Name: Emma Bunker
Major: International Relations
Program: National Taiwan Normal University Partnership
Traveled Abroad Before: Yes

Q: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of your study abroad experience?
A: The food. My whole experience in Taiwan was amazing, but the food is one of the things I miss the most. When I first got to Taipei I really didn't like any of the food, I thought I was going to starve! But after a week or two the food really grew on me, and now I miss it so much!

Q: Why did you choose this destination?
A: There were several reasons I chose to go to Taiwan, but the biggest was because of the language. I have a Chinese minor, and Taipei has an amazing Mandarin Training Center (MTC) affiliated with our Partner University. It turned out to be a great choice, since I learned more at the MTC than I ever thought was possible!

Q: What are some things that surprised you about the campus, the classes, the culture, customs or traditions?
A: I really didn't know what to expect when I went to Taiwan, so pretty much everything surprised me. As far as first impression, I was shocked but how green everything was! I went winter semester, so I was leaving lots of snow and dormant trees back home. Taipei is in a basin, so not only was everything green, but I was SURROUNDED by green everywhere I looked. The people in Taiwan also surprised me. I've been abroad a few times in Europe, and nothing compares to the hospitality I felt in Taipei. Everyone was just so friendly!

Q: What are some things you would like students to know about studying abroad in this destination or the program provider you studied with?
A: You should take an umbrella with you EVERYWHERE, and plan on buying rain boots as soon as you get there. Taipei is beautiful, bustling, and fun but it does rain almost every day, especially in the winter.

Q: What advice would you offer?
A: Go with plenty of travel money! Taiwan may be an island, but it's a nicely located island. Plane tickets to Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, etc. really aren't that expensive, it's really a shame not to get to these places. If you really don't feel like going out of the country, at least have some spare change to travel around the island itself, it's really too beautiful not to see as much of it as possible!

Q: What was your academic goal while studying abroad?
A: I was primarily interested in improving my Chinese while in Taiwan, which of course I did. There's nothing like living with the language to improve your skills.

Question? Email Emma!