Many students plan their abroad semester well in advance. By the
time they start their application, they know where they are going, how much it
would cost and what they plan to do while abroad. For me it was a last minute
thing.
I have had some travel opportunities in 2013. I had been to short
term study abroad program and had enjoyed my time there. Fall semester of 2013
began and classes started getting harder. My commitments with work and
involvement started getting intense as well. I was very certain that I would
just say at UNI for next couple of years and finish my degree. But week 7/8
approached, I started thinking a little too much about my remaining time at UNI. I stumbled upon a couple of
semester long programs and looked into them without having any real interest to
leave UNI campus. The same day I mentioned Elizabeth that I had looked into
studying abroad. She had already decided to spend a semester in Thailand by
then. She was actually very encouraging.
 |
| Presidents' Council in Shanghai Dianji University, Summer 2013 |
Next day I went Chris's office and asked about the programs that
UNIBusiness had partnership with. The very new partnership that Dean Moussavi
had mentioned few months earlier at Presidents' Council meeting with Bahcesehir
University in Istanbul was the clear winner because of transferable classes,
good location and was a cost neutral which meant CBA would pay the extra cost
of attendance if there is one. I started my application a week before the Study
Abroad Center deadline not knowing for sure if I was going in the first place.
I had decided to gamble on the non-refundable application fee. My original plan
was to withdraw the application if finances were going to be a problem. Everything worked as planned and I finally (officially)
decided that I was going. Obviously, I had made my mind when I applied but if
it was not for the College of Business cost neutral program and the UNIBusiness
Points Plus program, I probably would have withdrawn. It does cost some money
but I was fortunate enough to have received something.
I thank following department for their scholarship, it does help
me with the whole travel plan.
- Office
of Financial Aid, UNI
- Office
of Admissions, International, UNI
- University
Honors Program, UNI
- College
of Business, UNI, and
- UNI
Study Abroad Office
Also I thank my supervisors at CME, International Admissions and
ALC for providing me some hours at work over the winter break so that I could
save some money. SAC, Office of Admissions, Economics Department and Math
Department have helped me get the courses needed and hope to receive more if I
have difficulty registering for classes. It has been a great experience to be
at UNI for last two and a half years and I plan to make it bigger and
better.
 |
| Eastern Iowa Airport, Cedar Rapids. Source KCRG |
I have had amazing support from administrators, family, friends
and my instructors at UNI, without which something would be missing in my life.
It makes me feel like I have taken advantage of all the opportunities that have
been provided to me. Let me know if I am missing out on something. I need to
get that done before I graduate. :)
 |
| My airport look. |
And here I am 4 months after I submitted my application, sitting
at the Cedar Rapids Airport waiting to board the flight thinking about the
wonderful opportunities I have received and the adventure that is awaiting me
thousands of miles away. I look back and think how small things came together
to make this possible for me. Truly destiny is something that you do not think
much about. What if I had not met Kristi back in 2009 on that college fair? What
if I had signed up to visit a different school during that time? Honesty, it
would have taken a while even to hear about UNI let alone putting an
application in.
Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers and write to me or
comment here. I would love to hear from you and show you Turkey through my eyes
