Study Abroad Influence in Aix-en-Provence With Tiffany Ferguson

Tiffany Ferguson Study Hunter College

“To be in a country where you don’t speak fluently and you struggle to express yourself [. . . ], it made me so sympathetic, empathetic for people who are in countries where they’re not a native speaker but they’re trying, because I never really knew how difficult it is to represent yourself in a natural way.” — Tiffany Ferguson (@tferg__)

Tiffany Ferguson is hustling. She’s got a wildly successful Instagram page (linked☝️), Youtube channel (linked👇), and Twitter account (linked right here) 👈

If blending your interests with your major, and having fun while you are doing it sound interesting to you, you should give this one a listen. If you want to graduate and have more than a piece of paper to show for it you should ALSO listen.

She hasn’t graduated yet, but it seems like she has.

TRANSFER STUDENTS!!!!!

I transferred (twice) and so did Tiffany, from California to New Orleans; then studied abroad in France, and finally moved to New York where she’s now happily enrolled at Hunter College. She addresses the moving pains associated with transfers in her interview.

Oh, I almost forgot; she studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence 🇫🇷, which is where her “mandatory baguette” picture above is from. Her interests are in film and media, and mine kind of are too. So we had fun, and that means you will as well.

Vive La France! 👩‍🎨🥖🎞

SHOW NOTES

  • Deciding to study in France through ISEP ✈ [1:30] 
  • Immersing in French Studies with the SUFLE program 📝 [7:19] 
  • Sightseeing in and around France via Flixbus 🚌 [11:29] 
  • Living out of a backpack while traveling 🎒[14:56] 
  • Eating vegan in a culinary capital 🍞 [18:44] 
  • Gaining respect for non-native speakers living in different countries 🙌 [20:43] 
  • The troubles of transferring schools while studying abroad 😧 [22:47] 
  • Future studies and the impact of studying abroad on her Youtube channel (166K subscribers and climbing) 💲 [25:35]
  • Media recommendations and final quote  📖 [29:15] 

Are You Thinking About Transferring? [Infographic]

 

Want To Study Abroad In Vietnam? Listen To Martina Mazzei

Martina Mazzei in Vietnam

“There’s this whole other part of the world, or culture, or type of living that I had no idea existed.” Martina Mazzei (this link goes to her bodacious Insta food blog)

I’ve been waiting a long time for this because I have heard only good things about this country and can’t wait to go myself. Martina Mazzei studied abroad in Vietnam because her school actually has a satellite campus there.

Her dorm came with a cleaning service, she was able to hop on the back of a motorcycle to get to class, and she got to see and experience the entire country almost for free. Thailand and Cambodia? ✔️

Sometimes schools just get it and it sounds like Loyola is one of those schools.

After factoring in scholarships and cost of living Vietnam, Martina actually saved money by taking her trip. I know most schools won’t have satellite campuses set up like this in Vietnam, if anything, listening to this interview will help you pick up a few pointers as you craft your own journey. 

“Go forth and set the world on fire” – Loyola quote

SHOW NOTES

  • Deciding to study at Loyola’s Vietnam campus on the cheap 💸 [2:16]
  • Luxurious dorm life and motorbiking with Vietnamese partner students  🏍[7:15]
  • Traveling around the country for free, to Thailand for Tet, and a geography lesson on Indochinese Peninsula 🚌 [10:44]
  • Learning to order banh mi without cucumbers and other “cultural conundrums and miscommunications” 🍲[15:18]
  • Teaching English to blind people in Vietnam, learning about inequalities in a developing country 👩‍🏫 [17:26]
  • Missing the food and friendliness of the street vendors 👨‍🌾 [19:50]

    Loyola Satellite campus Vietnam
    Loyola Chicago,
  • Falling in love with Loyola University and why it’s a great school to attend 🎓 [22:21]
  • Recommendations and final quotes 🙌[25:09]

Movies Set In Vietnam

Because of the war there have been a lot of great movies set in Vietnam, many of which have won academy awards. Oddly enough Forrest Gump wasn’t on Google’s list but I think that should count. Thoughts?

A list of movies set in Vietnam

A list of movies set in Vietnam

5 Things You Should Know Before Going To Ho Chi Minh [Infographic]

Kayaking 

Martina's Vietnam adventures