Undergraduate Exchange Program

© Igor Gavric

The following was written by the grantee.

The Pre-Departure Orientation was an unforgettable experience which enriched me in many ways. First, the cultural dynamics of Istanbul served Undergraduate Exchange scholars perfectly, as we all got an image of the cultural mosaic to greet us in the U.S. Sabanci University was also an ideal spot, since it offered a wide range of facilities, a motivating environment, and a location outside of the main city center, perfect for focusing on academic work and not on thoughts of shopping at the Grand Bazaar.

From day one, students were involved in numerous activities which aimed to foster group cohesion and to help us achieve our academic goals. The orientation schedule combined intercultural learning sessions, academic lectures and community service activities. The concept represented a miniature version of our year ahead, preparing us for culture shock, a demanding academic life in the U.S. and the community service we are required to do for the scholarship.

The cultural activities were informative and energetic at the same time. During the "Nuts and Bolts" session, the practical guide to our grants and the procedures which await us was presented, whilst at "Cultural Night," scholars were challenged to confront their prejudices and successfully adjust to ideas of coming from one cultural background to a new one.

We had the opportunity to represent our home countries and explore our perceptions of each other. The scholars from Bosnia and Herzegovina, including myself, were very grateful for the Cultural Night, which enabled us to represent our country the way it should be known: as a vibrant, diverse country, full of young, energetic people. By presenting our cultures, holding discussions and incorporating our national food and drinks, we became aware of cultural relativism and established new friendships.     

I gained the most from the academic writing and visual culture courses. Since my own style of writing is significantly different from the one expected at American universities, I was motivated to learn how to successfully present my ideas through a well-organized essay. Thanks to the devoted work of our academic writing lecturer, Angela Alexander, in just a week I managed to master the skills of writing an essay which would effectively support my ideas and meet American standards. Without this session, I honestly doubt that I would manage to succeed at Duke University.

The other course I had was very different from the one I experienced at my home university. It was a course on visual culture, held by Lukasz Abramowitz, teaching us how to gather data from sources such as photographs, films or music. Until the orientation, I did not appreciate how American lecturers use this style of teaching.  As a student of politics, I learned how to interpret new types of information that may seem irrelevant or non-essential to the field.
 
In addition to the lectures, the program scholars served in a local school and, in the spirit of OSI, achieved a lot by working and engaging with children. I enjoyed this part of the program since the smiles on the faces of both the children and their parents made me recall once again the worth of volunteering for those in need.

Overall, I do not doubt that it would have been almost impossible for me to successfully integrate into American academic life without the experience gained at the orientation. The tremendous work of OSI staff and Undergaduate Exhange Program Alumni made the orientation useful and entertaining, and the skills I learnt will undoubtedly serve me into the future too.

Duke University |