The Seidman ERP Program News
Sean Sloop, Master Data Quality Analyst, 3M
September 30, 2015
Sean Sloop, B.B.A. International Business & Management Information Systems, 2015 (Chinese Language minor)
I studied abroad the summer of 2013 on the Chinese Language and Culture program in Taipei, Taiwan. The program spanned 6 weeks and I extended my stay by 4 more weeks.
Coming into college, I always knew that I wanted to study abroad. Having Taiwan heritage made the destination choice easy, however, the question for which program was difficult. In the end, there were only a few options for a Taiwan study abroad and I decided that the Faculty-Led program offered me the best opportunity to grow my language skills.
Having the opportunity to immerse yourself in a culture for a period of time allows for many great experiences; however, my most memorable experiences were from trying various ethnic foods ranging from stinky tofu to squid ink sausage to duck blood and many more. I urge every student studying abroad to try something new, no one expects to try pig blood and like it, but one will never know until they try.
When entering the workforce, there will always be challenges that are new. One thing that study abroad taught me was to be patient and keep working through whatever adversity you are facing. Whether it is finding your way home in a foreign country or struggling to complete a project on time, being patient and working through your struggles is a skill that is applicable in many facets of life. Thankfully, study abroad has equipped me with many intangible tools that I anticipate I will need more and more as I grow further in my career.