Hello!
My name is Emily Beirne and I am a junior at Arkansas Tech University. I am an English and Creative Writing Education Major with a minor in History, so you can catch me in the library 24/7 writing papers and reading books. I am also working toward a certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) through Tech. I love the creative process of writing, the complexities of grammar, the spookiness of history, and learning about cultures, so I made sure that my study areas covered all bases.
During the summer of 2019, I participated in the STARS Program which is a partnership between Arkansas Tech and schools within the region of Austria known as Styria. Through this program, education students are sent to various Styrian schools to teach English and American culture to Austrian students. I fell in love with the country, the culture, and the people and students I met. (I contemplated “losing” my Passport so I could stay, but everyone told me that was a bad idea.) I kept in touch with many of the teachers I worked with, and they’re really good about sending me photos of the beautiful European countries they visit that puts my photos of Lake Dardanelle to shame. Nonetheless, I would always tell them that I would return once again the next summer to participate in the STARS Program again. That is until fellow traveler Lexi Chaney and Ms. Haulmark convinced me to go abroad for the Spring semester in Graz, Austria. And now here I am staring at an open suitcase that is definitely over the weight limit anxiously preparing for my flight in just three days.
I have become nostalgic these last couple of weeks as my trip draws closer. I’ve realized the great number of people that I’m close to and will miss. I’ve tried to convince most of them to either hide in my suitcase or come visit, but they always say they wouldn’t get past security in a suitcase and they can’t afford a plane ticket. How rude. My family and my dog are huge parts of my life, and these last few days are going to be hard as I say goodbye to them. My dog especially.
I’ve always enjoyed traveling and learning about different cultures, and I always go into situations with an open-mind. There are many things to be learned from other cultures and people, and I can’t wait to meet other international students and build connections with them. I imagine that we will band together as the newbies to the university, and I hope they don’t mind my excessive use of “y’all.”
I consider myself to be a good student, but I’ve heard rumor that academics in Europe are more difficult than what American students are accustomed to. So yikes. I have a planner, calendar, and note tabs ready for anything they throw at me, but please send me good vibes as well. I expect to learn a lot from their professors and to see a different perspective than what I would be given in an American university. With a different setting and unfamiliar classroom methods, I don’t think it’ll be a piece of strudel. *ba dum tss *finger guns
I am ecstatic to return to Austria, and especially Graz where I spent a good amount of time at during my stay over the summer. I grew immensely in confidence and independence while I was teaching, traveling, and living on my own, and I can’t wait to see how much more I will grow with my upcoming journey and the numerous opportunities it’ll provide. I love Arkansas Tech and the people I have met while being a student on its campus, but there is so much more that studying abroad can offer in terms of making connections and being immersed in a different culture.
Tschüss!
Emily
