by William A. | Aug 8, 2025 | _
After over six months of anticipation, I have finally arrived in beautiful Vietnam. This year marks the 50th anniversary of North Vietnam’s triumph over the south and the United States, although places like Hanoi appear as if the war had ended significantly...
by Kaya H. | Jul 23, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Non-traditional, Summer, _
Traveling from the United States to Vietnam was no easy feat. Serving as my first international flight experience, the two-day commute with multiple layovers truly tested my resilience and patience. But all of this stress was relieved the second I landed in Hanoi,...
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 Willow M. | Jul 22, 2025 | Asia, Comm & Info Sciences, Faculty-Led, _
Hi there, it’s Willow, one month post-Korea! I expected that there would be some unexpected culture shocks when returning to America, but these are my top 5 shocks over the past month: Tipping culture: In South Korea, tipping is not normal because service...
by Tyler S. | Jul 22, 2025 | Asia, Commerce & Business, Summer, UA-Affiliate, _
Today, 19 June 2025, marks my 20th day in Tokyo, Japan—and the end of the first part of this incredible adventure. Before I left the United States, people often told me that studying abroad would change me and broaden my worldview. At the time, I thought that was an...
by Alex F. | Jul 22, 2025 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
Seoul, South Korea, you have been an unforgettable chapter in my life. As I say goodbye, my heart is filled with gratitude for the kindness and warmth of the people I met here. From the friendly strangers who offered directions with a smile, to the friends who shared...
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 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 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 Alex F. | Dec 10, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, Exchange, Semester, UA-Affiliate
Now that I have been in Seoul for a month, I can say how truly prepared I was for my time abroad. I would say I was prepared in the sense of paperwork and cultural expectations of Korea. I was not prepared for the language barrier and the weather. Even though I...
by Alex F. | Dec 10, 2024 | Arts & Sciences, Asia, Semester, UA-Affiliate, _
While you’re abroad, try to explore cities beyond your university’s location. You can gain a deeper understanding of a country by experiencing its different regions, rather than just staying in one place. My university is in Seoul, South Korea, but I made a...
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 Conner W. | Dec 9, 2024 | Asia, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
My name is Conner Wood. I studied microeconomics in Thailand this summer. But in order to get to Thailand, I first had to travel all the way there. Sounds easy in concept, but the travel was far from easy. As a first time international flier/traveler and someone who...
by Conner W. | Dec 9, 2024 | Asia, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Walking out of Suvarnabhumi Airport was surreal. The smells, the heat, and the chaos of traffic were slightly overwhelming at first. Funnily enough though, all these things felt very normal by the time we left Bangkok. The van ride from the airport to our hotel...
by Conner W. | Dec 9, 2024 | Asia, Commerce & Business, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
For the second half of our trip we went to Chiang Mai in the northern part of Thailand. We took a sleeper train from Bangkok in order to get there. I had never been on a sleeper train, so it was a cool experience. We slept on a bunk bed in our own little room. It was...
by Madison F. | Dec 6, 2024 | All Year, Arts & Sciences, Asia, Exchange, Law
When I decided to study abroad, I knew I wanted to go all in. I didn’t want my experience to feel like a vacation but a complete immersion into a different culture. So, without a second thought, I committed to a full year in an exchange program in Seoul. I chose...
