GEO Blog

The first semester of my year in Svalbard has finished, and I simply cannot believe how fast it has gone by. It feels like I blinked and suddenly the sun set and polar night started, the sky lighting up with the moon and northern lights rather than the sun. But time truly doesn't go by any faster…

Image Hi everyone! This is Ava, updating you with my final blog post. Coming back to the US has been a mix of excitement and heaviness. I was so ready to see my family and friends again, but it honestly hurt to leave behind the people who became…

So, frankly, my perspective has changed quite a bit since my last blog post. My time in Japan previously both traveling and as a student did not prepare me for the Japanese workplace in the way I thought it would. This was to be expected, but here I am. There's been a lot of challenges for me in…

Image I am just over my three month mark living in Norway in Svalbard! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone, and I am so excited to continue during the polar night! The sun set for the last time until February on October 25th, and now we…

From advising at my desk to a personal experience: How an advisor visit to a GEO Center Transformed my study abroad advisingAs a first-generation college student, I did not have the opportunity to study abroad. Now as an advisor at the Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence (CMAE) I have seen…

Traveling abroad for the first time is exciting—but it can also feel overwhelming. As someone who recently returned from Costa Rica with the GEO program, I want to share a few insights and tips to help future students feel confident, prepared, and ready to embrace the adventure ahead…

Image This month, I had the privilege of representing the University of Oregon as a GEO Ambassador, visiting three spectacular Spanish cities where Ducks are diving deep into global learning. Oviedo was my first stop—a city that feels like a…

Image I will be flying home in less than two weeks, and I am very excited to return to UO and see my family. Although I am not home yet, I want to share my reflections as I close out my time in New Zealand. When I first arrived, I expected to be…

Image Hello! I'm Ava, and this is my second blog post during my time here in Segovia, Spain, where I'm studying Spanish Language and Culture.I've been living in Spain for almost two months now, and my time abroad has been nothing like I could've…

First off, let me establish who I am and my expectations being a Diverse Duck abroad. I’ve actually been to Japan many times now—this would be my third or fourth trip—and the last time I went was for an 8 month study abroad program in Osaka (hence why I want to return there, I fell in love with the…