by Madison K | Oct 13, 2016 | Asia, Engineering, Human Environmental Sciences, Semester, UA-Affiliate
The 3rd step to the eightfold path is right speech. One integral part of this is to avoid ‘idle chatter,’ something I’ve come to realize The States seems to specialize in. The other day, I asked my Thai professor, how do I say “I agree”...
by Madison K | Oct 13, 2016 | Asia, Engineering, Human Environmental Sciences, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
14 kilometers up a mountain. 7 hours. 10,000 other freshman students. I was able to take part in a long held tradition that many students look forward to for years: the Freshman trek up Doi Suthep, also deemed, ‘the long walk.’ Over the course of 7 hours,...
by Madison K | Oct 13, 2016 | Asia, Engineering, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
“I think we were the only Westerners there besides guys married to Thai’s,” “Oh, definitely, I didn’t see any other farangs there,” and as I said that, I realized although we were the only foreigners there, not at any point did I...
by Madison K | Oct 13, 2016 | Asia, Engineering, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
“Do you want to fight in the freshman competition this Sunday?” One minute I was searching for a weights gym with a fellow study abroad student, and ended up peering in on fencing practice. The next moment we were asked if we’d like to join the...
by Madison K | Oct 13, 2016 | Asia, Engineering, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Walking among mounds of colorful chile peppers that will set your mouth on fire and bunches of cilantro that fill my nose with a delightful fresh smell, and I am the only ‘farang’ in sight. Locals load their motorbike sidecars with bags full of cabbage and...
by Kurt A | Sep 22, 2016 | Asia, Engineering, Semester, UA-Affiliate
It’s always interesting returning to your own country after being abroad, but it’s especially interesting whenever you return after such a long time. Living in another country changes you subtly, day by day, in really small ways that you can’t see until you hit...
by Cody W | Aug 23, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Although I’ve been back in the states for nearly 4 weeks I still find myself replying in Spanglish and there are some activities that just don’t feel quite right. For example meals out; don’t take enough time and the servers are too fast. This is...
by Jacob T | Aug 17, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
As I touched down on the tarmac in Philadelphia, I was overcome with pride and joy. Don’t misunderstand, I absolutely love traveling and wouldn’t trade my experiences and time abroad for anything, but no place on Earth tops the place I call home. Particularly, I most...
by Devin V | Aug 15, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
I believe there is something bittersweet about going back home. It’s bitter because you aren’t able to enjoy those occasions you had but sweet since you get to be back home and recall it all. One thing is for sure, that you will always enjoy the memories...
by Jacob | Aug 15, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
On the 2nd weekend of the Denmark study abroad program, we took a trip to Frederiksborg Castle, which is located about an hour north of Copenhagen. The architecture was amazing. The fact that I was walking through the very halls that actual kings and queens had also...
by Lauren M | Aug 10, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
I woke up this past Wednesday morning in my own bed in Houston, Texas, vaguely aware of some bizarre dream I had where I had spent an entire 6 weeks in Europe traveling and taking a class. Then, after about 10 seconds it hit me that it wasn’t a dream, that I had...
by Jacob | Aug 10, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Despite the intensive lab course we were taking in Denmark, my friend and I were able to take a weekend trip to Brussels, Belgium, and Amsterdam, Netherlands. We flew to Brussels on Friday morning and immediately started sightseeing since we were only going to be...
by Jacob | Aug 5, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
I have been studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the past month with 26 other UA students. We are participating in the chemical engineering Unit Operations Lab at the Technical University of Denmark. While this has been an extreme amount of work, I’ve...
by Lauren M | Aug 4, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
It’s been thirty days since my class started of which 42 hours of were physically being in a lab, and at least 100 spent in the student databar writing 7 lab reports. Was it stressful? Yes. Worth every minute? Absolutely. My time in Copenhagen has swiftly come...
by Devin V | Aug 3, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
While in Denmark several things became apparent, the people are trustworthy but the weather is not. Most of the people I came into contact with on a daily basis seemed fairly reserved but happy to help me if I had any questions, such as directions or translations. It...
by Cassie C | Aug 3, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
This is probably the hardest post to write..not because I don’t have anything to write about, or because I’m bored, but to begin to describe all of the experiences I have had is unfathomable (along with taking a momentary step back from these incredible experiences to...
by Jacob T | Jul 28, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
Upon first arriving in Denmark, I was greeted with a very American-esque airport and crowds of people bustling about to their destination— a scene quite similar to the U.S. I pride myself on awareness, so I immediately found my exact location, my destination, the path...
by Devin V | Jul 28, 2016 | Engineering, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
So the beginning of my tale starts with a CRJ700 out of the Birmingham regional airport to Charlotte, as can be seen in the picture included (I am obsessed with planes!). I knew before coming that it would be a fun and especially different experience that I would...
by Kurt A | Jul 27, 2016 | Asia, Engineering, Semester, UA-Affiliate
Studying abroad is one of the best learning experiences for a student out there. It can teach a person so many different things. Not just about the world at large, but about themselves as well. One of the biggest skills I have noticed that many students learn, is...
by Kaila | Jul 25, 2016 | Australia/New Zealand, Engineering, Semester, UA-Affiliate
I cannot believe the semester is over! Since I left in the middle of January, I have been abroad for 6 months. The time has flown by. Finals were way more stressful abroad than they were at home because each final was worth either 60 percent or 75 percent of my...