Mark Sonkin

Briefly describe a specific cultural experience you had on your trip that made a lasting impression.

While in China I was able to stay on a small Chinese island for a couple of weeks. During my stay I met and became friends with a couple from Switzerland, two girls from Germany, a woman from Russia, a girl from Bangladesh and a rock band from the Philippines. All of this kind of went over my head at the time and I just thought about how wonderful it was making all of these friends. But looking back at how incredible it is that I met all of these people from all over the world on a small island in China. I never thought that I would be able to experience such an incredible thing and I am so appreciative for the opportunities that I have had.

Why did you choose the program in which you participated?

I chose to study abroad through two programs in China because each program had distinct benefits. The CSB/SJU program was great because I was able to travel through many Chinese cities and experience a great amount of Chinese culture during the semester. And the program through Arcadia University-Center for Education was great because of it's location in Shanghai, the business capital of China, and I was able to really focus on learning the language while in Shanghai.

Describe your overall study abroad experience.

Although I was gone for my entire junior year of college I would never give up my study abroad experiences. The ways that I was able to grow and become independent while I was abroad in China are ways that I could never have imagined. My study abroad experience has prepared me for many of the things that I will have to deal with in the “real world” and I could not be more grateful. I have truly become a better person because of my study abroad experiences.

How has the trip affected you? How are you different for having completed the experience?

It still remains a big challenge for me to describe how my trip affected me because I feel that there are countless additions that it has made to my character, personality and overall outlook on life. I spent a year of my life in China away from everything that had previously been normal to me. I have been back in the US for only a few months and I do not think that I can grasp all of the changes that have taken place within my personality. Like I have said to many members of my family and close friends, “choosing to study abroad is the single greatest decision I have made up to this point in my life.”

What advice do you have for future Study Abroad Students?

I highly recommend that you keep a journal. Personally, I was too excited about being in China and experiencing so many new and amazing things that I never got in the habit of blogging about my experiences or keeping a journal. However, it is one of my few regrets that I have from my study abroad experience and I would recommend that others do not make my mistake and keep a blog or some sort of journal. Another big piece of advice is going into the situation with an open mind. Many times during study abroad things will not go exactly as planned but what really matters is how you respond to those situations. Keeping a positive outlook on things played a big role in my enjoyment of my study abroad in China and I highly recommend you to try your best to have an open mind to many of the things that you will experience.