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The National Student Exchange is a unique, not-for-profit consortium of nearly 200 accredited, baccalaureate-granting colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Established in 1968, NSE has provided exchange opportunities to more than 105,000 students. NSE offers study opportunities at diverse university settings and provides access to a wide array of courses and programs. Work completed while on exchange at the host campus is brought back to the home institution and credited to the student's degree program.

-Excerpt from the NSE website

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Hey there! My name is Gracyn Ladenheim, and in January of 2017 I'm going to Alaska! Currently I am a sophomore student at Stony Brook University. Long Island has been my home for most of my 21 years of existence. I like it here, don't get me wrong, but I need a change of scenery. I crave snow and mountains and moose (mooses? meese?). I desire to experience new things and meet new people. So, when I applied for the National Student Exchange program (NSE), I knew I wanted to go somewhere far and somewhere cold and somewhere like nowhere I have ever been before. Now I'm headed to the University of Alaska at Anchorage, and I couldn't be more excited. Though I will only be away for one semester, I plan to take advantage of all Alaska has to offer. Somehow I will manage a balance between school and adventure, and I'll be posting all about it here. I truly hope you enjoy reading about my experiences and looking at my photos!

And to my fellow students; I hope this padlet will provide some inspiration to create your own NSE journey. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so visit their official website to see if you're eligible to participate.

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It's been a while since my last post, but unfortunately not much happened between the months of August and October. It was merely a waiting period. I was waiting to apply for admission, a necessary procedure to secure an UAA ID number; I was waiting for the Spring course schedule to be posted; I was waiting for any bit of information that would update me on my NSE semester.

Now November is here, and the waiting is over. Progress has finally been made! In the last two weeks, I was given my ID number, university email address, and access to view available courses. Yesterday, I even got a phone call from the housing department to let me know they have received my application and have a good idea of where they will place me. Last, but certainly not least, at 4:00 this morning (which was midnight Anchorage time), my enrollment appointment began and I was able to register for classes.

As far as housing goes, it looks like I will be placed in the Main Apartment Complex (MAC). This is not set in stone, because other options may open up, but this is likely where I end up. According to UAA's website, "[the] six-building Main Apartment Complex, known on campus as 'MAC,' is located just west of the residence halls and offers apartment-style living for students. Each apartment has four single-bedrooms, plus a kitchen, bathroom, living room, and storage area." Not that any of you needed to hear all that, but I'm just so excited! It sounds great.

Another good piece of information regards departure: I know when I'm leaving! Well, sort of. I haven't bought my plane ticket yet, but I'm planning to take off on January 11th, accompanied by my dad. I can't move in until January 14th, but we're planning to take a few days to explore Anchorage. In exactly two months, I will be moved in and starting classes. I can't wait!

Speaking of classes, I did mention that I was able to enroll earlier today. The classes I'm taking are:

Alaska Native Cultures and People

Alaska Native Bead Traditions

Dog Mushing

Elementary American Sign Language I

Introduction to Behavior Analysis

Introduction to Civic Engagement

Urban Sociology

All of the classes seem extremely interesting, and many are clearly unique to UAA. If you couldn't tell, I am particularly excited about Dog Mushing--honestly, how cool does that sound? Now that I've enrolled, everything seems so official. It may have taken a while to get to this point, but now it's moving at lightning speed. I will be arriving at University of Alaska Anchorage in no time! Wow, I am so beyond ready for this.

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This summer, I have been working almost every weekday from about 9:00AM to 5:00PM, and sometimes longer than that. The only times I haven't been working were when I had my summer class! I've basically spent more time at work than I have at my house (not including the approximately 6-8 hours per night spent sleeping).

I love work. My job as a student assistant for the Stony Brook Office of Undergraduate Education provides unique insight into the field of higher education in a great working atmosphere. I've been there for about a year now, and it really feels like I'm part of the team. The information I have learned from the office has made an impact on my undergraduate career, and is already beginning to affect my plans for graduate school and beyond.

I also work as support staff at Stony Brook Child Care Services with children up to age three. Though my career aspirations lean more towards higher education than early childhood education, I can no longer imagine being at Stony Brook and not working there. I may have only started this past January, but the bonds I have developed with the children make me feel as though I've been working with them all their lives. The job is fun, and there is never a dull moment.

Now, what exactly does this have to do with Alaska? Well, when I'm over 3,000 miles from Stony Brook University, I won't be able to work at either job. Although I will be welcomed with open arms upon my return, it still feels like the end of something. When I get back to the office, a couple of my coworkers and dearest friends will have likely graduated. When I reenter the child care center, some children will have moved up and new faces will have appeared.

This sounds negative, I know, but it's a topic that just surfaced while sitting behind my desk in the office. Having studied abroad in my junior year of high school, I know what to expect in terms of homesickness. However, I didn't have a job at that time in my life. I don't know what to expect in terms of work-sickness (if that's even a thing?). Yes, I will have classes and extracurricular activities, but what will my down-time be like? Though I will certainly try, it is unlikely that I will be able to fill every spare second with adventure. It will be in the quiet moments that I most miss work--even the less glamorous parts, like shredding stacks of paper or changing diapers.

For now, I will just keep working. I will think of Alaska every now and again. I will think of all I will miss. But I will also think of all I will experience, and those thoughts will be the ones that reassure me. There is so much positivity radiating from my upcoming NSE semester, that I cannot bare to think of the few negatives for more than the time it took me to write this blog post. This opportunity to go to Alaska is rare, so I know to take advantage of it while I can. Things may be different when I return to work, but a semester at UAA is worth being absent for the change.

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I honestly wish I knew the exact day I was leaving. Though six months will go by very quickly, it is still far too early to know. Having a date of departure will make this upcoming semester all the more realistic. I've been watching a lot of shows like Buying Alaska and Alaskan Bush People because I'm trying to piece together an idea of what my time will be like. However, I'm going to be living in the biggest city there, so I doubt the latter show will paint a realistic picture. Still, it's nice to imagine.