She's Leaving on a Jet Plane...for SERBIA: Anna's Adventures III

Part III: Question and Answer

1. Why did you pick this May Term? 

I actually wasn’t going to go on a May Term trip this past year.  I went on the London trip last year and the plan was to take this year off and work back at home to make some money for a May Term maybe next year!  However, Dennis Barnett, our professor talked to me and basically said, “you should do this trip.  I think you’d like it and you’d be a good fit for it.”  He made sure I could come to the informational meeting and then kept talking to me about the application process and his plans for the trip.  Dennis kept sharing bits and pieces to keep me curious and interested.  That ended up getting the better of me, I was so interested that I couldn’t say no!  I applied, was accepted, and put down my deposit.  So really, I think the reason I picked the trip was because Dennis kept after me about it.

2. Could you give us a brief timeline of how you found out about the trip, how you registered, any preparation, and then your departure from Coe? 

Like I said, Dennis told me about the trip, plus I’d had friends who had gone on the last trip to Serbia and talked it up.  So I’d technically known about the trip since my freshman year, but the informational meeting happened in late October.  Those who were interested in the trip had to apply, since only twelve students are taken on the trip.  We needed to apply by the end of November, with the understanding that we’d know if we had been accepted before reading day and finals week.  Then we needed to turn in our deposit by the end of January and have paid in full by finals week of the spring semester.  Once May Term began (May 9), we had five days of class at Coe, where we studied plays, the history and culture, and language.  We then left for Serbia the next weekend (May 15), driving from Coe to the O’Hare airport in Chicago.  From Chicago we flew to Warsaw, Poland, and caught a connecting flight to Belgrade, Serbia.

3. What was the hardest adjustment you had to make in Serbia? 

I think for me, the hardest adjustment was dealing with a language barrier and a different system of currency.  Many people on the street in Serbia speak English, but they won’t automatically make the switch from Serbian to English for you.  A lot of the time you have to talk to them in Serbian and then ask (also in Serbian) if they happen to speak any English.  Money was also an issue.  They use the dinar in Serbia and it takes approximately 67 dinars to make one dollar.  It took a little while to get used to converting dollars to dinars and dinars to dollars in my head, but after a couple of days, I could do it pretty easily.

4. In your opinion, why should people visit Serbia? 

Serbia is such a completely different cultural experience!  A lot of people visit Europe and talk about a distinctly European experience, but Serbia didn’t ever really European.  There was definitely a mix of cultural elements.  I saw shops that I had seen in London and came across architecture that looked similar to what I’d seen in pictures from a friend’s trip to Turkey.  Serbia was a very unique experience and if you’re looking for something off the beaten tourist path, you should definitely go.  But, as always when you’re traveling abroad, be open minded when you reach your destination.  That’s the only way you can truly appreciate the country and enjoy yourself.

5. Since this was your second May Term, why should students participate in them?

May Terms are such a great opportunity! I think everyone should do at least one.  If you’re into study abroad, May Terms are a great way to get a taste of a different country or culture.  The longest you’ll be somewhere is a month, so you don’t need to worry about getting really homesick or anything.  Think of it as bite-size study abroad!  I’m so glad I decided to go on a second May Term trip; it was a completely different experience from my first trip and I enjoyed them both.  College offers the opportunity to travel in a way you’ll pretty much never be able to travel again.  Take advantage of that opportunity.  Traveling (especially abroad) helps you grow as a person.  The May Term experience at Coe lets you learn and experience things in a unique setting and if you want to make the most of your college years, you should totally take a May Term.