On Friday, Jan. 29, senior Sean Quigley presented a slide show talking about his experience at the American University of Ras Al-Khaimah in the Northern United Arab Emirates and how other students can benefit from studying abroad. 

One of the first things he mentioned was to make sure that students knew that getting necessities was going to be different. 

“At Ashland [University] we have Convo, we have Nest. You can go in at any time and get food” Quigley said “It may not be like that when you go abroad.” 

Although it is different, there are ways students can get food. There are apps students can order off of like UberEats, or they can go to the grocery stores themselves. 

“You can go to the store. I could go get some meals there and cook them in my dorm room” Quigley said. 

Another difference between the United States and the Middle East is how people use the restrooms. 

During Quigley’s experience, he mentions that there is no toilet paper so the way most people clean themselves in the middle east is with water. 

“I knew about this going there because I have friends from Saudi Arabia that would talk about their experiences of getting used to the U.S from Saudi Arabia” Quigley said. 

There are also trips that study abroad students can go on with the school and learn more about the culture and city they are in. 

Quigley went on a university trip to Global Village in Dubai. There are different stands that represent different cultures around the world. 

“It’s a blast to go down there especially having a lot of friends and people around was quite a cool experience” Quigley said “Keep in touch with the university and friends; you can figure out which trips are popular and which ones aren’t as big” 

It is also important for students to make connections and friendships while abroad. 

There were multiple opportunities that was able to do because he reached out and became close with professors and locals during his time abroad, he said. 

“It’s sometimes hard to get out of your shell… when that second week [of classes] came, I took advantage of the opportunities and started to get to know people,” Quigley said. 

For students who are thinking about studying abroad there are some things that need to be thought of before. 

“Make sure you have your degree plan checked out, but also if you’re thinking about it and it’s mainly fear holding you back, I would say go for it. It’s going to make you a better person to face that challenge” Quigley said.