by Gabriel S. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, _
Well, there it is. That suitcase will hold everything I need for the next 20 days. To be honest, I still don’t think it’s sunk in yet, and I don’t know if it will until I actually step off the plane. There is a part of me that wants that though, because I don’t want...
by Margarita A. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Now that I am back and settled in my home again, I can finally take a moment to go through all my thoughts and experiences about my trip to Spain. At the most basic level, I am (mostly) proud to say that I experienced every possible negative thing that could’ve...
by Margarita A. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Hm. I never thought I’d be sitting next to my mom buying a plane ticket with a minimum travel time of 14 hours. First time for everything I suppose. Speaking of firsts—this will be my first time overseas in Madrid, Spain, Europe; pretty much anywhere that is not the...
by Margarita A. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
There is so much that I didn’t realize about the culture and everyday life of Spain (especially Madrid) that I would have loved knowing ahead of time, so I compiled a list of things that I would’ve wanted to know before I came! I’m two weeks into my tirp so far...
by Jack R. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Summer
Leading up to my study abroad opportunity in Oxford, I spent a month working as an EMT and shadowing at the ER in my hometown. I enjoyed the experience immensely, and I learned a great deal from it. However, during that time, my life moved extremely fast. I worked...
by Andreea T. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
As I landed in Charles de Gaulle, the strongest emotion I felt was tiredness. I had not slept at all on the plane; moreover, I was hauling around a broken suitcase and carry-on luggage. I was overwhelmed on the bus ride home but as my new host “mom” welcomed me to...
by Andreea T. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Celebrating the Fourth of July after coming home! As I adjust to life in the United States and reminisce about my time in France, I find comfort in a familiar environment, yet I miss many aspects of my life abroad. When I first landed at the Atlanta Airport, I was...
by Katie S. | Jul 10, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer
Motivation/Reasoning: I applied for this program, after Professor Chris Hale came by one of my classes to talk about the upcoming trip. Not only was it a good opportunity to learn about political science in another country , but it also would give me a better...
by Olivia B. | Jul 8, 2025 | Africa, Arts & Sciences, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
When I arrived in Cotonou on June 1, I was immediately overwhelmed by the airport. Although the airport was small, it was incredibly busy and only had one customs line and baggage claim area. After dropping our bags at our house, we went to dinner, and I was surprised...
by Erin S. | Jun 27, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I’d consider myself a pretty adventurous eater. While I often cook the same meals at home and tend to order my favorites when I go out, I’m always up for trying something new, especially when traveling. So naturally, I was excited to experience the variety of food...
by Gabriel S. | Jun 27, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Europe, Summer, _
This picture was taken on top of Diamond Hill in Co. Galway, Ireland. It was the last of the major hikes we did while in the Emerald Isle and absolutely breathtaking. It was cloudy and misty the entire hike up, making the surrounding landscape look like it had been...
by Anna H. | Jun 27, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, Summer, _
The first month is the most fun I ever had in my life. The second is when I began to hate the country I’m in. The third is when I realized I left my support system behind. And the fourth is when everything I was preached during pre-departure got put to the test....
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,...
