Nabiha I. Field School Ambassador
What is one word to describe your study abroad experience:
"Walking through the strip itself was remarkable; exploring the venetian, Ceaser’s Palace, and overall, just going through that area populated with both people but astounding structures too."
NABIHA I.
USA Field School participant
Duration of Field School: 2 weeks
Summer semester
Studying Landscape Architecture
- What did a typical day in this Field School look like?
A typical day looked like us (students and professors) travelling together in the morning to a specific site (ex. Vegas Strip, University of Nevada, Santa Monica Beach, etc.) and then spending some time there learning about the sites. We would walk through the places together while our teachers would talk about the significance of these areas. Most days we would meet someone local (whether it be an architect, historian) and who would teach us as well. Throught our time there we would disperse for approximately 20-40 minutes before meeting together again for any final remarks. This took about 2-4 hours and then we would be able to go wherever we want to for the rest of the day (and night).
- What did you have to do for the course component of this Field School? How did it impact your degree?
For the course component we did a quiz while we were there. That was very helpful because the questions were about the architects, what their typical design style is and what sites they have designed. This helped me in my degree because being in Landscape Architecture I learned/remembered influential designers that I can be inspired by to help increase my creativity and my own designs. I also created a video about plant design in all 3 cities I visited (Las Vegas, Palm Springs and Los Angeles). I talked about what plants were used and how they were used in each city. That was very helpful because I now know more plants that are low-maintenance and can tolerate a lot of sun if I were to ever use them in my design. I talked about the streetscape as well and who affective it is to have plantings used between the sidewalk and roads so pedestrians can feel safe while travelling, which I experienced during my stay there. Finally, we had to complete an essay, and I talked about “How Mimicking is Used in the Las Vegas Strip.” I basically researched and discussed how in the Las Vegas strip, there are multiple sites and buildings in the strip that are intentionally mimicking another site in the world, and it is a design trajectory used in the Las Vegas strip both literally and symbolically, which ultimately results in the strip being a very popular and touristy place in Las Vegas. This defiantly helped me with my degree because we typically learn about designs being inspired by places, objects or even architects in our design but to never directly copy them. Hence, Vegas’ continuous use of mimicking is a completely innovative design approach for me and seeing the examples upfront of this design style and how successful it is, will now aid me to use a similar approach to ne successful in my future career path.
- What did you think of your Field School coordinator?
My field school coordinator supported our experience by creating our itinerary for this trip. She also was the one who organized the many local architects and historians to come with us/give us a tour of important sites in the cities. The coordinator also provided transportation throughout our entire field school experience. Most importantly, she provided us with an abundant amount of knowledge throughout this entire trip, which I very much appreciated.
- How many other U of G students did you travel with? And what did you think of travelling with other students?
I travelled with 9 other U of G students. I personally loved it because I knew some of them before this trip, so it was great to travel with friends. But even for those who I didn't know before this trip, I loved going with them because travelling is so much better with other people especially when they are around the same age. When we would break out from our professors, we would all end up hanging out together because it was great to explore something new together as a group. But also, because we all go to the same university, I then began to hang out with them after our trip during the semester. It was a great way to meet new people at university and when you all experience something so remarkable it’s hard to become so close with all the people you spent the time with.
- How did you interact with the local community during your Field School?
A big interaction with locals was obviously the many architects and historians we met during this trip. Hearing them talking about the foundations of how their city was built was remarkable and witnessing firsthand how they design (especially since they were styles, I wasn’t familiar with) overall was cool. Apart from that, the interaction with the local community was minimal but there was a lot of conversation made with locals when we would go to restaurants. The waiters/waitresses we met were very nice and would recommend places to visit while we were staying which was amazing.
- What influenced your decision to participate in a Field School opportunity?
The biggest influence was that the field school would be about architecture and design. Especially with landscape architecture being so advanced and successful in the US, I would have picked this field school no matter which state it would have been in. However, another big influence was Vegas because it is a desert state I was curious to know how people design in that type of region so that was another factor that intrigued me.
- What was the best thing that happened during your Field School? Explain.
I think one of the best things that happened was when we walked through the Vegas strip with a University of Nevada professor Glenn Nowak. Walking through the strip itself was remarkable; exploring the venetian, Ceaser’s Palace, and overall, just going through that area populated with both people but astounding structures too. I loved the gardens inside the venetian and the dancing fountains as well were amazing. Nowak showed us some beautiful gardens as well inside and outside the hotels too that you must specifically look for because they can’t be seen in the common areas. Seeing the hidden treasures as well in these structures was honestly the greatest thing.
- Where was the coolest place you traveled to during your study abroad experience?
I think the coolest place was Red Rock Canyon. We did almost 8 hours of hiking there and it was spectacular. The canyon was absolutely massive and the view from the top was unremarkable. I have never hiked so far up so it was a memorable experience for me. Even just the various colours of the rocks and the length of the valleys was mind blowing.
- What was the biggest cultural adaptation you had to make?
I think a big cultural adaptation was just being in an area where there aren’t many cultures present. Being in Canada I am so used to seeing a variety of different ethnic backgrounds but in Vegas especially it for the most part was just white people. Specifically older people. So I think the biggest adaptation was visibly being a minority in both ethnicity and age as well.
- What was your best learning moment?
I think my best learning moment was spent with the architect Eric Strain. We went to his office in Vegas and seeing his design developments and models were cool. He talked a lot about the history of Vegas, the stormwater management there, and the various projects he’s done there. Again, it was very new to me to learn about maintenance required for a desert landscape/city so that was a great learning moment.
- If you were to recommend this field school to your best friend, what would you say?
I would say that they would absolutely love it. Even if they weren’t in landscape architecture, design or even art, I would still tell them they would learn so much for their life. I would tell them they would love Vegas for its breathtaking structures, beautiful gardens, and remarkable canyons. I also would say that Palm Springs was a great place to get a more sub-urban experience in the desert, but it still had incredible homes, restaurants and gardens. And finally, I would say LA is amazing for not just shopping or the hope to see a celebrity, but the beaches are to die for.
- Would it be helpful to learn another language for this Field School?
No because everyone spoke in English so learning anew language isn’t necessary.
- How did you finance your study abroad experience?
I applied for U of G travel grants and received 2 grants. They covered almost all my fees, and the rest I paid for from my own savings.
- What are your packing recommendations?
I would definitely pack for hot summer weather in both Vegas and Palm Springs; it is very sunny there, so sunscreen is crucial as well s clothing fit for warmth because Palm Springs especially gets very humid. For LA I would say fall weather because it gets quite cold at night. I also would make sure you have room for personal purchases. When you go somewhere you can sometimes get carried away so don’t completely fill your bag. I also would make sure to have a fanny pack or zipped pockets because pick pocketing it a thing.
- Is there any other helpful information you would like to share with future study abroad participants?
Make sure to consider transportation! Make not of what public transportation or even car rental pricing are available because taking an uber/lyft everywhere can get expensive. And if no other option is available then save up for your paid car trips because it can add up.
