by Lilly R. | Jun 13, 2024 | Central America, Engineering, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
It’s been a few days since I’ve returned from my study abroad trip in Belize, and I don’t think the extent of the things I experienced has quite caught up with me yet. Though I was only in the country for around a month, the range of things I saw and felt seemed to...
by Sophie | Jun 11, 2024 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
I decided to spend a semester in Barcelona, Spain at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. During my time abroad I fell in love with Barcelona but once I leave, I will definitely miss the food the most including tapas. A tapa is an appetizer in Spanish cuisine but...
by Sara B. | Jun 6, 2024 | Central America, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Now that I’m back in Chicago, my mind is swirling with thoughts and feelings about my recent adventure in Belize. When I first arrived at the airport, I was overcome with sadness and nostalgia, realizing that my incredible study abroad experience had ended. I...
by Sara B. | Jun 6, 2024 | Central America, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
My first impression when I arrived in Belize was that it was very hot; I suddenly got apprehensive about the weather and if I would be in miserable heat the entire time. The first night, I asked my TA, Kaitlyn, about it, and she assured me when we got to the water,...
by Makyia B. | Jun 6, 2024 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
While traveling abroad I experienced a lot of culture shock. I spent two weeks in Spain, specifically Madrid and Barcelona. Seeing the different culture was not only eye opening but sometimes confusing or frustrating. For example, Spaniards are extremely touchy and...
by Mariel P. | Jun 6, 2024 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Upon returning to the United States, I couldn’t believe how much I had seen and done in a short time. I had taken in so much history, immersed myself in different cultures, tried new foods, etc. Coming home was bittersweet. I missed fast food, the comfort of...
by Macrae S. | May 22, 2024 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
My Journey Across the Atlantic to Discover New Cultures Getting ready to jet off on this crazy adventure feels like the right move for me right now, especially with my dad cheering me on. He’s always been big on traveling and he’s been pushing me to take...
by Cameron W. | Apr 17, 2024 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
I have been in Spain for three days now, I intended to blog during my travels, but due to the weather, my plans got a little messed up and I had two very stressful 40-minute layovers. So, after two tiring days of orientation and sleep adjustment, here I am not,...
by Tyler B. | Sep 21, 2023 | Duration, Europe, Human Environmental Sciences, Program Type, Region, Summer, UA-Affiliate
During your study abroad, orientation you will probably be told about the emotional curve that is associated with students’ feelings during their study abroad trip. I remember looking at this chart and being surprised by some of the feelings the chart includes and...
by Madeleine Luther | Sep 12, 2023 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Education, Faculty-Led, Non-traditional, Social Work, Summer
Recently I spent one week in Sunyani, Ghana doing service learning as a part of UA in Ghana. Being a French major, my service learning placement was shadowing a French teacher at a local Montessori school where I observed her teach the language while interacting with...
by Madeleine Luther | Sep 12, 2023 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
We’ve been in Ghana for two weeks now, and we’re coming to the end of our trip. Our last stop before we head back to the Capital city of Accra and head home is Cape Coast, Ghana, a beautiful coastal town on the Gulf of Guinea. The scenery is beautiful, with many beach...
by Samantha Flaute | Sep 8, 2023 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Honors College, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Florence is a lively city, with a rich history and vibrant environment. As a self-proclaimed “local” who has lived in Florence for a little over two months I can assure you that around every corner you can find tons of hidden gems from history to food to shopping....
by Kayleigh Kopidlansky | Aug 17, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, South America, Summer, _
Adjusting to my old life in the United States after six weeks in Colombia has involved reverse culture shock, confusion surrounding languages, and missing my time abroad. I knew that reverse culture shock was common, but the strangest things are what caused it. The...
by Kayleigh Kopidlansky | Aug 17, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, South America, Summer, _
My favorite part of my six weeks in Colombia was my trip to Medellín. Medellín is a beautiful city in the mountains of western Colombia. Because the elevation is so high, the temperature is much more moderate than the Caribbean cities of Barranquilla, Santa Marta, or...
by Sarah Scarcliff | Aug 11, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
What’s taken me by surprise as I’ve been back home I expected there to be a lot of cultural nuances that took getting used to as I studied abroad in France. What I didn’t expect, though, was to be shocked anew as I re-entered the U.S. There are...
by Caleb W. | Aug 10, 2023 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Over your study abroad experience, you will likely experience a wide range of emotions towards both your host and home countries. For myself and many of the people I live with abroad, the period leading up to returning home is especially varied from person to person....
by Ella F. | Aug 10, 2023 | Commerce & Business, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Looking back on my time in Spain, I’m so grateful to have gotten this opportunity! I got to experience so many different cities in Spain. Despite this, I could spend another summer in Spain and there would still be new cities to explore! I guess this gives me a good...
by Xavier Williams | Aug 10, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, South America, Summer, _
I want to start this off by saying how much of a life-changing experience Colombia was for me, and all the things I will be able to take back with me. I have been home now for about a little over 2 weeks and I do miss Colombia, but I am really happy to be surrounded...
by Sarah Scarcliff | Aug 10, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Using the five senses to ground yourself in a foreign place Studying abroad is an amazing experience, but it can become overwhelming at times. With very limited proficiency in French, there have been times on my study abroad trip that I’ve felt stressed....
by Caitlynn Hibbitts | Aug 10, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
My study abroad trip went to London, and only half of the fun was the tours we did in the city. The actual classes my peers and I participated in each week were just as interesting. I originally wanted to go on this specific trip because of the course material. I am a...
