Who I Am

After the last two blogs I realized I really haven’t told you much about myself. For some of the people reading this blog you really don’t know me so I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to tell you a bit about myself. It is after all my favorite topic. haha.

Where do I begin? Well my name is Amanda. I enjoy long walks on the beach….. just kidding. Well that is one thing I love to laugh. I think laughter is the best medicine.

I’m kind of crazy and weird. Something most people love about me.

I have horrible grammar abilities and I’m thankful for spell check.

I love drinking green tea (Tazo) and watching Grey’s Anatomy.

I heart Starbucks.

I’m very talkative.

I’m very motivated and when I set my mind to something it will usually happen, eventually.

I’m a planner. I would be lost without my planner. I dislike doing things at the last minute.

I’m almost always fifteen minutes early to everything.

Spending time with my family and friends is my favorite thing to do. I would be lost without them.

So there you have it 10 random facts about me.

But here are some more serious things…

I’m adopted. I’m South Korean. I have two brothers and one sister. I’m the youngest. I have a genetic disorder called Oesteogensis Imperfecta. It has to do with the lack of collagen. It makes my bones brittle. Although my sister and I are not blood related, we both have the same disorder. Because of my disorder I’ve needed to use a wheelchair to get around all my life. Most people’s first reaction is, “that sucks.” It does sometimes. But my parents raised me to believe that if I put my mind to it I could do anything. It goes with my motto on life, “Where there is a will there is a way.” It has served me well as I am the first one from my family to go to a 4-year college and go out of the country!

My mother is my role my model. Being in college has allowed me to grow my appreciation for all that she has done for me. My father passed away in a plane crash when I was in middle school. It was the hardest thing that has ever happen to my mother. But she pulled it together and has raised us all on her own. I can now really understand all that sacrifices and things she has done for us and truly appreciate that.

I’m quiet optimistic as well. Some people say that I’m also naïve. I don’t think so. My optimism, my belief that if you want it you can do it, has served me well. It hasn’t allowed any obstacles get in my way. Like with college, finding funds was an obstacle but I didn’t let it get in the way. I put in the effort, the time, the determination, and found scholarships, applied for FAFSA, and got a job. Just with my upcoming traveling experience. Being in a wheelchair has brought considerations that most people don’t have to think about i.e. getting on the plane, making sure my chairs get to Australia in one piece…But I am not letting that get in my way.

Neither should you. If you want to do something, if you want to study abroad you should! Don’t let cost or obstacles get in your way. Find a way to overcome them. I’m not saying its going to be easy. In fact it probably will be difficult. But look at this way, its better to say that you tried than saying, “well I could have but I didn’t.” Don’t let reasons stop you. There will always be reasons. Life is so short. Live it.

I’m just saying if I can do it, you can too. I truly believe that. Please if you still need some more encouragement contact me. Maybe you have some worries? Maybe I can help you work through them.

Today’s advice: Be aware that fees will be coming up through your process. Which is why I recommend if you can save money, apply for scholarships, save extra scholarship money from other semesters, and/or ask for sponsorships early, ect. One thing I wasn’t quiet prepared for is all the different application fees that come up. There is your application fee for applying to the University, once accepted you have to pay another fee (like a down payment), there is also housing fees i.e. application fees and for me I just received another fee since I’ve been granted dorm housing (a down payment). The fees I am sure vary from program to program just be prepared they might come up. If it is a concern, ask your advisor to tell you all the fees that may come up so you can be prepared when they do.

I hope you all have a wonderful winter break. I’ll have limited internet access during break. So if you contact me or I don’t post many blogs that is why.

Planning Advice

I seriously am getting more excited about my trip to Australia. Although sometimes the excitement is mixed with fear.

I got my ISIC card yesterday. I wasn't going to get one but Gilman requires it. However, I'm really glad I got it. It was only $22 but $26 if you need your picture taken...and it gives you insurance not only medical but luggage too. In addition to great deals like discounts at museums. You can get the card at the STATravel office in the Union or online too. ISIC isn’t just for Australia you can use it for many different countries.

I'm at the stage right now that I'm starting to find some of this planning a little daunting. Every time I think I got all my basis covered I think of something else I need to get done. However, I'm glad I have started early because I don't have to panic about getting this stuff done. After all I still have two months!

Getting Started:

First, decide where to go. Make an appointment with the Study Abroad Office. Also, their online website has information like estimated cost about different destinations. Be prepared that once you decide a place you need to fill out an application with things like an essay on why you want to study abroad, transcripts, and letter of recommendations. Next, you will need to find money to pay for the experience. See last blog for info. That is probably why planning early makes it easy to not only get the application taken care of but also keep up with school work.

Get your passport now! Even if you’re just considering you should get your passport now if you don’t have one. It took mine like 4-5 months to get here. It costs a lot more for it to be rushed.

Save GenEd classes too. Even if you are not sure save them because it is easier to transfer to UA credits. If you decide not to study abroad your Senior year can be easy with just GenEds. However, if you choice a program that is related to your major or minor you may not have any problems getting classes to transfer. For my major however, Family Studies and Human Development there is no particular program.

Once you have been accepted and ready to go here are some things to consider…

Make sure you talk to your bank about costs i.e. when you use your card in a foreign country. The advice I’ve received so far is to take your ATM card and just make sure to withdraw a large amount of money to make the fee worth your wild. (Although this is for Australia…it may be different advice for another country. Ask your Adviser)

In addition, banks like Compass and Bank of American only charge a convergence fee. Whereas Wells Fargo also charges for using an ATM that isn’t theirs. If you have a Wells Fargo account you may want to transfer some funds to Compass or Bank of America.

I'm doing reading about Australia the study abroad office provided me this great packet about Australia and various other sources i.e. safety and health stuff I should consider (i.e. from CDC website).

I'm also making appointments to make sure I'm in good heath before going. Luckily, Australia has not mandatory shots I need. I'm not too fond of needles.

For those traveling with a disability I found this amazing source! The website is http://www.allaccesstravel.com. It is owned by Cyndi Segroves who uses a power wheelchair and travels. She provides resources for those with disabilities who plan to travel i.e. helping you find transportation. I emailed her last night and she gave me a call today. She gave me some great advice. For example, if your chair is damaged the airline will pay for damages. Just make sure you have the person who brings you your wheelchair go with you to baggage claim. Also if they try to tell you they can’t give you accommodations i.e. a aisle chair to get into the plane tell them something, “Oh really because according to Airlines Carriers Access Act you do.” Airlines do not have to follow ADA so mentioning it is meaningless.

Next blog more about who I am, why I am studying abroad, and why I think if you want to, you can!

*Please note the advice I've given does not cover everything that you may need to do. It just some general advice that I think might be useful. As things come up I will be sure to post any other advice I have found helpful. For specific detail about what you need to do your Study Abroad Adviser will be your best source. Once again remember don't be shy to ask questions!

Exciting News and Some Advice

As my Fall semester winds down I can finally enjoy the fact that I am going to Australia next semester. I can also focus more on planning for this trip. Granted, at this point there really isn’t any major things that need to be done, just some last minute details.

I just received some exciting news. I received the Gilman Scholarship. If you plan on studying abroad I strongly encourage you to apply for it, as will your adviser will too. Also, apply for the Travel Grant offered by the University of Arizona Study Abroad and Exchange office. I also received that grant as well. Bringing my total so far to $5,000 I have earned by just writing an essay. Think of this way, you can spend just an hour (if that) filling out an application and writing the essay (which you can use for more then one scholarship) and just doing that you can earn somewhere between $500-$4,000 dollars depending on the scholarship. Specially if you consider minimum wage is $6.50 and hour… You can’t beat that.

One of the biggest concerns people have about studying abroad is the cost. I am here to say that you really can find scholarships. Although you will be told this repeatedly from people, it really is true. If you take the time and effort, you can find money to cover the expenses. Your greatest resource for scholarships is your study abroad advice. Most of the scholarships I have applied for and (the two I have received so far) have come from my adviser. Another advice is to ask for sponsorship, which I did too. With that, I just wrote a letter explaining who I am, that I was studying abroad and needed some financial assistance. Although I only heard back from one person, that one person is providing me funding for my airline ticket. You’re asking, who do I write? Businesses. Local businesses are probably preferable.

Also, ask around. About everything and anything. Ask questions. That is one of the most important pieces of advice I can give you about planning your trip. You’ll find that maybe when you first go in to explore your options you may not have many questions, but then as you continue planning you start thinking of more questions. Ask them. You should be as prepared as possible. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like some advice. I don’t bite.

I also suggest start planning early. It makes it easier. It allows you to slowly ease into the idea as well as cover all your bases. I started my planning over a year ago. Although I had to because being in a wheelchair brings special circumstances that needed to consider. Anyone who plans on studying abroad with a physical disability really should start early. It gives you time to ask different Universities about their accessibility. That way you can make an educational decision about which program would be best for you. For example, my two idea places had been to either England or Australia (yes, the accents had a factor…hehe). Luckily, I started early, asked good questions, and found that England really isn’t wheelchair accessible. Australia on the other hand is. Remember your ability is different so you may not be able to base your experience on someone else’s but it is still helpful to ask other people their experience. For example, I’ve personally have spoken with two people who have physical disabilities about their experience in Australia (which they said was positive). When contacting Universities about their accessibility be specific about what your needs are. Don’t be shy about it. It will only make your trip more difficult. If your not comfortable right now talking about what assistance you need, start practicing now. Self-advocating will be one of your most important tools. It will be difficult if not impossible for people to give you the right information if you are not clear to them what you need.

I have tons more to say and as the days, weeks, and months, go by. I will be sure to continue posting advice, my adventures, and anything else. Again, don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. If I don’t know the answer I’ll try to help you find someone who does.