An American student in South Africa
September 8, 2011
Many students around the world - whether they are in high school, college or graduate school - will study abroad, whether they are pursuing international business, the arts, communications, anthropology or anything really.
Lauren Hertzler, a communications major from Temple University in Philadelphia, recently spent time studying in Johannesburg, South Africa. She applied for a position as a foreign correspondent through a study abroad program run by Temple's School of Communications and Theater. When she was accepted she wrote that her roommate's first thought was that she would get to ride elephants, but it turns out that there are no wild animals in the city.
"Living in South Africa for a month was nothing I expected it to be," Hertzler wrote for The Temple News. "I quickly realized that most of my preconceived notions of the country, and the people living in it, weren't accurate at all. You can't fully understand a culture unless you live in it. The people I met and the things I learned by immersing myself in the South African way of life could never be fully understood by reading a book or watching a movie."
Students who do get the opportunity to study abroad can use international calling cards to stay in touch with their friends and family.