by Claire A. | Jun 27, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Summer, _
Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport…which is where I’ll be in less than 24 hours! I came across the UA in Oxford program last fall and knew it was the perfect opportunity for me. As an...
by Lillian J. | Jun 27, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Hello everyone! Last time I posted, I showed some photos from Freiburg where our group has been studying and talked about what all we’ve been getting into. This post will be about two excursions some of us took during our program, to the French city of Strasbourg and...
by Jacklyn D. | Jun 24, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I have experienced many culture shocks just from attending UA—one of the biggest being game days. At least for that, I had a relative idea of what going to an SEC school would be like, but the culture shock of living in a different country was further from anything I...
by Jacklyn D. | Jun 24, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, _
If there is one thing that anyone knows about traveling, it’s that there is a likely chance you may get jetlag going from point A to point B. While this may not have been the biggest worry I had in preparation for my trip, it was definitely something to note. The time...
by Anna L. | Jun 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Australia/New Zealand, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Summer
As I reflect back on my trip, I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I can’t help but think of what a privilege it was to have the opportunity to experience the things I did while abroad in New Zealand. It was interesting and eye-opening to interact with a...
by Anna L. | Jun 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Australia/New Zealand, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Semester
Here I am about halfway through my trip in Christchurch, New Zealand! The trip so far has been an absolute whirlwind in the best way. Our days have been absolutely jam-packed and I am exhausted each night when going to bed. While there absolutely have been some...
by Anna L. | Jun 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Australia/New Zealand, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Summer, _
To be honest, studying abroad was never really on my mind or on my bucket list of things to do during my college years. However, once my scholarship package offered a stipend to use specifically for studying abroad, I thought I should at least consider it. Still, I...
by Taj J. | Jun 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Now that I’ve spent a few weeks settling into life in Seville, I decided to take a closer look at an ordinary Monday to see what still surprises me and what’s starting to feel more familiar. Mondays here carry a rhythm that I’m beginning to understand: the quiet,...
by Amelia W. | Jun 23, 2025 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Hi, I’m Amelia from New Orleans, I am preparing for my study abroad adventure in Benin, Africa. As a student in the foreign languages and literature program, I’ve always been drawn to francophone cultures. Growing up surrounded by several francophone communities made...
by Saphia H. | Jun 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I landed at the airport around noon in Paris, France and took a bus to Tours, France to meet my host family after landing. I was tired and super nervous to meet them. Meeting them eased some of my worries a bit, and the country is so beautiful. I cant wait to go see...
by Saphia H. | Jun 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, _
After spending a month in Tours, France, I have had numerous interesting experiences. The culture shock has worn off, and I have adjusted to life here. Classes were intensive, and my French has improved a lot since I’ve been here. The Language and Culture Study...
by Olivia B. | Jun 23, 2025 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
When I signed up for UA in Benin I was very nervous, knowing little about Benin and throwing myself into this adventure alone. I had never been away from home for such a long time, and had never traveled somewhere so unfamiliar. However, I was still very excited! I...
by Alyssa W. | Dec 20, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
“Americans are so talkative and friendly—people here don’t just chat with everyone they meet”. This was a comment I got on the train to London at 4 a.m., after spending the past hour talking to someone from the area about everything from economics to music. It was a...
by Alyssa W. | Dec 18, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Everywhere has a signature food: New York pizza, Wisconsin cheese curds, Kentucky fried chicken. When traveling, we imagine taking advantage of the famous restaurants, and schedule time to sample Chicago deep dish from Giordanos or sourdough bread from a San Fransisco...
by Alyssa W. | Dec 18, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I am a chronic overpacker. There’s no getting around it. I always find myself leaving home with a bag bursting at the seams, hoping desperately I don’t have to open it and somehow manage to achieve the miracle of zipping it shut a second time. Unfortunately, this is a...
by Emma D. | Dec 18, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
If you have been on the Internet for any length of time, you have no doubt experienced a sharp divide between European and American users. One can often find the two groups arguing about food, stereotypes, tourism, and most often and most divisively; politics. No...
by Abigail Tanner | Dec 12, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Summer, _
With this trip being my first time abroad, I had no clue what to pack for a month in Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Now, I realize some things I *really* should have brought with me and some things I **really** should have left at home. Starting with the Dos: DO pack an...
by Kyndra L. | Dec 12, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, South America, Summer
I can confidently say that I had (and still have) a great first impression of Colombia. Everyone was warning me about how hot Colombia is during the summer, but as a native of Mobile, Alabama, heat is nothing new to me. The humidity was a little stronger than...
by Kyndra L. | Dec 12, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, South America, Summer
Now that I’m back home, I have such a great perspective for the rest of my summer and the rest of my college experience. I have learned so much over the past few weeks, both academically and socially. I struggled with a lot of homesickness during my trip, but in...
by Bethany T. | Dec 12, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
