I am about to begin a four week International Summer Session at Fudan University in China, Shanghai and I am MORE than ready! Despite studying English Language and Literature at University, I thought I’d try mixing things up a little (and move a bit away from my English obsession…) so while at Fudan I’ll be studying Intercultural Communication and Chinese Political Philosophy. This should be interesting.

Goals I hope to achieve:

I have never been to East Asia before and I’m not all that exposed to the culture either so while away I really want to immerse myself and learn all about it. I reckon it’ll be a major culture shock at first, but I really look forward to the newness of it all. I want to understand and appreciate all aspects, from language to tradition and everything in between.

I also hope to become mentally and emotionally stronger. I think this trip will really challenge me and test my independence skills. I think I’ll learn a lot about myself and it’ll just be an awesomely enlightening experience!

Finally, I love meeting new people and I can’t imagine a better setting or environment to find such a diverse range. So, my third goal would be to make plenty of new friends and just learn from all the different people I meet during my time there.

Skills I hope to develop:

Although I feel pretty independent already, this trip will really test my ability to be self-sufficient. It’ll be my first time living alone and even just out of the house, since my first two years at university have been spent at home. Seeing as I never do house work and can’t cook a thing, I am trying to stay optimistic! But being even more independent and learning to fend for myself is definitely a skill I want to develop while away.

I also want to use my initiative more, improvise and just be more spontaneous. Shanghai and Fudan will give me a wealth of opportunities to do things I’ve never done before and I want to just… go with the flow (?) and take it all as it comes. I want to learn to experience everything and take chances while I’m away, because I know this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Thirdly, I want to develop my academic abilities. I have loved every part of University in Edinburgh (socially and academically) and I think studying in a different county, with different people, learning different subjects can only help me more when I return to the UK. I want to improve how I learn, revise and interact with other students and take these skills back into my final honours years and beyond.

So without further ado… I AM OFF! Get ready Pudong Airport, I’ll be with you soon.

 Oh, I also hope to gain the skill of getting lost less…