by Jack R. | Aug 4, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Summer
The University of Oxford is almost 1000 years old (the founding is estimated at 1096 CE). The heritage and culture of this ancient institution can be seen embodied in the ceremonies and buildings of the university. Churches and cathedrals play a crucial role in the...
by Alexandria R. | Aug 4, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I can’t even begin to tell you how incredible this experience has been. Everybody always tells you how much study abroad changes your life, and of course I believed them, but I didn’t think it would be to such a great extent. Every day, we wake up for...
by Emily G. | Aug 4, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, UA Non-Affiliate, UA-Affiliate, _
One of my first thoughts arriving in a new country was, “I want to go home”. I think this is a very common reaction I believe. I had traveled for almost 24 hours, I was with a large group of very lost college students, and I just wanted to go home. Once we arrived at...
by Jack S. | Jul 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer
So far, my time in Belize has been everything I had hoped for and more. I have learned so much about native species and their roles in building and maintaining the reef, and I have also seen firsthand how detrimental invasive species can be. During my research on...
by Jack S. | Jul 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer
I chose to study abroad in Belize for a variety of reasons. For one, I have never been abroad, and I figured it would be a good idea for my first time to be with a faculty-led study abroad program. Secondly, I wanted to spend my summer at the beach, so this would be...
by Andreea T. | Jul 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
As a French major, one of the biggest goals I had before entering college was to study abroad in a francophone country. As I started as a freshman at UA, I felt secure enough in my French skills to apply for the “UA in France: Language and Culture”...
by Kaya H. | Jul 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Non-traditional, Summer, _
Traveling from the United States to Vietnam was no easy feat. Serving as my first international flight experience, the two-day commute with multiple layovers truly tested my resilience and patience. But all of this stress was relieved the second I landed in Hanoi,...
by Taj J. | Jul 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
After spending the last month living in Spain, I’m finally back home: jetlagged, disoriented, and wildly confused about when I’m supposed to eat dinner. (Seriously, how did I adjust to 10 p.m. meals so fast and now can’t seem to make it past 6:30 p.m. without my...
by Lucy R. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
After a wonderful first week settling into life in Florence, I already feel like I’ve begun to adapt to the Italian lifestyle. From walking the historic streets and sipping espresso in local cafés to learning the flow of daily life here, the transition has been...
by Liz R. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Human Environmental Sciences, South America, Summer, _
When I first signed up for 6 weeks of school in Barranquilla, I thought I knew and was prepared for everything. Well- I was delightfully wrong! When I first signed up for six weeks of school in Barranquilla, I thought I was completely prepared. I am a Spanish as well...
by Shifa J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Commerce & Business, Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Semester, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Our day trip to Waiheke Island, a 45 minute ferry ride out of New Zealand was absolutely my most favorite day of the entire trip.We started the day off with a visit to Waiheke Honey Company, a local bee farm that produces a variety of pure 100% honey, one of them...
by Shifa J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Commerce & Business, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I am now on my 5th day of this amazing Study Abroad adventure through Australia and New Zealand, currently in Cairns. We have so much left to do in the city but we definitely did our big one yesterday. Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef wasn’t just the highlight of...
by Shifa J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Commerce & Business, Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Semester, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Just an hour drive out of Sydney, Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected 80-acre bushland space where native animals like kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and of course, koalas roam freely and safely. Many of the animals here are rescued, endangered, or...
by Andrew W. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
After an incredible month in Germany and traveling in Europe, I am finally back home in the US and able to reflect on my time abroad. Following the three and a half weeks I studied German in Freiburg, I took a train through the Alps to Milan, Italy, where I spent a...
by Lillian J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Hello again everyone! Last time I checked in, I updated you all on my time in the cities of Konstanz and Strasbourg during my summer abroad in Germany. Well, I’m finally back home in Alabama, and I’d thought I’d use this last blog post to talk about my last couple of...
by Faith G. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
I don’t think I have been as afraid as I am now to travel. This summer, I am spending about three weeks in France. I have never been too far from my hometown, much less out of the country. When I first decided to try studying abroad I didn’t understand the blood,...
by Nicole J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Australia/New Zealand, Europe, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
I entered this summer with one goal in mind: to see parts of the world I have never seen before and have fun while doing it. Both New Zealand and Italy were absolute whirlwinds, I can confidently say that I do not regret either study abroad experience. The two were...
by Caitlin S. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
5/25: Before Departure Getting ready to go abroad has completely taken over my mind, my Pinterest boards, and my TikTok feed. I’ve probably watched over a hundred detailed videos on “what I wish I packed for study abroad” and “underrated travel essentials every...
by Olivia B. | Jul 22, 2025 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I left Benin on June 29, and have had time to reflect on the incredible experiences I had. The UA in Benin program was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially because it was a faculty-led program in our professor’s hometown. Having a local guide us through Benin,...
by Nicole J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Come my second weekend in Italy, I had planned two day trips: Saturday in Venice and Sunday in Rome. The only issue: I would be completely alone in Rome. For Venice, I had booked my trip through Smart Trips and had plans to get dinner with some friends, but Rome was...
