Introduction

Hello all! My name is Evelyn Diller, and I am a marketing major going into my junior year at UA. This summer, I had the pleasure of attending a faculty led program to Prague and Berlin where my class and I would study international Business. I was not sure what to expect going into the trip, but I was not disappointed.

Packing for Faculty Led Programs

Obviously, a faculty led program is not typically as long of a trip as a normal study abroad program would be, so packing for such a trip is a lot different. When it comes to travelling, packing has always been my least favorite part as I am a chronic over-packer. I challenged myself to pack as lightly as possible this trip. Although I still completely filled a large suitcase, I successfully packed “lightly” (for me). If I could offer one piece of advice for deciding which clothes to pack, I would say to pack clothing items that are very versatile and can be incorporated into many different outfits. I promise, you need way less than you think. And you WILL go shopping, so leave plenty of room for that.

Get to Know Your Classmates

Although I know that it is likely that you may are travelling with someone who is already your friend, I cannot stress enough how important it is to make friends with the people you are in class with. When your trip begins, you will be going everywhere with these people even after your course is done for the day. I happened to not know a single person in my class, but by the end of the trip, I had created new friendships that have lasted beyond my time abroad. One thing I wish I would’ve done differently is that I would have gotten to know my classmates more before we left for the trip so that we broke the ice sooner.

I plan to share more information about my wonderful experience abroad soon, so this is just the beginning. Thank you for reading!