to study marine biology. His time was much more structured and focused on studying ecology at a research facility on the island of Andros.
Although he doesn’t work in a field directly related to his trip, he feels the experience prepared him well for the workforce. He says that getting the opportunity to travel broadens your horizons, and better prepares you for anything that comes your way. “No matter the location or the program, I would recommend any project that isolates you from everything familiar,” Powell says. “It’s an amazing experience no matter the subject matter.”
These three students exemplify that every experience abroad is shaped differently. Everyone can find their own “rabbit island,” and create an experience they will treasure for life
