NIGHT VIBES: EXPERIENCING NIGHT LIFE IN KANSAS

    

Photo by me with my friends in our night life. 

October 6, 2023

By Stephanie L. Granada 

    As an international student from Paraguay, it was difficult to adapt to the night life here in Topeka, Kansas. Since it's a smaller town, there are not many things to do outside of work and school. Getting used to only doing activities with friends at their house or at a restaurant when I was used to having a more active social life at night clubs and bars with my friends back home was a challenge. Because there are not many things to do in Topeka, people go to other cities that are 30 minutes to 1 hour away such as ¨Brothers Bar¨ in Lawrence, ¨Fat's Bar¨ in Manhattan, and ¨Power and Lite¨ in Kansas City, where people have to spend the night to avoid driving under the influence.

    Another difficulty that I've encountered is that in South America, people are legally allowed to drink alcohol at the age of 18, while here you need to be 21 years old. According to the law, you have to be of age to go out to bars and night clubs and to drink alcohol in general, which was something that bothered me as I had to wait three years again to go out and dance. 

    Last year, I turned 21 years old. I finally could go to the famous bar where all the students from Washburn go to have fun called ¨Skinnys Sports Bar & Grill ¨, which is a Karaoke Bar and dance club. Many Washburn students and alumni go there which gives you the opportunity to get involved with different people from the community and make friends. Since being able to go to the bars, I have adapted better and my night life became more active and fun again. 

TASTING ABROAD: DISCOVERING THE DELIGHTFUL WORLD OF FOOD IN AMERICA

    

Photo by a_namenko from pixabay

October 05, 2023

By Stephanie L. Granada 

    As a full time student and a part time worker, the hours pass quickly, and the time we have for cooking at home get laborious, and sometimes is easier to buy prep food and cook it in the microwave or eat outside. Thankfully, America is known as a country that offers a variety of places where they sell junk and fast food. If you are like me, at finals week, and gets exaggerated stress about it and don't want to even think about cooking, there are some places here in Topeka that offers a 24-hour service, such as Fat Shack, Mc Donald's, and iHop. That is something that can play against you because eating fast food is not always healthy for our wellness, but at the same time helps you managing your time correctly. 

    In America, they offer cuisines from countries such as India, China, Japan, Greece, Thailand, France, and Italy. In contrast with my country, Paraguay, where there are a lot more South American cuisines than other continents, which made me expand my knowledge and taste to other kind of food as a picky eater. 

    A recommendation from me and any other busy experimented student would be cooking on the weekends creating a variety of prep meals for the week to save more money and eat healthier. 

COUNTING THE COST: NAVIGATING EXPENSES ABROAD

    

Picture by Stevepb from Pixabay

October 04, 2023

By Stephanie L. Granada

    Studying abroad is not just about learning new cultures and languages, is also learning how to manage your money and start living like an adult, how I mention in previous blogs. The reality is that at some point, you will have to make important decisions about where are you going to live, and as an international student you need to buy everything from scratch. 

    In my case, the first semester at Washburn University, I had to live on campus, because I wanted to have the experience of living on campus as a college student. But I researched about cost and living in apartments off campus, and I realized overtime will be more profitable and comfortable. The first challenge was to find a roommate to split the rent and utilities like electricity, water, and Wi-Fi. Once I found one, we decided to move to College Hill Apartments, which is five minutes away walking from campus.

    We decided to pick that place as our home because the rent is worth around $831 and it is not expensive as other places off campus. The apartment is in good conditions, and it offers a laundry room with washing and dryer machine that other apartments complex did not. 

    Also, there are many source international students can use to find good deals for equipment for their apartment. Some of them are IKEA, thrift stores like Goodwill, Facebook marketplace, and something that I like about Washburn is that every time an international student graduates and want to sell their stuff, they will send an email to all the international students about material and cost of what they are selling. Generally, cheaper than other places such as Dillard's, Walmart and TJ-Max. 

BETWEEN WORLDS: CONSIDERING PROS AND CONS OF STUDYING OVERSEAS

Photo by styf22 from Pixabay

October 03, 2023

By Stephanie L. Granada 

   
 Hey there, esteemed readers! Welcome to one more captivating discourse to those contemplating the wild world of studying abroad. As we embarked in this journey together, let's go ahead and explore more about the pros and cons that implies to live and study in another country. It is very important to clearly understand the topic above because it helps you at the time of decision making about your future. 

PROS: 

• Quality Education: Many universities in Kansas such as The University of Kansas, Wichita State University, and of course, Washburn University, offer exceptional academic programs, giving students the opportunity to learn from experts in their field of interests, gaining knowledge and skills that enhance your academic profile. 
• Self-discipline: Plays a vital role in achieving success. Studying abroad allows you to develop a time management skill, which is key for international students, since many of them have a scholarship to keep that involves getting good grades and others are seeking for one.

CONS:

• Home is where the heart belongs: It takes a lot of courage to move to a different country without your family. Homesickness and loneliness take place anytime we see our families doing their lives without us. 
• Financial Challenges: As the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement declares about F1 students visa, international students are only allow to have on campus jobs with 20 hours per week of work during the semester, and 40 hours per week during breaks, which means budgeting in extreme, have an empty wallet at times, explore scholarships or take loans to help their economic situation becomes the most challenging part of this journey. 

     

LIFE LIVING ABROAD: NAVIGATING NEW OCEANS

   

Photo by Renata Viveros with the Ichabod at Washburn University on August, 2021.

October 02, 2023

By Stephanie L. Granada 

    Greetings, my global explorers! Stephie here again, your guide to all the amazing and exciting things about the life abroad. Today, I'm going to present my second post about how is the life of an international student at Washburn University. 

• Becoming captain of your own ship: Autonomy becomes as a part of your life. Living abroad as a student meant a rapid immersion into challenges and responsibilities associated with discipline related to adult roles such as grocery shopping, laundry, payment of bills, etc., especially if you live outside campus.
• Language Barrier: If english is not your first language, it could potentially lead to miscommunications between professors and classmates in classes. That is why Washburn offers the opportunity to learn the language through an Intensive English Program. In my case, I took a Duolingo test, required for the university, to asses my level of english proficiency and determine if I could start my major classes or if I needed english classes. 
• Adaptation to Diversity: Washburn University has a varied population of students from other countries on all continents such as Nepal, Japan, Italy, Bulgaria, Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia, and Africa, with completely different cultures and traditions. International students at Washburn were able to create their organization called ¨ The International Club ¨ with the purpose of that international students can learn and adapt easily to the American culture. Since the club is always holding festivities from different countries, for example, ¨ The Hanabi Festival ¨ that takes place every September 21st, allow Americans to get involve and learn about other cultures outside of theirs. 

INTRO TO NEW HORIZONS: EMBRACING THE EARLY JOURNEY OF STUDYING ABROAD

    

Photo take it by me on August 21th, 2021, the first day I got to the International House at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. 

October 01, 2023

By Stephanie L. Granada

    Hi, to all my adventure seekers! My name is Stephanie Granada, and I'm very excited to share my story with you. Emerging from the heart of South America, Paraguay, I found my journey to the heart of this topic: "Studying abroad at a young age", thanks to the Paraguay-Kansas Partnership that offered me programs to be able to come to the United States to study at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. So, the question is, why should you, my fellows, care about what I'm telling you right now? If you're a Washburn University student, or if the idea of studying abroad is exciting, this post is for you. 

    Studying abroad is a journey that will fulfill your self growth, academic achievement, and expand your horizons to new cultures that will lead you to a wonderful process of adaptation as a part of discovering yourself. As an international student, the longing to broaden your opportunities, stepping out of your comfort zone is a feeling we all have in common at some point of our lives.  So, you might be thinking, why am I qualified to talk about this topic? Because I embarked on this journey at a young age, early exposure to diverse cultures, language and educational systems help me enhance my worldview.  

    As I share my insights on this topic, I hope to guide you through the practicalities, and for those who have not considered studying abroad, I urge you to wonder yourself about all the possibilities that the world presents you. Throughout this blog, let's embark together on a deeply exploration of the extraordinary challenges and achievements associated with pursuing and education abroad that shall forever be devoid of any sense of regret.