Ambassador in the Spotlight: Marissa

   

 My name is Marissa Flaherty and I am a freshman, Art and Design Education major. When I first came to Adelphi, I was very nervous and had no idea what to do. I got myself super involved, to make new friends and gain new experiences. Getting involved is definitely one of the best things you can do as a freshman to get adjusted to the new environment. I am an Admissions Ambassador, a member of the Adelphi Cheerleading Team, a part of Greek life, a member in FTA, Circle K, and C.A.L.I.B.E.R, and also work in the art department.

     That being said, getting involved can also make your days sometimes stressful. When you have to juggle classes, work, a sports team, and clubs/organizations life can get very hectic. This is where time management comes in and probably the most important thing you have to learn when coming to college. Already being halfway through my second semester I feel that I have become an expert at managing my time. After making my class schedule, I managed to put my work schedule in-between, before and after classes. I balanced that out with my practice and activities schedule so I have a set time time for everything and I even gave myself about 2 hours a day for homework when I get back home at night. Give or take some days you may have more homework than other days, so you also have to work around that and try to get everything done early so, your mind can be cleared and stress free! College so far has been such an amazing and rewarding experience, learning new things everyday and meeting so many new people! If I had to give one piece of advice to incoming freshman, it would be to get involved but to also manage your time well.

     Another thing to do to handle your responsibilities and not get stressed is to find a good balance between your crazy schedule and time to relax or hangout with friends. Make sure to plan things to do with friends over the weekends. This makes getting through a crazy week much easier because you have something to look forward to.

Ambassador in the Spotlight: Mackenzie

My Study Abroad Experience in Norway!

     In Spring 2016, the second semester of my sophomore year, I studied abroad in Norway. To this day, I still remember every moment of the conversation I had with Shannon Harrison, the director of Adelphi's Center for International Education, when she convinced me to spend a semester in Norway. She introduced me to a current Norwegian student working in CIE who attended the American College of Norway a few years prior. She described Norway as a beautifully quaint country with the college – which only hosted about 50 students – specializing in preparing Norwegian students who were interested in transferring to a university in America. 

      The American College of Norway made my study abroad experience the absolute best it could be. I attended school in a small city called Moss – about 45 minutes south of Oslo, the capital - with about 45 students, with only four of us being American students. This truly allowed us to immerse ourselves in the Norwegian culture since we were surrounded by at all hours of the day. I lived in an apartment with another Norwegian student where we all would attend classes Monday-Thursday in a small school right down the street. The classes were all taught in English, most of them by American professors, so they allowed the American students to feel more at home while also introducing the Norwegian students to what classes in America would typically be like. Norwegian students would only attend the school for a year before transferring their studies to a university of their choice in America. The best part about this was that Adelphi was one of ACN's biggest partner schools, so five out of the 45 students actually transferred to Adelphi with me! We still talk to this day, and it's been incredible being able to show them around New York just like they showed me around Norway a year ago. 

      The best part about having Fridays off was the opportunity the American students had to travel. I quickly befriended two girls from Minnesota, and we took advantage of the cheap flights and the airport 15 minutes away from our school in order to travel around Europe as much as we possibly could. Flights were only about $25 for a round trip usually – I even paid $12 for a round trip to Latvia! - which made traveling on a budget so easy. During our February break, we had the chance to backpack throughout four different countries. We started in Belgium and flew to Italy, Germany, and Ireland within 10 days. Throughout my time abroad, I traveled to 9 other countries. This allowed me to become immersed in so many different cultures throughout my time abroad instead of just one. I came home with so many different stories about the countries I visited and a longing to go back as soon as I can. 

     When talking about Norway and my study abroad experience, I could go on for hours. It sounds cliché, but this was truly the best opportunity I have ever had. If I had the chance to study abroad again, I would do it in an instant. Studying abroad granted me so many opportunities and skills that I never had before. It connected me to a much more broadened global approach and helped me understand so many more cultures that I had never had the chance to interact with prior to my travels. I came home with a much more open-mind than when I left, and many more friends that are from all around the world.  I would encourage any student who can to take a semester or intersession to travel to a different country. I promise it would be the best experience of your life and the skills you gain during your time abroad will help you for the rest of your life!