Study Abroad in Scotland: Bold Choices with Angie Olmos

Education abroad gives students the chance to discover the world beyond their familiar borders.  On this episode of Stories of Change and Creativity: Scotland Edition, I had the chance to talk with Angie Olmos.  Angie is a sophomore Mass Communication major minoring in International Studies at Texas State University.  She's in the Intro to Public Relations class I'm teaching this summer at Queen Margaret University near Edinburgh.  

Together we chat about how global experiences shape who we are and prepare us for the future. 

Key Takeaways

• Living on campus creates a more authentic, cozy experience
• Developing routine habits like studying at local coffee shops is part of the cultural experience.  Angie's favorite is Black Sheep Coffee! 
• Weekend travels to North Berwick, the Highlands, and plans for London expand cultural understanding
• Working with local businesses for class projects provides real-world experience
• Collaborative projects highlight individual strengths and allow students to support each other
• Study abroad challenges stereotypes and teaches students not to "judge a book by its cover"
• Traveling independently builds confidence and personal growth

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Transcript

Introduction to Stories of Change Scotland

Judy Oskam 0:03

Welcome to Stories of Change and Creativity Scotland Edition. This is a short series where I explore how people navigate change and embrace creativity even when the path isn't clear. I'm Judy Oskam and in this edition I'm coming to you from Queen Margaret University near Edinburgh, scotland. I'm teaching a three-week public relations course as part of Texas State University's Education Abroad program and along the way I'm sitting down with students, faculty and local professionals to capture their stories. From first-time travelers to creative pros. These conversations reveal how global experiences can shape who we are and how we communicate with the world. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Angie Olmos 0:59

Well, I'm Angie Olmos. I'm going into fall 2025 as a sophomore and my major is mass communications, with a minor of international relations.

Judy Oskam 1:11

Oh, nice, so that's why you were interested in this trip. Yeah, okay. So tell me about what made you pick this trip.

Angie Olmos 1:18

You, you were so adorable at the mass communication week. I'm not fishing for compliments here at all, no, you seemed so excited and seeing you be excited about this trip made me excited about this trip I brought the golf, the putter, no it was during the speaker week of all the different teachers, oh yeah, oh yeah, and so you seemed the most excited about your trip, so it kind of brought my attention. Oh, that's good.

Daily Life in Edinburgh

Angie Olmos 1:51

I'm glad to hear that. And how has it been? We're? We're in week three right now. Talk about the experience. I love it. Yeah, honestly, like like, just like the train. I just love taking the train. I don't like taking the bus yeah, but if I have to, I take it. Um, I've gotten used to like there's a coffee shop here and like Black Sheep Coffee is like my new home. Oh, that's I think every time I go into the city. That's I go get coffee there at least once a day, nice.

Judy Oskam 2:16

Nice. So talk about the difference. This, this hub program, is a new experience for Texas State students, because we're actually living in the dorm and we're going to class Monday through Thursday. How has that been? Do you feel like you're more connected with the culture and the city?

Angie Olmos 2:36

I definitely feel like that because, like, even though, like after like class, like we get to still be like ourselves and like explore for ourselves, and I feel like it's like not safer, like it feels more at home because like, at the end of the day, you're going back to the same room that you've made to yourself and like you just like have made a schedule for yourself, and it feels like you're like back in a dorm at your freshman year. Yeah, yeah.

Judy Oskam 3:00

Yeah Well, speaking of schedules, do you have any? Have you built any habits here that you, that you didn't have before? Have you thought about that at all?

Angie Olmos 3:16

I think like my habit is really just like after class I go with like Ava to the city and like we do whatever our homework is for that week or our interview for that week, and then we go get black sheep coffee and then this is an ad for black sheep coffee right, hey, sponsor me, sponsor us.

Angie Olmos 3:28

And then we just kind of explore the city and then come back or we'll eat at the city and we've kind of developed a schedule on Thursdays we go get McDonald's breakfast. So we've kind of just gotten accustomed to what we like to eat and where we like to go. So, like, I think that's like my schedule in a way.

Judy Oskam 3:48

Yeah, yeah, yeah so some of those habits. Now you're you're entering your sophomore year, so what habits will you take back then? And uh, because I like the study habit. That's great. That you go with a friend and study, that's nice, I'm definitely taking that one.

Angie Olmos 4:02

I can't study by myself. I need to have like someone there present, either studying with me or just being there and, I guess, like cooking, since you try to make us cook.

Judy Oskam 4:12

Well, we do have a full kitchen and we're in for the listeners. We're in flats, so we have our own private room, but then we all share a kitchen. Yeah, and my kitchen has two little couches in it.

Travel Adventures and Cultural Connections

Judy Oskam 4:24

Yeah, maybe yours does too, and it's got a table with four chairs, full kitchen. So I'm encouraging the students to save them money if they cooked a little bit. So that's something. So I will tell the listeners that you guys sent me a picture of your food at the kitchen yesterday. So it's like yes, you are, you are Well. What else have you learned about the culture? Now? You've traveled some already in your international studies minor. Now you've taken the opportunity during this. We meet Monday through Thursday and then you've gone on some adventures over the weekend.

Angie Olmos 4:59

Yeah, so I think the first weekend here I went up to North Berwick with everyone else and then second weekend I went up to the Highlands with my family and then, after this trip ends, I'm going to London.

Angie Olmos 5:13

I think I just, I just love traveling because, like, you get to see so many like different places, different cultures, and you get to meet different people and I'm not like I'm very social, I'm very friendly, but like I'm also like sometimes shy to meet people and I think this trip has brought like the best of me like to like, like make new friends and like meet strangers and like, yeah, sometimes you don't have to talk to strangers, but like they have so many people, have so many stories and it just like it's wonderful to hear their story because, like, maybe don't they, they don't get to share it with someone else and like being the person they like want to share that too, like I found it very special well, now your your project for the class.

Judy Oskam 5:53

We did a. We did some mini projects in the class and one of the projects she did was with a local boutique owner. Yeah, talk about that, because you really got in and got to know her.

Angie Olmos 6:03

She was really really sweet. Um, you can tell like she's never used social media maybe her son does and like she was willing to, like she was willing to answer a lot of questions, but like in a hurry because she didn't know what she was doing. But like I still like like it was just like in one of those like conversations you have with someone you just like meet in the street or like your hometown, that you've like known forever and she was very welcoming, yeah, and I think you guys gave her some good advice, whether she takes it or not.

Judy Oskam 6:33

That's the thing, because when you're looking at public relations strategies and tactics and you're trying to solve problems or take advantage of opportunities and you guys really just stumbled into a really great project there so well, in the class I've tried to get you up and do a lot of a lot of presentations. So how has that been? Cause I want you to get super comfortable with that.

Classroom Collaboration and Personal Growth

Angie Olmos 6:56

You guys have all been super at that. I low key, like it. Like I like I said like I'm very social, like very friendly, so like I, I like just talk a lot. Like if I meet someone, I would just like sit down, listen to them while I talk to them. It's like that's never like been my issue, but like I've helped Ava.

Angie Olmos 7:13

Yes, like yesterday I put your colleague, I pushed her. I pushed her into, like uh, interviewing for our third project. She was kind of scared to do it by herself. I was like I'm just standing right here at the door, yeah, like I'm encouraging you from here and like good, well and and working together.

Judy Oskam 7:26

What does that say about collaboration, collaboration, and is it easier to do when you're in an experience like this, or what?

Angie Olmos 7:34

Definitely, we both have our strengths and we both have our weaknesses, and now we're doing the solo projects. You're going to see which is our strengths and which is our weaknesses. Sure, but I'm really creative and I'm really friendly and I've done interviews like during high school. So like that's like my strength, well, like my colleagues, is like writing and like I can say random sentences and she can just write it down perfectly Nice.

Angie Olmos 8:00

So, like I think this project and like this like study abroad, has really helped us both. Like help our weaknesses grow a bit, yeah, while helping each other's strengths, yeah, yeah.

Judy Oskam 8:13

I like that. So what would you say to people that uh are on campus in Texas? Kind of thinking do I really want to spend the money and the time and what should I do? What would you tell other people who might have an interest? But they're not really sold yet do it like you.

Angie Olmos 8:31

Only you're young once. Um, this is something that, like, you can tell your kids, you can tell your friends, you can tell your family, and it's something like it helps you grow as a person, because we're still like, as I said, young. Like these, like experiences and memories are like what will shape us, and you can also use it as networking as well. But like it's. It's like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and like you're getting to go somewhere new and you're traveling by yourself, like you get a girl as a person in general?

Judy Oskam 9:00

yeah, well, and some some people have never traveled abroad and traveling by yourself to get here, was that the biggest challenge?

Scottish Surprises and Travel Recommendations

Angie Olmos 9:10

The biggest challenge is trying to find my colleague in the airport, because I've traveled by myself in states I think the furthest I've ever done was Hawaii by myself, but that's a school trip, so internationally I was kind of scared but I was grateful we were just a row in between us, we were by each other's side the entire time and that really helped the whole traveling nine hours by yourself on a plane, a row like in between us, like we were like by each other's side the entire time, sure, and that really helped like the whole traveling nine hours by yourself on a plane to a different country right now and then when you get here.

Judy Oskam 9:43

What's been the most um surprising thing about scotland? Well, what have you found the most interesting or surprising?

Angie Olmos 9:51

I think it's the um like not accusations, but like people assume that like Scottish people are like they're like they hate us or like they like um, they don't like talking to people and they just are incredibly rude and I think I've like met some wonderful Scottish people here during our time.

Judy Oskam 10:12

Yeah, so what's the lesson there here during our time? Yeah, so what's the lesson there? Don't judge a book by its cover, that's right. Don't judge and be open to the experiences. Well, and were you with the group that went on the long bus ride? No, because I went that weekend to the Highlands. You went the week before.

Angie Olmos 10:27

No that weekend I went with my parents. Oh yeah, okay, okay, all right. So what would you advise?

Judy Oskam 10:30

Yeah, okay, okay, all right. So what? What would you advise? What are the sights and sounds of Edinburgh that you'd recommend?

Angie Olmos 10:38

Oh wait, that's looking hard. I'm trying to think of everything I've done You've done a lot.

Judy Oskam 10:48

You guys went to Arthur's Seat right.

Angie Olmos 10:52

Oh yeah, arthur's Seat is definitely a must Like if you're a hiking person, the islands if you're nature I'm a big nature person-wise North Berwick for the views, the beach and the food.

Judy Oskam 11:03

Oh yeah, the food.

Angie Olmos 11:06

Food-wise Musselboro has a lot of good food. Take advantage of the small cities, because they have sometimes the best food compared to the big cities. Good advice, good advice. What else did we do? Primark, the clothing store. Oh, clothing store, okay.

Judy Oskam 11:25

That's my favorite store. Okay, and the boutique you guys went to was a thrift shop or not? Was it a?

Angie Olmos 11:32

boutique. It was just a boutique, it's like a local boutique but if marketed right, it could definitely be a thrift store, because there was the hats, like the typical Irish hats that you see at a gift shop for like 30 pounds.

Judy Oskam 11:46

It was only 15 pounds 10 pounds Right, right, so really shop carefully when you're looking at it. Okay, any last advice for listeners that might be on the edge. Should I go to Scotland? What should I do? Just take a chance, Like how, how Albert says it take a chance on me, take a chance on Scotland, take a chance on travel, take a chance on your experiences. I love it. I love it.

Judy Oskam 12:14

I love it. Thank you, angie. How fun was that. I love it. That's good. Thanks so much for joining us on Stories of Change and Creativity Scotland edition. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure and follow the podcast and give us a like and a review. It really helps more listeners discover these inspiring stories. Thanks for listening.