by Shifa J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Commerce & Business, Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Semester, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Our day trip to Waiheke Island, a 45 minute ferry ride out of New Zealand was absolutely my most favorite day of the entire trip.We started the day off with a visit to Waiheke Honey Company, a local bee farm that produces a variety of pure 100% honey, one of them...
by Shifa J. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Commerce & Business, Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Semester, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Just an hour drive out of Sydney, Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected 80-acre bushland space where native animals like kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and of course, koalas roam freely and safely. Many of the animals here are rescued, endangered, or...
by Dan L. | Jul 22, 2025 | Asia, Engineering, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Now that the semester is wrapping up, I’ve had some time to reflect on my time in Korea and how it compares to other places I’ve visited. During these four months, I also traveled to China and Japan, which gave me useful context to think about what Korea does well and...
by Hannah T. | Jul 22, 2025 | Engineering, Europe, Summer, _
When I was preparing to study abroad, the most intimidating thing for me was the idea of culture shock. I feared that culture shock would stop me from enjoying my visit to Copenhagen to the fullest. However, I was so very wrong! Of course, the first few days felt...
by Hannah T. | Jul 22, 2025 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Hi readers! My name is Hannah and I am studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark at Technical University of Denmark (DTU). I’m packing up my safety glasses and lab coat to begin a critical course in the chemical engineering curriculum–Unit Operations lab....
by Alayna B. | Jul 17, 2025 | Engineering, Europe, Honors College, Semester, UA-Affiliate
I started planning to study abroad last summer, and now, sitting at the airport waiting for my flight to Madrid, everything feels surreal. Countless advisor meetings and Duolingo lessons later, it’s finally happening. Last summer, the idea of studying abroad felt so...
by Dan L. | Jul 2, 2025 | Asia, Engineering, Semester, Summer, UA-Affiliate
Now that we are midway through the semester, I’ve settled into a rhythm and have a better understanding of how the academic system works here. It feels very different from what I’m used to at Alabama. Most classes do not include regular homework or smaller...
by Dan L. | Jul 2, 2025 | Asia, Engineering, Semester, UA-Affiliate
I landed in Seoul completely exhausted and ready for a real bed after the long flight from New York. The roughly 12-hour time difference made it tough to adjust at first, and those first few days felt like a blur. But as I started to settle in, I felt grateful that I...
by Danea C. | Jun 23, 2025 | Asia, Engineering, Faculty-Led, _
We are coming up to our last destination of our Vietnam trip, Ho Chi Minh City. It was known as Saigon until it was renamed to honor the first President of the United Vietnam, Ho Chine Minh. Ho Chi Minh, I would say, gave me the most overall knowledge on not only the...
by Danea C. | Jun 23, 2025 | Asia, Engineering, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
We have been in Vietnam for a week now. Just long enough where you truly start to get adjusted to everything happening around you. We started off in Hanoi, and now we are visiting the beautiful rice fields and steep hills of the city of Sapa and its surrounding native...
by Danea C. | Jun 23, 2025 | Asia, Engineering, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
I think when going to a new country, you realize that there will be differences, but you can’t truly know what they are until you get there. In my case, I didn’t realize that motorbikes were prevalent in Vietnam until one almost literally hit me on my...
by Emma P. | Dec 12, 2024 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
by Emma P. | Dec 12, 2024 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Spending the month of June in Europe has been an incredibly surreal experience, and it’s bittersweet knowing my journey will end in just a few short days. This past month has flown by, yet it feels like I’ve been here for a year—funny how time works like that! Over...
by Coriel Cameron | Dec 10, 2024 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
After returning home I had to adjust to my old environment. One of the biggest changes was that I had to drive everywhere instead of taking public transportation or having the option to walk. I recommend giving yourself some time to adjust to your old routine. Also,...
by Coriel Cameron | Dec 10, 2024 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
I recommend taking advantage of all your free time to explore the area in which you are studying. Even if you just take a train around the city, or go to a park, get out and see everything that you can. I had the opportunity to play ultimate frisbee a few times with...
by Coriel Cameron | Dec 10, 2024 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, _
Preparing for my first study abroad experience has been a smooth process. This is also my first venture outside the country, so I talked to other students who had been abroad. I also found it helpful to watch YouTube videos about other college students who were...
by Jedidiah L. | Dec 10, 2024 | Asia, Engineering, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Before studying abroad, I had never taken a language class, even back in middle and high school. It was actually something I regretted, and one of the reasons I wanted to study somewhere that English wasn’t the main language, so I chose Japan. I was fortunate...
by Jedidiah L. | Dec 10, 2024 | Asia, Engineering, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
During orientation, we were told about what we might experience not just while abroad, but also when we get back. They talked about reverse culture shock, and how the initial excitement of returning home can sometimes be followed by sadness. Though I’m sure it...
by Lenoire L. | Dec 9, 2024 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
When I arrived in Denmark for my study abroad program, one of the first things that impressed me was the public transportation system. Taking the metro from the airport to where we are staying was very easy. The trains are driverless and run so smoothly. Everything...
by Logan N. | Nov 27, 2024 | Central America, Engineering, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
My daily experiences in Belize were truly unparalleled, offering opportunities that I may never have again. Upon our arrival at Lime Caye, we immediately put on our snorkel gear and got in the water. The biodiversity just off the beach was astounding, revealing a...
