In January, when they were back in Durham, I invited them to lunch. These students said they had learned to handle difficult situations and to be comfortable in a new city a city where they needed to carry documentation authorizing them to be there. They said their teachers approached lesson material differently. Vicki Wood 01 of Claremont, N.H., explained that some of her Hungarian classmates were surprised when she and her roommate would write term papers in their own words rather than compile information from reference books or the Internet. In the future, they will be among the first in line to become leaders in a world made smaller by communications.
Study abroad puts a human face on an unfamiliar culture.
These students were pleased they had chosen to go to Eastern Europe. They saw first-hand the effects of communism on today s Hungary, and they experienced an emerging nation. Most were also able to take the time to travel to other countries and cities. They felt the intense nationalism of East European countries and became more tolerant and more respectful of differences. All the students I spoke with had developed a new self-confidence.