Beccy on Tour - My Semester Abroad in Raleigh, NC, USA

Rebecca Schaden 0:08
Hello guys, and welcome to my podcast "BeccyOnTour" about my semester abroad in Raleigh, North Carolina in the United States. My name is Beccy and I am your reliable source into the exciting world of American college life. So if that sounds like something you'd be interested in, stay tuned.

Hey, everybody, thank you so much for tuning in. And welcome to the first episode of my podcast, BeccyOnTour where I'm gonna share my life at North Carolina State University in Raleigh with you guys. That's gonna include traveling tips, college gossip, events, day to day college life, restaurant tips, and everything else I feel like talking about which is going to be a lot considering that I have a habit of recording half an hour long voice messages. So I promise you guys, it's not going to be boring.

I'm going to start off this podcast by telling you a little bit about myself. My name is Rebecca or Beccy, as you've heard already, and I'm going to be studying at North Carolina State University short NCSU starting in fall 2023. Actually, I am going to be on the plane when this episode goes online. I am an undergrad Business Administration student. And I will probably have finished my studies by spring next year, or hopefully. And I am planning to do my masters in "Audio Visual Media". I know that is a completely different direction I'm going to be taking. But I guess most of you can relate when I say that I just wasn't sure what to do after finishing school at the age of 17. So I enrolled in a business degree. I know it's a cliche. Aside from my academic aspirations, I also work as a commercial model and actress and spent the entire last year building my portfolio, which has recently taken a turn for the better. So I'm definitely going to keep pursuing my modeling and acting career in the States as well. So if there are any models, actors, actresses, or aspiring models and actors listening right now, stay tuned, guys, because I might have some news for you about the modeling business in the United States.

Enough about me though, as you can probably tell from the title of today's episode, I want to tell you a little bit about how I came to study at NCSU why I chose it, and what I had to do in terms of paperwork and prep work beforehand. Some background information: I am a student at Vienna University of Business and Economics. And my degree is International Business. So I am required to study abroad for some time to kind of gain international experience, so to speak. We were able to choose from a list of countries and prepare a choice of three universities for the application process. I chose one university in Australia and two in the United States. NC State was actually my preferred choice. So I was over the moon when I got in because it's very competitive. I loved the school right off the hook without even ever having been there just by scrolling through their website, reading their philosophy. And going through all the clubs and extracurricular activities they're offering, like hosting their own fashion show. Guys this is so amazing. They have designs, created by students of the design department, and they're actually showing these designs on the Fashion Show. It's so so cool. And they also have leadership courses and empowerment programs. So it's really amazing. All in all, the school seemed like the perfect fit. And I honestly can't wait to get involved if my academic courses don't take up all of my time. Because after all, I am not only there to have fun, but also and most importantly to get ahead with my business degree.

But as you can imagine, the application process was only the first step. And in hindsight, it was definitely the easiest one. Step two was to get a visa, which was also a tedious process, especially because you need to keep in mind that you have the right visa, because there's so many different options. For example, you can't work in the United States unless you get a separate work visa or work permission. I am currently holding a J1 Visa, which was specifically designed for exchange students. And therefore, other than pursuing my studies, I am not allowed to do pretty much anything else. Yes, of course, there are some exceptions, but those are very rare, and everything has to be permitted by the university. So if you're planning on working in the States, you might want to do some research beforehand about your visa options. In general, applying for a visa can be a really tedious process. So it's best to start as early as possible to make sure you have everything ready before you book your flight. In my case, I was really lucky, it was really quick, I just had to book an appointment at the embassy, take all the necessary documents, chit chat with the people there. And well, within a week my visa was sent to me, but friends of mine weren't so lucky. And it really can take up to three weeks or even a month until you hear back from the embassy. So trust me guys, you better want to start early.

Another thing you want to take care of as early as possible. And I have to admit to you guys, I didn't take my own advice, is "immunizations". In the United States, they apparently have a different and slightly stricter system when it comes to immunizations. And thus, I had to get some additional ones, which obviously takes time as you can't have them done all at once. So in the end, I was in a rush to get all the required vaccinations in time. So I definitely recommend starting a month before the start of your journey, just to make sure you have all the immunizations that you need to enter the United States, but also to be compliant with universitiy's requirements.

And last but not least, looking for housing can be a time-consuming process. Especially if you have special requests like your own room or not sharing a shower with like 20 other people, which is relatable. At NC State, we were able to submit a housing application with different housing complexes and communities. Sadly, I did not get into my chosen community, which was the "Art Community". And I also did not get a room by myself. And I have to say at first I was really unhappy with the situation. But I guess I wouldn't get the whole US college experience if I didn't share a room. So I just had to get over myself. After all, the whole point of the semester abroad is widening my horizons and doing things I wouldn't normally do, kind of like taking a leap of faith and just working things out along the way.

I think those are great ending words. And I hope I was able to give you some insights into my reasons for choosing NC States and all the prep work that had to be done to ensure a smooth start at the college in the United States. That being said, I'm looking forward to starting my journey on August 16. And I'd absolutely love it if you were accompanying me on it.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai