Why Study Abroad | Marina Meijer | TEDxDelftSalon
Summary
TLDRThe speaker shares their journey from a Dutch upbringing to studying in the US, experiencing diverse cultures, and finding love in Tunisia. They emphasize the importance of studying abroad for experiential learning, challenging oneself, making diverse friends, and following one's heart, ultimately shaping one's identity and character.
Takeaways
- 🌍 The speaker emphasizes the transformative power of studying abroad, attributing their personal growth and current status to their international experiences.
- 👨👩👧👦 The speaker comes from an international family background, with parents who met in Hong Kong and later settled in the Netherlands, highlighting the influence of diverse cultural experiences on their identity.
- 🎓 The importance of education abroad is underscored, as the speaker pursued graduate studies in the United States, specifically Texas, which broadened their worldview and understanding of their own Dutch identity.
- 🤝 The value of making friends from diverse backgrounds is highlighted, as it fosters a deeper understanding of different perspectives and enriches personal growth.
- 🏫 The speaker's experience at the University of Texas illustrates the international environment's role in shaping their identity and challenging them to articulate their opinions clearly.
- 🧳 The decision to study or work abroad is portrayed as a significant life choice that can lead to personal and professional growth, as well as the discovery of one's true passion.
- 🇰🇷 The speaker's time in Korea as an intern provided a fresh perspective on their Asian heritage and the importance of adapting to different societal norms and expectations.
- 🏛️ The script touches on the hierarchical nature of workplaces in some cultures, as experienced by the speaker in Korea, and the need to navigate these systems to gain respect and recognition.
- 💑 The personal narrative includes following love to Tunisia and Yemen, which added to the speaker's rich tapestry of international experiences and life lessons.
- 👨👩👧👦 Raising a family with diverse cultural influences and languages at home is presented as a continuation of the speaker's commitment to internationalism and experiential learning.
- 🌟 The speaker encourages others to seek out international experiences, to challenge themselves, make new friends, and follow their hearts, as these are the keys to personal development and finding one's destiny.
Q & A
What was the speaker's motivation for studying abroad?
-The speaker was motivated to study abroad because they wanted more than a regular Dutch life and were seeking experiences that would shape their identity and personal growth.
How did the speaker's parents influence their decision to study abroad?
-The speaker's parents, who had worked and studied abroad themselves and met in Hong Kong, influenced the speaker's decision by setting an example of an international lifestyle.
What was the speaker's experience like in Texas?
-In Texas, the speaker attended the University of Texas, met many international students, and discovered their Dutch identity in the eyes of others. They also faced questions about Dutch societal norms and had to formulate their opinions clearly.
Why did the speaker choose to move to Asia after their time in the United States?
-The speaker moved to Asia to gain another foreign experience and intern in Korea, which was a chance to reinvent themselves and confront their Asian background in a new context.
How did the speaker's perception of themselves change in Korea?
-In Korea, the speaker was seen as a single, unmarried woman needing a husband, which was a stark contrast to their previous experiences. This led to a reevaluation of their identity and a confrontation with their Asian background.
What challenges did the speaker face while living with a Korean family?
-The speaker faced language barriers as the Korean family spoke no English, and they had to adapt to the cultural norms and expectations, such as being the only woman in the office and having to socialize with colleagues after work.
How did the speaker gain respect in their workplace in Korea?
-The speaker gained respect by teaching English as a second language to their boss and co-workers, which positioned them as a teacher and elevated their status in the office.
What decision did the speaker face after graduating in the United States?
-The speaker had to decide between staying in the US to pursue a career in line with their studies or following their Yemeni love interest who was working in Tunisia.
How did the speaker's experiences abroad influence their personal life?
-The speaker's experiences abroad led them to marry their Yemeni love interest, create an international family, and raise their children in a multilingual environment.
What advice does the speaker give to those considering studying abroad?
-The speaker advises to embrace the experiential learning, challenge oneself, make new friends from diverse backgrounds, follow one's heart, and dive into life to develop personal character and skills.
What role does the speaker currently play in the field of education?
-The speaker is an education consultant, working with young people who dream of studying in the United States and helping them with college placements.
Outlines
🌍 Embracing a Global Identity
The speaker shares their personal journey of studying and living abroad, starting with their international family background. Born in the Netherlands, they moved to the United States for graduate school at the University of Texas, where they discovered their Dutch identity among a diverse student body. They also recount their experiences in Texas, including attending rodeos and making friends from various walks of life. The speaker then discusses their move to Asia for an internship in Korea, where they faced cultural differences and learned to navigate a new society, ultimately gaining respect through teaching English. This paragraph highlights the importance of stepping out of one's comfort zone and embracing new experiences to form a global identity.
💞 Love and Life Decisions Abroad
After graduating in the United States, the speaker faced a pivotal decision: to return to the Netherlands or follow their Yemeni partner, who was working in Tunisia. Choosing love, they built an international family, experiencing life in Tunisia and visiting Yemen. The speaker emphasizes the profound impact of studying abroad, not just for academic reasons but for the experiential learning and personal growth it offers. They also mention a study about the Erasmus exchange program, highlighting the significant number of relationships formed and children born from these international experiences. The speaker encourages taking risks, making new friends, and following one's heart, even in academic pursuits, as a way to shape oneself and gain life experiences.
🚀 Encouraging Global Experiences
The speaker, now an education consultant, reflects on the evolution of studying abroad from a privilege for the few to an opportunity accessible to many through university exchange programs. They stress the importance of having the courage to embrace the discomfort of living in a foreign country and the mindset to engage with new experiences. The speaker calls on the international community to inspire the younger generation to take chances, develop their character, and explore their potential. They conclude with a motivational message that encourages continuous exploration and personal development, both for the young and for oneself, to live life to the fullest.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Study Abroad
💡Cultural Identity
💡International Family
💡Personal Growth
💡Experiential Learning
💡Diversity
💡True Love
💡Adventure
💡Career Decisions
💡Education Consultant
💡Guts
Highlights
The speaker's personal journey and growth through studying abroad.
The importance of experiential learning and challenging oneself abroad.
The impact of studying in Texas and the cultural identity realization.
The experience of adjusting to a new culture in Korea and the challenges faced.
The role of studying abroad in shaping personal and professional identity.
The significance of adapting to different societal norms and expectations.
The value of embracing and understanding one's cultural background.
The influence of international experiences on personal relationships and love.
The benefits of studying abroad for personal development and self-awareness.
The advice to follow one's heart and take risks in academic and life choices.
The speaker's decision to prioritize love and family over traditional career paths.
The experience of raising a multilingual and multicultural family.
The encouragement for young people to seek out international experiences.
The evolution of study abroad opportunities and the ease of access today.
The call to action for individuals to take chances and explore their potential.
The importance of having the right mindset for studying abroad.
The speaker's reflection on the transformative power of studying abroad.
The advice to young people to seek out challenges and new adventures.
Transcripts
I myself am a product of starting abroad
and I would not be here if I had not
studied abroad myself I became the
person that I am right now I'm doing the
things I'm doing right now just because
I had this experience
abroad a little bit about my background
I come from a very International family
my parents worked and studied abroad and
they met each other in Hong Kong my
father was working in Asia my mother was
in school in Hong Kong then she studied
abroad in Australia to finish school
over there and what happened is they
married moved to Australia and lived
there happily after that's what they
thought but they went to the Netherlands
back home to my father's family and they
decided the Netherlands is a great place
to raise a family so that's when I came
about I was born in the Netherlands I
grew up in the north of the country in D
and that's where I thought I had a very
regular Dutch life
however I went to school in Cronan which
is a great place to study um and I had a
regular student student life I thought
but I I wanted more so I moved to the
United States and went to graduate
school over there actually I went to
Texas of all
places Texas is Big everything is big in
Texas and I really love being there um
the University of Texas is very
International I met mer many students
over there both Americans and
international students
and um there I also found my own
identity I found out that I was really
Dutch in their eyes you know perceiving
myself as a Dutch Asian student from the
Netherlands there I was totally Dutch
and I got many many questions about my
background like what is this policy in
the Netherlands about euthanasia what
about um gay riots what about um soft
drugs um about selling those and and
using them and I felt like I had to
defend a lot of things that I was not
even aware of myself being from a
society where things were like the norm
right so I felt I had to explain a lot
of things but that made me very much
aware of my identity my norms and I got
a lot of personal questions a lot of
sometimes offending questions but it
made me realize that I had to really uh
formulate my opinions in a very clear
way which I enjoyed I made many many
friends in Texas I went to rodeos like
you can see on this picture um I made
Cowboy friends um I had friends who were
Republicans who had um guns in the back
of their pickup truck I had friends who
were very liberal and they were Street
musicians in Austin it was a blast I
learned a lot but at the same time I
felt I had to move on and get another
foreign experience so I moved to Asia
and I had this chance to do an
internship for four months while I was
actually still a gradate uate student in
Texas so I moved to Korea I had never
been to Asia before even though my mom
was from
China but there I had to reinvent myself
again I was thinking okay I'm Dutch I
just happened to study in the US but
when I came to Korea people didn't see
me as Dutch they saw me as a single
unmarried woman 26 years old needing a
husband because they felt they needed to
take care of me
it was a totally different Society than
I was used to in the Netherlands and the
US and um it confronted me also with my
Asian background you know I had I have
some mild Asian looks that's what I
thought and but that was a confusing
thing at the same time because people
were looking at me and saying wow those
freckles and people were touching my
skin on the streets I went to a bath
house and and met many wonderful Korean
women and they were jealous of my fair
skin and I was very embarrassed always
that I was never getting a tan but they
said I love your skin it's so
white wow these were really interesting
things another thing was that I was
living with a Korean family they spoke
no English I was interning at the city
hall in Korea in tjon where no one spoke
English only my boss had a few words
what I found out is that I was kind of
low on the food chain it was like I was
at the end of a long long desk of
workers my boss was all the way on the
top of the desk and he was getting the
big privileges like sitting in a big
armchair and having a nap after lunch
while everyone else was working and I
learned the hard way that I had to
behave I was the only woman in the
office um but I gained my position there
respect um I had to go drink with the
guys afterwards and I did it was a lot
of fun I did karoke and um at the end I
felt I gained a position and respect
because I was as to teach English as a
second language to my boss and to my 50
co-workers there so that's what I did
after work and I felt I had a new
identity again even though I was a
foreign student I felt I was now in a
position that I could be a teacher to my
um hosts and that was a wonderful
experience on
itself after graduating in the United
States I had to make a big decision and
that decision was am I going to stay um
in the US or am I going back home to the
Netherlands and pick up where I left it
um I had a degree in law I had a degree
in public administration but at the same
time I had the other choice of following
the true love of my life who happened to
be Yemen yemeni and he um was working
for the state department as an Arabic
language teacher in Tunisia so here I
was go back home with all my wonderful
experiences and follow a career that was
matching my study background around but
I didn't I followed my heart and I
married um my Yemen love and we um kind
of put together this this wonderful
International family and uh I got that
very interesting experience being first
in Tunisia and then um uh visiting Yemen
as well this is my oldest son in my arms
and uh I had the nikab and he had I had
all the experiences that you could have
in Yemen after two years in Tunisia I
DEC decided to go back to the
Netherlands with my husband and um we're
now happily living here and raising our
three kids in three different languages
at home they're all destined to go
abroad for sure at least for a year you
know it's not a question of do you want
to go no they have to go it's part of
their
upbringing living abroad means also
loving abroad that's what I really
learned from studying in a different
country you get to love the culture the
new language the food the smells um and
if you're lucky you also find the true
love there was a recent study done um on
the arasmus exchange program where um it
was shown that about a quarter of the
students who went abroad met their true
love or at least a longl lasting partner
and about a million babies were born out
of those different
relationships um so I think that's a
that's a power very powerful
tool so if you go back to studying
abroad um studying abroad is not really
about studying I think studying abroad
is about being abroad it's about
experiential learning and I want to put
that question to you like what did you
get out of your stay in in a different
country did you challenge yourself
enough did you get away from the books I
know Academia is great building up
knowledge is wonderful but what it's
really about is getting
experiences getting experiences and dive
into new adventures that's what I advise
you to do secondly
make new friends make friends that don't
look like you who are different who have
a different opinion about life who come
from a different background number three
follow your
heart even in Academia there are so many
choices to make but you know what's
right for you there are so many
opportunities and it's all about diving
into life and shaping yourself as a
person you don't know who you are going
to be in a few years this is something
you need to explore
there is no big plan you just have to
follow Adventure follow life and develop
the skills that you need to have to go
through life in the best way
possible now I'm a consultant um I'm an
education consultant and I work with a
lot of young people who are dreaming of
going to the United States and we help
them with college placements I often
hold a mirror and say what do you want
to get out of this experience they
always say oh I want to go to Harvard I
want to go to yield
I said I know but why do you want to go
away you know what do you hope to get
out of that it's not about your major
field of study it's not about what
school you go to it's about what you
learn on the way the challenges are
there you have to pick them
up so 30 years
ago I was one of the few students who
went abroad for a full degree and um I
felt I was um going the hard way you
know I had to take out my typewriter I
had to write application papers and um
it was not an easy thing to do I could
have just studi in croning and stay in
the Netherlands and then just go on to a
job here in the Netherlands but somehow
I chose to do it the hard
way looking at the Circle that I went
through it looks like it was all planned
but it wasn't it was all chances that I
saw opportunities that I saw and um that
made me a better person I think and
living life to the
fullest 30 years ago it was more for the
younger uh kids who were from military
families or diplomats that had chance to
study abroad nowadays it's different
everyone has a chance to study abroad
every university has an exchange program
has Partners abroad so it's kind of easy
to get uncomfortable in a different
country through a comfortable um way you
know your school can arrange everything
you want but now what it takes is guts
you need to have guts to do it just to
do it it's not about packing the right
stuff for your trip abroad it's about
having the right mindset it's about
going out there and meeting new friends
meeting life
basically so what I call upon is is just
having all International women and men
encourage the younger generation to take
a chance and find their
Destiny throw away the books
everyone can be smart and study and find
their way to a better degree in a nicer
environment it's really about developing
your character no guts no glory that's
what I say and I hope that we can all
look for younger people but even look at
yourself and say hey can I get something
more out of my career out of my life and
explore so I hope that everyone will
study abroad one day one time and that
you will help encourage these people
thank you so much
浏览更多相关视频
what I wish I knew before studying abroad for a year
Lessons on Self Confidence from a Teenager | Reece Doppenberg | TEDxYouth@Langley
Studying Abroad vs Studying In India (7 Point Comparison)
How to improve your voice and speech
IMPARTINDO O CORAÇÃO – Não quero ser um pregador desnutrido.
If I Was a Student Again, I'd Do This
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)