Below are reflections from two SMU students, Elena Skaribas and Dylan Furner, about their experiences abroad this summer. These students went to very different places and had completely unique experiences, yet both grew tremendously from their unforgettable time abroad!
Elena Skaribas
Majors: Psychology & Biology
Program: STEM Summer Research – Glasgow, Scotland
What life lessons and skills did you learn while abroad?
I never thought I would travel abroad during my time in college, and taking the step to apply for a research program abroad was a huge step outside my comfort zone. Being left to my own devices in a foreign country was intimidating at first, but I made some amazing, life-long friends who helped me feel more comfortable and adjust quickly. I made sure to make the most of my experience abroad: traveling, exploring, shopping, and taking lots and lots of photos to document my time. I had to learn how to travel around and between cities using public transport as well as learn how to organize my time between doing research at the University and exploring Glasgow. I would say that researching abroad made me more mature and independent by making me step outside my comfort zone and pushing me to enjoy new experiences.
Was your abroad experience impactful? Why?
On an academic level, the research I did was very impactful because it taught me an entire skill set I hadn’t known or used before. I was able to study and use fMRI data and complete data analysis using programs like Matlab and BrainVoyager. At first learning these new skills was hard and overwhelming, but the support I had from my professor and the graduate students over-seeing my lab helped me gain confidence and eventually master high-level data analysis. Now I have the knowledge and foundation to carry out even more neuropsychology research on my own, given the skills I obtained during my research experience abroad.
Did you adopt a new favorite activity that is unique to Scotland?
During my time in Scotland, I traveled up to the Highlands with a group of other students in my program to attend the Highland Games. The Highland Games are events that are held in Scotland during the spring and summer during which people participate in traditional Scottish/Celtic sporting events and dance. It was very exciting to attend a traditional festival to understand more of Scottish culture and the people there welcomed us warmly. During our time in the Highlands, we also toured Loch Lomond and learned more about the history of Scotland.
