–Andrea Tancredi, China 2019
The second we landed in Shanghai, it was an adventure. Things aren’t meant to go exactly to plan, so go into things with a flexible mind set, you ARE on the other side of the world after all so being grateful and open will made a huge difference on your trip. After returning to the states, my China study abroad stories have been my go-to conversation at my internship, with family, friends, and just about everyone in between. I could not have paid enough money for the experiences I had that I can use to my advantage on my resume, my interviews, and overall travel/life skills. In the words of my high school teacher I could not recommend enough to “just do it.”
-Sarah Robinson, Semester at Sea 2019
I had the amazing opportunity to travel the world in just four short months. I was on a ship and sailed country to country. I went to eleven countries and four continents. This experience not only gave me a global perspective, but it also taught me a lot about different cultures. This photo was taken in Agra, India. This is one of the many Wonders of the World that I visited. Seeing the Taj Mahal in person, rather than in a picture, was a moment where I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were countless times on this voyage where I didn’t know if my eyes were fooling me or not. I now know why certain things are called Wonders of the World. I wouldn’t have been able to see as many Wonders of the World if it weren’t for this voyage.
– Gerald Murphy, Dankook University Summer, South Korea, 2019
Studying abroad has been a blessing in my life and I was able to learn so many things by putting myself in uncomfortable positions. The language barrier was a problem but it was hard work and effort to help learn a bit of the language to get around. What affected my decision to study abroad was because I've studied abroad before and I needed to see more of the world since it been years since I last went abroad. I learned how to think quick on my feet as well as making quick effective decisions. I would say to trust your instincts and believe in yourself.
-Rebecca James, Cursos Internacionales, Spain 2019
Studying abroad was a life changing experience for me. I was able to see the world from a new perspective as I lived in a new country, Spain, and traveled to others in Europe. Living in a country that emphasizes different values and has different behavioral norms allowed me to view my own culture in a new way. For me, it opened my eyes to new possibilities and ways of doing things. If anyone is even considering studying abroad, I would tell them to do it 100%. Whatever your reason for not going is whether it be financial or a worry about the classes available, you can work something out. It is truly the opportunity of a lifetime.
-Veronica Mills, Costa Rica, Summer 2019
The tours and my Spanish culture class that I took in Costa Rica taught me many things about the history of the country. Along with improving my speaking skills and learning all about the culture, I got to see pharmacies and how they work in Costa Rica. I will start Pharmacy School in the fall and learning a different perspective of drugs was very fascinating. I will be forever grateful for my time in Costa Rica to improve my Spanish speaking skills and learn about the beautiful Latino culture.
– April Williams, Costa Rica and Spain, Summer 2017
Studying abroad has completely transformed my life. I had the opportunity to live in two very different cultures with very different people and I learned so much about myself as well as about the cultures I lived in. It made me realize how similar we all are. I gained a great deal of confidence from studying abroad because I had to figure out how to navigate different customs, traditions, values and a way of living. That, for me, was worth it.
- Madison Crothers, Dankook University Summer, South Korea, 2019
Honestly, studying abroad in South Korea was the experience itself. I have so many stories from staying out all night with friends, traveling across South Korea, all the way to staying in a hostel with someone I just met in a Foreign country. I have made multiple friends from different countries and states and I have to say it was one of the highlights of my life. Not only was it affordable, but it was so worth my time and effort. I wouldn’t miss the chance to do this again and I plan on going again at least one more time! While there I learned how to truly be on my own and learned how to do things by myself. Yes, I could do this in the U.S., but what better way to just throw yourself in a foreign country were almost no one speaks English!
My advice - do it. You may have your doubts but do it anyway. It’s an experience you’ll never forget.
–
-Erick Stetz, Dankook University Summer, South Korea, 2019
Studying abroad was an experience that I would love to do again. I like the saying you only live once (YOLO), and to me it felt like a wonderland of new experiences. Now this wasn’t to say it wasn’t difficult to experience these things with norms I was not used to; for me there was no culture shock, but to many others the shock was evident and caused them to close themselves off to new experiences…Just do it and make sure you research a bit on norms and the native language spoken in the country. It will help others open up to you.
-Ike Gogolin, Saxion University, Netherlands, 2018
Studying abroad was by far the most memorable experience that I have ever had in my life. I overcame a lot of shyness that I once had and staying abroad for 8 months was much easier than I anticipated. I personally chose to study abroad due to thinking about the opportunity for years and to improve my Dutch skills. I learned that I am a very adaptable person and it opened my eyes in the sense that I am very open to living in many different places now. Go all in, don’t listen to your second thoughts.