by Kirsten W | Jul 24, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
3 days from now, once I step on the plane, my life is going to change forever. I’ve only been out of the United States twice; both times were to visit our missionary friends with my parents and it didn’t feel much like I was leaving the country. I’ve...
by Charlotte M | Jul 24, 2017 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Not but three days ago, I left Ghanaian soil with more fulfillment of medical and cultural knowledge than I ever wished for. Most especially, I believe my conversation with the Ghanaian man that sat next to me on the plane ride home was a special summation of all I...
by Anna E | Jul 7, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
This summer I chose to study abroad because I truly believe it is the best and most unique way to not only learn information inside a classroom but gain cultural experience as well. Last summer I studied abroad in France for almost 6 weeks in a language intensive...
by Charlotte M | Jul 7, 2017 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Community Health Sciences, Faculty-Led, Social Work, Summer
Pre-departure: Why did you choose to study abroad? What factors (year in school, location, etc.) played into your decision? What key things did you have to consider before deciding to go abroad? A brilliant man, my father longed for the expansion of his...
by Charlotte M | Jul 7, 2017 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Community Health Sciences, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
While Abroad We have taken several excursions while in Ghana. Each time, I am taken aback by how lively our discoveries and experiences are while adventuring. I go into each weekend excursion without expectation, merely because I have no relative idea of how the...
by Sabrina S | Jul 7, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Hi there! My name is Sabrina and I am a sophomore at the University of Alabama. I am working towards a double major in Political Science and Philosophy with a jurisprudence specialization. My minor is with a liberal arts program called the Blount Scholars...
by Meredith M | Jul 7, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
While it was no gut-wrenching decision to study abroad (it actually makes me giddy every time I think about it), the oncoming arrival of my program at the University of Oxford is still nerve-wracking and exciting because it represents the culmination of a year’s worth...
by Ashby Brown | Jun 30, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Getting off the plane from Atlanta to Madrid was one of the most exciting and nerve racking things I have ever done. What will the school be like? Will I meet friends? Will I even be able to communicate with these people for a month? Questions like these and many...
by Victoria G | Jun 30, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Wow, Can I say culture shock?! I am stunned at how beautiful this country is. I don’t have words to describe how beautiful this country is. I am traveling a lot and have so many trips planned I don’t know how I will get everything I want to do in to the...
by Jacqueline C | Jun 28, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, UA-Affiliate
While the beaches in Barcelona are lovely, they can be quite crowded and chaotic if you’re looking for a relaxing day at the beach. Luckily, there are plenty of quiet beach towns just a short train ride away that make for a perfect day trip. On Friday, June 8, I...
by Asia C | Jun 28, 2017 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
My time here in Ghana has been such an amazing experience. The country is very peaceful and I would love to come back one day. As soon as I stepped off the plane in Ghana everything was different. The weather is very humid. My first impression of Ghana was not what I...
by Keturah N | Jun 28, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
It is my final night in Tours and it has been an emotional ride to say the least. I started the day by going to my last French classes at the Institut de Touraine. All of my work has been turned in and we recieved our final grades for the courses we took. I was...
by Chance T | Jun 28, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Far before I stepped foot on UA’s beautiful campus, let alone knew I would be attending UA, I knew that I wanted to study abroad at least once while in college. I had heard from high school teachers and other mentors that a study abroad trip was a transformative...
by Carrigan Fain | Jun 28, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Summer, UA Non-Affiliate
Hello and welcome to my pre departure self. Currently, I am preparing to study abroad in Cuba for a month! Wahoo!! A place that the United States has been closed off to for over 50 years and only recently reopened its doors to Americans. A place with little to no wifi...
by Abigail S | Jun 27, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
What you’re seeing in the photograph to the left is a stoplight parrotfish against the background of the Belize Barrier Reef. Amazingly enough, this beautiful fish is incredibly common on the reef. While studying abroad, I saw half a dozen different species of...
by Caitlin Bresnahan | Jun 27, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Education, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I’m a list-maker. To-do lists, grocery lists, lists of what books I want to read, lists of what books I have yet to buy, and of course, packing lists have all come out of my dingy little notebook at one point (multiple points) or another. Preparing for my abroad...
by Alexandra S | Jun 16, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Returning from Nicaragua was much more difficult than I had anticipated. I had just began to get used to the heat, the food and using Spanish more than English. Above all, I felt like I had not spent enough time in the clinic. It almost seemed unfair to go down to...
by Ethan S | Jun 16, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
6/14/17: This trip to Spain has truly been one for the books. As the trip comes to a close, I reflect on how this trip has changed me. For starters, my Spanish speaking skills have improved tremendously. Our facilitators implicated a “Spanish only policy” on us at the...
by Alyssa B | Jun 16, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer
Nothing compares to field experience. You can spend months in a classroom studying something but until you see it out in the real world your perception of it is never quite true. You need to see it in relationship to the other things in its environment and then you...
by Caroline B | Jun 16, 2017 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Now that the first of the two sessions I am spending in Spain is coming to an end, I can think of a number of things I wish I could tell the pre-departure version of myself. Before departing, I had a wide range of feelings surrounding this experience. I am a huge...
