Meet Lawrence Flemming

What was your motivation for studying abroad? I have a couple of reasons for studying abroad.The first reason why I studied abroad is because one of my mentors went to Cyprus. The second reason is that I have been wanting to study abroad ever since my junior year but couldn't because I didn't have the funds for it. By God's grace the funds came for me last year and I was able to do it. The third reason is that I just love traveling in general and seeing new places. I am very spontaneous and I am always down for new experiences. What is your favorite memory from your time abroad? My favorite memory of my time abroad was when our group went on an excursion to a city called Ayia Napa in Cyprus. We stayed there for 3 days and we had a blast there. There was a lot of things you can do over there from going to the beach, jet skiing, riding ATVs, etc. That trip was really like a vacation to me. We had a lot of fun there just seeing that crystal clear blue Mediterranean water was just amazing and you can't forget about the parties because we did that too. I'm not really a party type of person but that trip there was the most I have ever partied in my entire life. If you want to go somewhere for vacation go to Ayia Napa real talk. What was the biggest challenge you encountered during this time? The biggest challenge I have encountered during this time was my flight going there and coming back her to the states. That was the worse traveling experience I have ever had. On my way to Cyprus I had lost my luggage due to my flight getting delayed in Charlotte due to mechanical issues. Since my flight got delayed I wasn't able to make it to my next layover in London so I had to take a later flight. Then the later flight got delayed so I was stuck in London airport for almost 12 hours. Then I finally got to Cyprus that next morning to find out that my luggage wasn't there so I had no clothes for 2 days. Luckily I was able to fit some of my roommates clothes for the time being. My flight on the way back was even worst because I missed my flight to leave Cyprus because I came late. My flight was schedule to leave at 7:20 pm I got there at 7:00 pm. The reason why I was late was because the shuttle that I book to take me to the airport didn't even come at all so I had to take a taxi which made me pay even more money. When I got to the airport I had to change my entire schedule because there were no more flights leaving to London that night and I had to come out of pocket again to change my flight. Luckily they was able to provide me a schedule of where I would still be back home at the same time I originally had my schedule. How has your experience abroad impacted your personal development? This experience had made me realize that there is so much more out there in this world than just to live in the states. Before I studied abroad I was like in a closed box and now that I did studied abroad my box is now open to a lot of things. I have a different perception of the world than I do before. This experience has also made me become more independent as well. How has your experience abroad impacted your education/career? My experience abroad gave me the skills that I need to be more competitive in the workforce. I can now put this on my resume and that can be a huge factor because companies today are looking for employees that are diverse who can adapt to new environments, are willing to travel, and have a sense of global issues. How has your experience abroad impacted your global awareness? This experience made me appreciate living in the states more. Most of the stuff we have in the states they didn't have in Cyprus such as dryers, black barbershops, and centralized A/C units. What advice would you give someone from your school considering study abroad? My advice to them would be to save up your money because they will incur a lot of expenses while overseas. I know I had to pay for my plane ticket, food, toiletries, money to travel to other countries (I traveled to Italy, Hungary, and London while I been in Cyprus) and exchanging foreign currencies. All of my expenses went toward food and exchanging foreign currencies because that's what I did on a daily basis. I needed to eat because the university didn't have a meal plan and I also needed their currency too because not all of their places take cards. Also watch out for them ATM (international) fees as well because those add up fast.

 How can people get in contact with you for more information?

Email: ljflemin@aggies.ncat.edu

Facebook: Lawrence J Fleming

Instagram: mr_success4