My full name is Nhung Thi Hong Tran (Emmy). I am from Vietnam and have been in the United States for more than four years. I am senior and majoring in International Business at Millikin University. I am interested in trading goods and services between country to country, continent to continent. Therefore, I decided to study this major. International Business Major gives me the chance to study abroad for one or two semesters, so I can have more experiences of living abroad and adapt to new cultures and understand their economies. That is also one of my dreams for my career path.
Unfortunately, during COVID-19, the travel restriction is affecting many students including me who wanted to study abroad, so the only way to help them achieve our goal is virtually to study abroad. I was planning to study in Europe because I believed the economy of Europe is very high standard. However, European schools do not open any courses for virtual study with Millikin University in this spring semester. My next direction is Chile. I have never studied virtual study abroad before, I feel excited for two courses at Finis Terrae University, Chile. This is a great option for me because the time zone of Decatur, Illinois is behind Santiago, Chile just three hours. That can help me adjust or balance my schedule of studying in both schools.
Expectation for virtual study abroad experience
I expect three things for my virtual studying in Chile: understanding the courses, developing intercultural skills and having some time to exchange and learn more about the culture of Chileans or other international students. Virtual study abroad is a new option for global academics and it is via the internet. It helps me save a lot of money from staying abroad and also saves me time. I appreciate it, but I am not sure how it works and I cannot experience the reality of Chile. Business styles of each country are different from another even though they are next to each other such as the United States and Mexico. It is not likely that the Chilean economy will be the same as the U.S. Moreover, I have never taken any class in this school or in Chile. I am concerned if there are any troubles while the Chilean professors are presenting and how their institutions are.
A description of Universidad Finis Terrae
Universidad Finis Terrae or Finis Terrae University (UFT) is one of Millikin University Partnership in Chile. The school is located in Santiago, Chile. It was established in 1981 and owned by the Anahuac University Network. The maxim of UFT is “Vince in Bono Balum” means “Overcoming Evil with Good”. There are 7,909 students, 9 faculties and 476 academic staff in total. UFT has a good faith in Catholic Religion as known as a Cathalic School. There are a lot of activities related to Catholicism at UFT. Their purpose is willing to encourage students in moral, professional technique and high knowledge in their career. UFT put the value of students and society above everything else.