Some Other Beginning’s End

May 18, 2017

The line ‘every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end’ from the band Semisonic’s popular song “Closing Time” has always been one that has stood out to me. Four months ago today I was getting off the plane in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in pursuit of a new beginning and a new adventure. I was looking for my independence, for life changing experiences, for new friendships, and for an escape from the New England bubble that I had been encased in for the last twenty years of my life. Now, four months later, that beginning is coming to an end, and I can now say, as cliché as it sounds, that this experience has changed me. It may not be entirely noticeable on the outside, but I can feel it in the way that I am not afraid to do things on my own anymore. I can now book plane tickets and hop on a plane by myself, I can now say yes to things that used to terrify me (I went bungee jumping a week ago!), and I can now fit all my belongings in a backpack and not worry about what I forgot and everything that might go wrong. Now I am more likely to say yes to someone’s spontaneous plan, and to say hi and smile at people I don’t necessarily know. Over these four months I’ve met people and fostered friendships that have impacted me in ways that are beyond words, and which will continue to shape the person that I am and will become. Prior to starting this study abroad experience, my fears mostly centered around change. I worried about changes that would occur back home in my absence, and I was uncertain about whether I myself would change too much. Although I still have a few more days before I arrive back home, I don’t think anything there has changed too drastically (although there were some new renovations my parents decided to do on the house that I was a little iffy about), and in terms of personal changes, they’ve been positive ones (and I’m not unrecognizable to myself when I look into the mirror).

Although this study abroad experience has changed me personally, it hasn’t changed me in terms of my academic and professional goals; I still want to pursue a medical degree after graduating from Northeastern. However, this experience has allowed me to realize that I have been a bit hard on myself in terms of the amount of time I make myself study and the amount of library time I’ve accumulated over the years. In short, I was definitely putting a heavier emphasis on quantity over quality of studying, and through studying abroad I realized how to study in more effective manners which then allowed me to go on adventures and explore the cities and places around me while still getting the grades that I wanted.

If I had the chance and the time to study abroad again, I absolutely would. In fact, I’ve recently begun considering medical schools in Australia or places outside of the United State to apply to just to see what’s out there. My study abroad experience has been so positive, that I’ve applied to and accepted an international co-op position in Peru this upcoming semester, so I guess you could say I’ve caught the travel bug. I would absolutely recommend studying abroad to anyone who asks me, as I believe that there is a growth that comes from traveling outside of your norm that cannot be reached in any other way. For those studying abroad, I can’t stress enough how important research is before you apply, and to save up money for any outside travel you want to do. You should absolutely know the strengths of the host university you are applying to, how your grades will transfer, and what travel you want to do while you’re abroad. It is so, so important to plan ahead of time because you may think that you have all the time once you get there to plan out what you want to do but time really does fly and before you know it your time abroad will be coming to a close and you will not want to regret not having done something!

Claire Celestin

I am a premedical student interested in pursuing medical school after I obtain my undergraduate degree, and in my past few years at Northeastern University, it seems that I have gotten stuck in a routine of sorts. My days consisted of classes, volunteering, and studying in Snell library until I could not hold my eyes open anymore. Although all of this studying did allow me to maintain a high GPA, I have begun to feel trapped. Growing up, I had always dreamt of traveling, exploring, and immersing myself in different cultures and ways of living. I wanted to join the Peace Corps, build houses with Habitat for Humanity, and volunteer as a medical provider in impoverished countries. These are all things that I still want to do. My post graduate plans all point towards medical school and becoming a health care provider where I intend to serve not only those in the United States, but most importantly those areas where good doctors and health care are hard to come by. I believe that this study abroad opportunity will be a stepping stone into my future of world travel. I intend to take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to me while I am abroad. I will say yes to sky diving, snorkeling, and hiking into beautiful sunsets. In between all of that I will also try not to scream when facing Australia’s notorious gigantic spiders. I hope to travel around Australia every chance that I get, take surfing lessons, wake up in time for the sunrises on the Gold Coast, and still ace all of my exams. I intend to say yes to all of these experiences and more and upon my return I then want to share my experience with other students like myself. I want to show other students like me, who are afraid to push the rigid boundaries of pre medical studies that it is okay to take a break from the pressures that they have set upon themselves.