Abby Dewar

Abby Dewar is a second-year student majoring in Linguistics and taking a double minor in Ukrainian and Russian Languages.

Where did you go, how long and what did you do abroad?

I went to Lviv, Ukraine for 4 weeks to study advanced Ukrainian language and culture.

What spurred you on to be an exchange student?

I love traveling and had already planned to go to Ukraine that summer, so I decided to make my trip worthwhile and earn credits towards my minor in the meantime.

What has been the most surprising about your study abroad experience?

I was surprised by how much I learned in such a short amount of time. Being in the culture and surrounded by Ukrainian speakers really helped my language skills to improve so quickly.

What is the most interesting part of the city you lived in?

Lviv is full of beautiful architecture and parks, but I think the most interesting part for me was exploring all the different cafes and themed restaurants they have there.

What did you learn from your exchange?

I learned so much more about Ukrainian history and language and was really able to observe life in Ukraine by being surrounded by native speakers.

What was the biggest success of your study abroad experience?

The biggest success of my study abroad experience was gaining more knowledge of the Ukrainian language which I aim to use in the future as a translator.

With which part of your exchange have you encountered the most difficulties and how have you solved it?

At first, the most difficult part I encountered with studying abroad was figuring out all the logistics of paying for the trip and the course itself. However, the professor organizing the course encouraged us to apply for scholarships with several different organizations and my trip ended up being paid for completely because of these scholarships.

If you had the chance to give your younger self - before the exchange - an advice, what would it be?

Arrive a bit earlier so you're not so jet lagged the first few days of classes!

What is something that you will never forget about your stay abroad?

I will never forget the friends I made on that trip and the numerous excursions and road trips I was able to go on while there. It was such a cool way to spend my summer!

Why should students go on exchange?

Exchanges allow students to see and live in the context they have been hearing so much about in the classroom. It gives you the opportunity to have hands on, tangible experiences that you otherwise wouldn't have.

Where do you want to go next and why?

I plan to return to Lviv in 2020 to earn my senior level Ukrainian language credits and return to the city I fell in love with years ago, possibly taking time to travel to other cities in Ukraine on weekends so I can see more of the country.

Has it been easy to transfer the credits to your U of A degree?

Yes! This course was with the U of A so I didn't have to transfer any credits, they were already in the system.