“Congratulations! You have been accepted to study at NYU Skopje, General curriculum for the Fall 2015 term! We are excited for you to experience the incredible academic, cultural and personal development through study in NYU’s global network.” While no one from the Class of 2017 received an email for this particular NYU campus, announcements for Fall 2015 study away sites were sent to most of the sophomores on Mar. 5. Those who had applied to NYU Abu Dhabi had to wait a little longer since their review process was slightly different. Over the past few days, the sophomore class is buzzing with the excitement of their upcoming semester(s) abroad and the freshman have been bubbling with anticipation for next year. However, with the relief and excitement of finally having their fall study away site confirmed, many were also hit by the realization that everyone will be going to different places. Being a student of NYU Shanghai is in some ways a very transient experience, with classmates constantly flying back and forth from China, home, and for travel. The opportunity to study away is a guaranteed separation from the NYU Shanghai family - including those in younger and future classes. Thus, the announcement is almost bitter sweet. Nonetheless, congratulations are in order. Read a bit about some of the Study Away plans for a few members of the Class of 2017: _______________________________________________________ Where are you studying away next semester? Veronica Hernandez (VH): I am studying away in Buenos Aires. Hopefully, I'll improve my Spanish and work towards getting my art history minor. Amata Lee (AL): I'm studying away at NYU Prague next semester. I'm enrolled in the music curriculum, so I'll probably take private piano lessons in addition to some other different music classes. I still need to complete my Econ major, so I'm looking to take an Econ class there as well. My schedule is not finalized yet. How do you feel about leaving Shanghai? Jia Rong (JR): Shanghai is amazing as a modern city, but I'm pretty sure other cities can be excellent as well. Travel and learn, this is the primary motivation for me to choose NYU Shanghai. VH: I'm excited for new adventures abroad, but I've really developed a community of friends, on- and off-campus, and it feel like I'll lose those connections once I leave. AL: I feel really excited to leave Shanghai and try something new. I've lived in Asia prior to coming to this school, but I have never lived in Europe. NK: To me the biggest fear is that I would forget most of the characters that I've learned so far in Chinese. I definitely do not want to spend four credits on an additional Chinese class in New York, but I would like to keep up my Chinese writing skills. I even considered applying to the Chinese Floor (Explorations Community bringing together people interested in Chinese culture, language, etc.) in New York, but potentially that would be a step back from the fullest immersion to New York. Or maybe not! How do you feel about being separated from the rest of the Class of 2017? JR: Though I will super miss my friends here in Shanghai, as well as faculty, I think it is will be great to meet new people and be able to start fresh again. VH: A little sad. Every semester, with the Study Away students, the new freshman, and even the ECNU students we met last year, our school was a revolving cast of characters. The one constant was the class of 2017; it's going to be tough not having everyone around. AL: I already know some of my friends will also be in Prague with me, so I know I won't be alone. I'll miss the rest of my class, but we won't be apart forever. There have already been talks about visiting each other at the various sites. I think studying away is a nice chance for us to meet students from New York and Abu Dhabi as well. NK: I remember watching a promotional video of the NYU Global Network University, which made a point that by studying abroad one can bring home [to the portal campus] different ideas. It was not until now that I realized what this means. Many of us will go to sites that require you to learn the local language, and once we come back perhaps new friendships and new connections can emerge based on common cultural experiences. What are you most looking forward to for next year? VH: I can't wait to be in a country where I can speak the local language. AL: I'm most looking forward to taking music classes and being in a more music school environment with students from Steinhardt. But I'm also excited to explore Prague and the other countries nearby. Anything to say to the Class of 2018? (Advice, parting words, etc.) AL: Enjoy the new dorms. A heads up for the Class of 2018, the application process for studying away goes something like this: First you fill out an interest survey indicating where you want to go. About a month later, the actual application is sent out. You fill out your preferences and write an essay explaining why you want to go abroad. A few months later, the results are emailed to everyone. “The worst part is waiting,” according to Amata. And while everyone agreed that the application process is pretty simple, Veronica pointed out that this year, “there was a lot of misinformation, rumors, etc., which made the process a lot more confusing than it, should have been.” Hopefully, for the freshman, the second time around should run a little more smoothly. And to the NYU Shanghai Class of 2017, here’s some advice from the current study away and NYU Abu Dhabi student Joseph Chu: For NYUAD and NYUSH students alike, studying way is something that we know of early on and eagerly look forward to participating in. It's one thing to be hearing about going to an entirely new place and studying there, but it's completely another thing to do it. Studying away brings many new experiences and explorations as it does challenges and chance to push beyond your comfort zone. Don't be surprised that if times it doesn't seem as great as you expected because it's probably going also to end up being a lot better than you expected too. This article was written by Maya Williams. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: NYU