My Experience in the USA
Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD) - Western Hemisphere and East Asia and Pacific
Checklist: What did you learn abroad?
Intercultural/communication skills
- I have a greater capacity to accept differences in others and to tolerate other people's actions and ideas that may be vastly different from my own.
- I am more knowledgeable about another culture and lifestyle.
- I have improved my ability to communicate with people in English.
- I have a greater ability to empathize (i.e., to sense how an event appears and feels to someone else).
- I understand that there are many ways to accomplish the same task and that those approaches are only "different," not necessarily better or worse.
- I have learned to improve interpersonal communication through increased abilities in listening well, speaking clearly, and paying attention to nonverbal cues.
- I have more curiosity about, and respect for, new ideas.
- I am more flexible and able to adjust to changes in others.
- I am more tolerant of ambiguous situations, that is, of situations that are confusing and open to differing interpretations.
- I realize why stereotypes can be so harmful and hurtful, both to others and myself.
- I have learned how to recognize when I have made a cross-cultural mistake and can use culturally appropriate language and measures to repair any damage.
- I understand and appreciate how much educational systems can differ across cultures.
- I have a greater willingness to take on roles and tasks to which I am unaccustomed.
- I can adapt and cope in vastly different settings.
- I am more able to accept as valid others values and lifestyles.
- I am more balanced in my judgments (i.e., less likely to judge things as "good" or "bad," "right" or "wrong").
- I think more critically: I am more discriminating and skeptical, particularly of stereotypes.
- I have generally improved my observation skills.
- I find myself regularly reflecting about the US experience and its meaning for me.
- I am confident that I can meet and make friends abroad.
- I have an increased motivation to go abroad again.
World view
- I understand better the US role in world affairs.
- I have a better understanding of how and why political policy differs abroad.
- I have the ability to see situations and issues from more than one perspective.
- I see the world as more interconnected than ever before.
- I value human diversity and respect others from a variety of backgrounds different from my own.
- I have a deeper understanding of the common problems and issues that confront all human beings on this planet.
- I have greater awareness of political, economic, and social events occurring around the world.
- I seek out international news and want to know what is going on in the world more than ever before.
- I am aware that cultural changes can have unexpected consequences.
Personal capabilities
- I understand more fully my own strengths and weaknesses.
- I feel more confident in undertaking new travels or projects.
- I can accept failures and shortcomings in myself more easily.
- I am more confident and assertive when facing new situations.
- I have become a more patient person.
- I am more willing to share my thoughts and feelings with others, and to be open when others wish to share theirs with me.
- I am less afraid of making mistakes or being laughed at than I used to be.
- I can see myself more objectively (i.e., I see my own day-to-day problems in a broader, more realistic context).
- I have increased my perseverance and self-discipline.
- I can "analyze" a social situation more quickly than before (i.e., figure out what is going on and react appropriately).
- I am more deeply committed to an idea, cause, or goal.
- I have the ability to create personal peace and satisfaction in my life.
- I have a greater sense of responsibility for other people.
- I have increased my capacity to experiment and take risks.
- I have a clearer notion of what I wish to do with my life.
- I am more aware of opportunities in life that are open to me.
- I feel greater respect and appreciation for my family.
- I am more independent in my relations with family and friends.
- I can accept the shortcomings of my family members in an understanding way.
- I am more aware of the way I use and structure time.
- I am interested in, and capable of, making long-range plans.
- I am more determined to develop fully my skills and talents, especially those recently gained through living in the US.
- I feel a greater need to have diverse experiences and friends.
- I feel that being in the US helped clarify my goals and values.
- I am more capable of solving life’s day-to-day problems and accomplishing necessary tasks.
- I can set more realistic priorities, both short-term and long-term, for myself.
- I am more confident about the decisions I make.
- I have a greater appreciation for what I have.
- I have the ability to make clear personal choices and goals for my life rather than complying with what others expect and want from me.
- I want to be able to use my skills in future work and can articulate what those are to a prospective employer.
Own culture
- I see my own cultural values more clearly and understand how and why they differ from others.
- I can evaluate advantages and disadvantages of my own culture and society more objectively (i.e., from the perspective of an outsider).
- I am sensitive to subtle features of my own culture that I had never seen before.
- I have both a greater appreciation for my culture and a clearer critical sense of its limitations and problems.
I have a deeper understanding of (if not necessarily commitment to) the values and lifestyle of my native community.