Pre-Departure Blog

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Olivia Eccleston-Murdock

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Olivia Eccleston-Murdock

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hallo <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> Clark University <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2024 <i>Destination city & country:</i> Berlin, Germany <i>Program provider:</i> AIFS <i>Major/minor:</i> Psychology / German Studies <i>Demographics:</i> African American/Black <i>Future career aspirations:</i> To eventually become a clinical psychologist to help others and change people's lives in a positive way. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> Three goals I have for studying abroad are to become fluent in the German language, to gain a new perspective in terms of my academics, and to familiarize myself with German culture.

Hello, my name is Olivia Eccleston-Murdock, and I am happy to be an FEA Scholar. I am a junior at Clark University studying Psychology with a concentration in German Studies. I will study abroad in Berlin, Germany, at Humboldt University this term. Going abroad for school has been one of my goals even before attending college. I will attend school this term through the Humboldt Perspectives Study Abroad program, which offers academic courses and intercultural training. I feel that this is the best way to learn and familiarize oneself with Berlin, Germany, and Europe as a whole. In studying in Germany this fall, I also feel that I will have a unique opportunity to take courses for my concentration in Germany; I have always been interested in the history and culture that has taken place in Berlin, and being able to not only learn about it in Germany but also experience it, is incredibly special. I am especially excited about the opportunity to meet different people from various backgrounds throughout my time in Berlin. Though the US is diverse, I feel as though there is a more significant opportunity for me to encounter students from all over the globe and create a connection with them.

Along with this, I am very interested in traveling to different countries in Europe while I am here. Berlin is the perfect place to explore Europe as it is so central. I plan on taking full advantage of this aspect to broaden my view of Europe. To end this first post, I would like those reading this to keep up with my study abroad journey in Germany through these blog posts from the FEA website. See you soon!