by Samantha C | May 19, 2018 | Europe, Faculty-Led, Human Environmental Sciences, Semester, _
This study abroad trip was my first time out of the country and up until two days ago I wasn’t even sure I was going anymore. I am very nervous. I didn’t brush up on the Italian language enough so I’m afraid I will have trouble communicating. I know...
by Anna M | May 19, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA Non-Affiliate, _
It’s been almost a month now since I’ve returned from my study abroad program, and from the beginning of my journey, I knew I wanted to do a post about reverse culture shock. While spending three months in London with the Hansard Scholars Program was a life changing...
by Kaitlin W | May 18, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Comm & Info Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Before leaving for study abroad (and leaving the country for the first time…ever), I often compared what I thought my experience would be like to a scene in my favorite movie-Tangled. It’s the moment when Rapunzel decides to jump from her tower, and is...
by Margaret Selesky | May 14, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate
In some ways, academics at the University of St Andrews is very different from the University of Alabama. I expected many of the obvious differences, such as new set of terminology: module instead of course, term instead of semester, or revising instead of studying....
by Caylee O | May 8, 2018 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Semester, UA-Affiliate
I’ve been in Tanzania for almost 3.5 months now, and I’ve loved every minute of my time here. Despite being very different from the United States, I didn’t have any issues adjusting to life in Tanzania; however, I have definitely grown from exposure to the...
by Justin C | May 8, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Ciao Everyone! It is insane to be saying, but I already only have eleven days in this beautiful city of Florence, Italy. I honestly have no idea where time has gone and I am totally not ready to leave yet (but my Bank Account is). I have not really started getting...
by Elizabeth C | Apr 30, 2018 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
After being in Seville for a few months now, I can without a doubt say that I picked the perfect place to study for a semester. Seville is not exactly what I imagined, as I began my adventure in Madrid for orientation. However, unlike the city-like bustle of Madrid,...
by Victoria T | Apr 27, 2018 | Africa, Internship, Semester, Social Work
For my final weekend adventure in Ghana, I chose to fly to the Northern Region to Mole National Park. The northern part of Ghana is very different from the area I lived and worked in and I was told by many Ghanaians that to truly experience Ghana, I needed to see...
by Victoria T | Apr 27, 2018 | Africa, Internship, Semester, Social Work
With our weekends free, we have been able to explore a great deal of Ghana’s beauty. One of our favorite places to visit is Cape Coast, which is a historic fishing town with beautiful beaches. We were able to stay right on the beach in an eclectic brightly colored...
by Victoria T | Apr 27, 2018 | Africa, Internship, Semester, Social Work
I chose to study abroad because I believe there is only so much that can be learned through our own cultural lens. I have learned the most in life when immersed in conversations and experiences with individuals who view the world in a different way than I do....
by Anna M | Apr 20, 2018 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Internship, Semester, UA-Affiliate
Hello again from London! It’s been a while since my last post, and I’ve definitely adjusted more to my surroundings much more. Unfortunately, it’s only less than a month before I head back home to the states. My time and London, interning with Parliament and taking...
by Adrienne R | Apr 13, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate
When my friend Ruth told us about a student trad night, we knew that we could not resist going to check it out. But as we walked past the familiar sights and sounds of Galway’s Latin Quarter and into its West End, unfamiliarity began to settle in. I did not know...
by Valerie W | Apr 12, 2018 | Engineering, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate
As I am writing this, I am exactly 5 weeks away from my departure date back to the USA. That is almost surreal to write; I cannot believe how fast the semester has flown by! I have made some wonderful new friends from all across the globe and together we have created...
by Kaitlin W | Apr 9, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Comm & Info Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate
“What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever experienced?” Before last month, I used to say that I was scared of heights, of spiders, or even public speaking. Then, on a weekend trip six hours away from my program’s city, I ended up in a...
by Diana B | Apr 9, 2018 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Semester, UA Non-Affiliate
At the start of 2017, I promised myself that I would push myself to do things that scared me. Last summer, I decided to move to a new city alone for an internship, and it created a renewed sense of independence within myself. Navigating a new life in this city helped...
by Camille C | Apr 3, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Semester, South America, UA-Affiliate, _
This semester I am studying abroad in Barranquilla, Colombia–home of the world’s second largest Carnaval and I arrived just in time to experience the wonderful celebration. Carnaval is a celebration that embodies the Spanish, indigenous and African...
by Camille C | Apr 3, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Semester, South America, UA-Affiliate, _
Studying abroad is all about embarking on new adventures that challenge you to expand your comfort zone, right? In a small town tucked away in the Andes Mountains, Villa de Leyva, I had such an adventure that broadened not only my horizons, but also my spirituality....
by Camille C | Apr 3, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Semester, South America, UA-Affiliate, _
One of the reasons I chose to study in the Atlantic coast of Colombia was because I wanted to learn more about AfroLatinx culture in the Caribbean. Cartagena, and the neighboring town of Palenque, located just a couple of hours away from Barranquilla, provided the...
by Mason J | Mar 23, 2018 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate
I don’t think there are words to succinctly summarize my past month and a half in Budapest, but here’s my best shot. I’m sitting, laptop out, in a small square in the Palace District of this capital city. Beside me, a cobblestone street winds its way towards the twin...
by Christina A | Mar 15, 2018 | Central America, Comm & Info Sciences, Faculty-Led, Semester
As I sat in a rocking chair on the porch of my little Costa Rican cottage, I watched an assortment of cars, busses and bicycles zoom by. With no plans for the afternoon, I hoped to make my way into town via one of Costa Rica’s friendly taxi drivers. Before I made the...