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The most important thing you will bring with you on your semester abroad is you and all the things that make you who you are. We recognize that each students’ experience off-campus will not be the same because each of you will bring your own beliefs, challenges, goals, and strengths. In addition, the different social identities you hold may play a role in how you are perceived abroad and how you perceive others.
Take a moment and think about how you would describe your identities. Who am I? (e.g., student, daughter, democrat, Asian, American, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist, Deaf, male, bi-sexual, transgender, etc.) There may be parts of your identity that can be observed by others while other parts are less visible. At different points in our lives (or even throughout the day), certain pieces of our identity feel bigger or more present, just because of who we’re with or where we are located.
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While the question “Who am I” can feel so personal, a big part of the answer to that question may be layered within social and political structures, history, family dynamics, etc. It only makes sense that living in a new country and culture, with different structures in place and other historical and cultural factors, could have an impact on your identity and experience abroad.
How you self-identify at Skidmore or in the United States may not be how you are perceived abroad. For example, your national identity may become more prominent or you might be seen as part of the racial or ethnic majority/minority for the first time.
Like with all aspects of preparing to study off-campus, the more you research now, the more you can prepare yourself for a safe and successful semester. We've compiled a list of resources to get you started. This is not an exhaustive list and there are many identities that are not highlighted below, such as religion, socio-economic status, gender, etc. Please reach out to us or your program if you need help finding additional resources or have questions.
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