Program and Location:

Fall ’25 – Spring ’26, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

Major/Minor:

English creative writing and Asian language studies major, with a minor in dance.

Why did you choose to study abroad?

I’ve always valued travel as a way to see the world and understand more about it and us as humans. I value learning a foreign language for similar reasons–it helps me understand our world, and open doors to meeting new people and understanding different cultures. As an Asian Language Studies Major studying Mandarin, getting an immersed into a society that speaks it is something I always hoped I would have the opportunity to do. When I realized studying in Taiwan was an option available to me, it was an easy decision to decide to pursue that opportunity.

How did you pick your program?

Because I wanted to study in a Mandarin speaking country, I pretty much knew I either wanted to be in mainland China or Taiwan. A lot of the direct exchange programs in China seemed to have shut down following covid, so my only other options were 3rd party companies, which didn’t appeal to me as much. I found out that NC State had a direct exchange program with National Taiwan University, and after being encouraged to go to Taiwan by a professor and my advisor, I decided to go for it!

What is something you learned about yourself? How are you different? How are you the same? Or, what did you realize about your own culture by living in another one?

This experience has given me the opportunity to really put myself into new social situations. Prior to studying abroad, I didn’t exactly put myself out there. Being here has made me get over some shyness and fears about meeting new people and doing awkward and uncomfortable things. I think I’ve also realized how busy I was back home! Here, I don’t have the same community activities and hobbies, or friends and family to spend time and keep me busy all the time. I’m having to relearn what to do with more time to slow down, and make intentional choices towards exploring new things around the city and country, instead of just staying home in my comfort zone.

What advice would you give another student?

First of all, be brave and go for it! If you’re thinking of studying abroad, I guarantee you won’t regret it. It will be hard at times, but life is hard. Second, once you’re there, I would recommend setting some goals for yourself, so you can stay grounded. For me, these have been related to personal projects, my social life, and goals to travel and see things. Having things to work on for myself in a completely different place has been really helpful for keeping me from feeling overwhelmed with choices and things to do.

How did your study abroad experience prepare you for your future career?

The language immersion aspect of my experience has been really great. I think that my Mandarin skills have improved, and even if my vocabulary hasn’t grown much, my confidence certainly has, and I know in the future I will be confident to use my Mandarin outside of the classroom setting.

How were your classes abroad different than if you would have taken them at NC State? Did you do any field trips or do anything outside of the traditional classroom?

For me, the classes felt more intimate and discussion based then I’m used to at NC State. However, I’m taking classes in the humanities, and I think my experience with classes at NTU was different than my peers taking science classes. They seemed to have more of a lecture-style experience. None of my classes included field trips/non-traditional methods.

How did you connect with locals and/or meet local friends? And/or where did you find support to help you face any challenges you encountered abroad?

I joined a dance club on campus, and got really lucky with meeting some other international students early in the semester who liked to go out and meet people! I also went on a date (haha)–if your feeling brave, there are lots of ways to connect with locals! The legal drinking age here is 18, and bars are a nice place to go with friends and meet people who are interested in talking with foreigners!

How did you budget for your time abroad? Are there scholarships or grants that you would recommend applying for? Did you spend more or less than you thought?

I applied for the Pack Abroad social media spotlight scholarship, and I was lucky enough to be awarded it! It was fun to post on Instagram about my experience, so I recommend applying! I also worked part-time during my classes at State and during the summer in order to save up for my time abroad. Earlier on during my semester, I was much better at sticking to my food/travel/shopping budget. As time passed, I got worse at keeping track of how much I was spending and spent more than I planned on. Thankfully I saved up extra for my time here so it’s ok, but for my next semester here in the spring, I will be trying to spend a bit less.

Would you do it again?

Yes!!