by Michael R | Nov 14, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, By College, Duration, Exchange, Program Type, Region, Semester, _
Of all the unread books on my shelf back home, none is more intimidating than Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji. The translation I own, the 1926 translation by Arthur Waley, lands at over a 1000 pages. (The Tale of Genji taking up a large amount of space on...
by Lexi S | Nov 13, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, By College, Comm & Info Sciences, Duration, Europe, Program Type, Region, Semester, UA-Affiliate
Russian fashion sense is truly a thing to bear witness to. Before coming to Saint Petersburg, I had only heard that they “dress a bit nicer” than we do in America. I had no idea what I was in for. The women here dress in a rotation that often consists of some sort of...
by Lauren P | Nov 13, 2018 | Asia, Commerce & Business, Exchange, Semester
Hi, my name is Lauren Phillips and for the past 3 months I’ve been studying abroad at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan. These last few months have gone by so quickly, and I’ve been having so much fun here that I’ve barely had time to write about my...
by Fredericka B | Sep 24, 2018 | Africa, Internship, Semester, Social Work, _
There is no doubt that there are highs and lows when studying abroad. One minute, you can be having an amazing conversation with a Ghanaian, the next, someone may be trying to talk to you and they get frustrated because you cannot understand them. You can have a...
by Fredericka B | Sep 18, 2018 | Africa, Semester, Social Work
The day before I left to start this amazing journey, I felt as if my heart would explode with all of these emotions that I couldn’t express. I was excited to experience a different culture, I was excited to meet my host family. However, I was also nervous about the...
by Alyssa P | Sep 9, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Packing up and moving for 5 months is not an easy feat. Especially when you have to add baggage weight limitations and the ability to take everything you have on the go. Then you add in the fear of something being lost or stolen, and it turns into an...
by Fredericka B | Sep 4, 2018 | Africa, Internship, Semester, Social Work
After almost a whole day of flying, I was just hours away from landing in Accra. During different times of the flight I came across others who asked me questions out of curiosity. Where are you from? How many times have you been to Ghana? What are you doing here? Was...
by Fredericka B | Sep 2, 2018 | Africa, Internship, Semester, Social Work, _
What do you do when you finally get to begin the journey of your dreams after waiting for a year? You take a leap of faith, double check that you’ve packed everything, and brace your self for an unforgettable experience. Doing my social work field practicum...
by Emily H | Aug 30, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
For the past six months, I’ve heard a steady stream of advice regarding this next semester abroad: stay hydrated, wear comfortable shoes, take pictures, carry cash, honestly I could dedicate this entire post to all of the tips, tricks, recommendations, and well wishes...
by Noah D | Aug 10, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Ciao, My name is Noah Dasinger and for the fall semester of 2018, I will be studying at the Lorenzo de Medici Institute, in Florence Italy. The motivation for deciding to study abroad has to do with my major which is art history and my interest in Renaissance Art. At...
by Elizabeth C | Aug 1, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
I write this post almost two months after landing back on American soil. I thought I would be able to write this post anxiously sitting in the airport, waiting my connecting flight, but I soon realized that this post was going to take a while to get into words, as...
by Samantha C | Jul 12, 2018 | Europe, Human Environmental Sciences, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
I’m suffering from some serious Italy withdrawals. I am so bored now that I am home. I must admit my view here cannot compete with my view from my apartment in Florence. I just miss the smells of fresh food and the water from the river. I also miss the pizza (I...
by Madison K | Jul 8, 2018 | Comm & Info Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Annnnnnd, we’re back. In America. The home of the brave and land of the free and what not. And let me tell you, it actually is kind of nice to be back. My first night home I all but guzzled a cup of cheese dip at my favorite local Mexican restaurant. Later that week I...
by Madison K | Jul 8, 2018 | Comm & Info Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Culture shock. Before I left for study abroad and once I arrived at my new temporary home, it seemed to be all people could discuss. I patiently sat through at least five different lectures or online seminars with a graphic of the same culture shock curve presented...
by Katie Holcomb | Jul 2, 2018 | Europe, Semester, Summer, UA Non-Affiliate, _
Barcelona is a unique city full of many sights and Catalan charm. I have been studying in Barcelona for 4 exciting and super busy weeks. With so much to see and do in a short summer semester, here are a few tips to make the most of your study abroad experience. ...
by Justin C | Jun 28, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Well, it officially has been a month since I returned home from beautiful Florence, Italy. Many emotions filled me as I got home—depressed, anxious, happy, nervous—I didn’t know how to feel. I was excited to come home and see family and friends, but I was also...
by Margaret Selesky | Jun 6, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate
After spending more than four months living and studying in Scotland, I returned home to Birmingham three days ago. In these first few days, my adjustment back to life in the U.S. has been harder than I had expected. My body wakes me up by 5 each morning (noon in...
by Shakia B | Jun 2, 2018 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, By College, Faculty-Led, Nursing, Semester
After completing my junior year I decided it was time to study abroad. I felt as if I could accomplish anything considering I made it through a second semester of Nursing. The decision to study abroad was really with help from my instructors. We had a decision to go...
by Adrienne R | Jun 2, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate
I can hardly believe that I am already back in Alabama after an entire semester in Ireland. People always told me that the semester would fly by, that it would be some of the quickest months of my life. I did not believe them at first—my first month there was...
by Valerie W | May 23, 2018 | Engineering, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate
While most people have the attitude of “that will never happen to me,” the reality is that is happens to a LOT of people while abroad. Tourists always seem to have big bullseyes on their foreheads that say “TOURIST.” Most of the people who...
