Category: Semester Programs

Submitted by Quinn Wichert on the 2024 Spring semester program in Madrid, Spain…

I took this photo walking up the metro stairs into the heart of Gran Via. It was my first day arriving in Madrid, and subsequently my first time venturing further into the heart of the city. My residence is in a very residential area on the outskirts of Madrid. Therefore, walking up those steps to see the beautiful Spanish architecture was something I’ll never forget. I’d felt like I’d officially made it. I was taken aback by the beauty and overcome with joy that this was my reality for the next 5 months. 

There’s still so much more to explore and every neighborhood in Madrid is different so I’m looking forward to visiting as many as possible. I also can’t wait to venture outside the city to other parts of Spain and Europe in general. (Submitted January 14, 2024)

Submitted by Alexandra Evangelist on the 2024 Spring semester program in Rome, Italy…

I arrived in Rome on January 8th. On January 12, 2024, a few days after my arrival, I visited the Colosseum. Knowing that the Colosseum is the largest amphitheater in the world, I’ve always wanted to visit. Being able to go inside just to admire the architecture and see where the gladiators fought is surreal. The Colosseum was able to seat around 50,000 spectators for a variety of events which is hard to believe. The Colosseum is a major historic landmark and is one of the seven wonders of the world. I went to see this site with my new friends I met during orientation this week. I have had a great time immersing myself with Italian culture. Trying new food, meeting new people, and being a part of new experiences are just the highlights of the beginning of my experience. My specific experience abroad is unique because of the fact that Rome is enriched with history that goes back before christ. The architecture, art, and stories behind this city are never ending. The Colosseum, along with a lot of other landmarks, was built brick by brick years ago. This makes it crazy to believe it is possible to create without technology like today and also that it is still intact.  (Submitted January 14, 2024)

Submitted by Irene Piro on the 2024 Spring semester program in Rome, Italy…

The first week in Rome has been a week of new beginnings and unique adjustments. This past Monday started a new cultural adventure for me and so many others. So far, my roommates and I have been able to see several historical sites in just a few days, eat delicious food, and learn bits and pieces of what it’s like to live in Rome. 

On Tuesday, my roommates and I woke up early to go see the Colosseum. It’s surreal that such an astonishing piece of history is a 45-minute walk from our apartment–we could go see it every day if we wanted to. Afterward, on the way to an Italian leather shop, we stumbled across the Trevi Fountain, enthralled by both the beauty of it and even the fact that we were standing in front of it. 

I have been doing much more walking here than at home, and as my eyes followed the moving cars, scooters, and Vespas, I wondered how I’d ever get used to crossing the streets here. As a pedestrian, I was told that we had to make our presence known in the crosswalks otherwise, drivers would most likely not stop. 

People always seem to be on the move here, whether it’s walking, driving, munching on a croissant, or enjoying a slice of pizza on the way to work. If that’s city life as a whole, Rome, or maybe a bit of both I’m excited to be a part of it for the next four months. (Submitted January 14, 2024)

Submitted by Maxwell Poruban on the 2024 Spring semester program in Granada, Spain…

University course work, traveling internationally, and learning the little details of a culture that is apart from your own are all, on their own, daunting challenges. Thus the ultimate crash course for each of these is the first week of a semester abroad. For the next five months I will be living and studying in the city of Granada, in southern Spain. The last muslim city reconquered by the catholic royals Ferdinand and Isabella, situated thirty minutes from the Sierra Nevada, an hour from the Mediterranean, and surrounded by agriculture; Granada is truly a rich and vibrant site of Spanish cultural seity. This first week I have not only left the United States, but also begun my classes with the Granada Institute of International Studies at University of Granada’s Center for Modern languages, taken my first exam, and toured the Alhambra. Underlying this whirlwind of a week was the necessity of cultural and (attempted) idiomatic adaptation. 

Spanish culture is vastly different from the United States in ways that I am beginning to learn. One of the best examples is the hours at which meals are eaten. In Granada, breakfast, usually quite small, is eaten shortly after waking and is not a staple of the Spanish diet. Lunch, the main meal of the day, is late, long, and large. Usually taken around three to four in the afternoon, it consists of a large meal which may be followed by lively table conversation and occasionally a nap. Finally, dinner, also smaller like breakfast, is late, usually between seven and nine in the evening. However these comparatively small changes are nothing next to the change in language. This first week, my greatest challenge has been forcing myself to read, write, speak, and dream in Spanish. 

In the US I have never experienced looking, sounding, and acting like a foreigner; and while in Granada it has been challenging, it has also been a great learning experience. I feel uncomfortable not knowing the right way to ask questions or order a coffee or even say hello, not nearly as uncomfortable as I did on my first day. Of course this discomfort is one of the main reasons I wanted to study abroad in the first place. While studying abroad and continuing my studies in a beautiful country was a draw, I truly want to improve both my linguistic ability. That said, I am looking forward to learning how to blend in here in Granada, as well as taking classes and meeting new people. (January 13, 2024)

Submitted by Emily Workman on the 2024 Spring semester program in Rome, Italy…

My first week in Rome has been very busy! Just this week we saw the Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps. My friends and I have walked so much in these last few days and it has been awesome to have all these historical sites within walking distance from our apartment. It has been amazing weather to explore this week because it’s been between 50-60 degrees which to me is so warm compared to home. Also, I have enjoyed a lot of food this week. I tried cacio e pepe, lots of pizza slices, gelato, and croissants & coffee for breakfast. It is hard to not like the food here, but it’s definitely been an adjustment eating so many carbs. Overall, I am looking forward to the rest of the semester and continuing to explore and learn more about Italian culture and history! (January 13, 2024)

Submitted by Jules Scott on the 2024 Spring semester program in Paris, France…

Stepping off of the plane at Charles de Gaulle airport is the most American I have ever felt in my life. I chose to study abroad in the most visited tourist city in the world not for its popularity, but its opportunities as a Fine Arts student. Instantly from how people dressed coming back from the same international flights I was on set the tone for how different this would be. Everyone is trim, chic, and distinctly Parisian – exactly what everyone at home had been trying to stress to me. And for all of this anticipated culture shock, does that mean I was wise enough to learn the language?

No. Not even one round on DuoLingo.

This week has been trial by fire in realizing if I want to succeed in setting a good example for Americans in Paris, this is going to be a complete change in how I interact with others. I have been lucky enough to befriend a group of proficient French speaking Americans, and I’ve learned if you don’t want to stick out like a red-white-and-blue thumb, you must do as the locals do. One of the best places to learn this is on the métro. 

The métro is an extremely efficient way of getting around the city – there are stops never a 10 minute walk away from any given location in the inner arrondissements of Paris. Unlike in American cities on the east coast that I am used to, the métro is timely, safe, and used by the locals. When in public spaces, keep your voice down. I have opted for the mute approach, however it is good measure if you are proficient in French to show that off in case pickpockets are nearby and are looking for bumbling, clueless tourists. You should also be sure to keep track of which stop you are at as there typically isn’t a voiceover that tells you where you are when you stop somewhere. Finally, be thankful for a city with accessible modes of public transportation – and that you don’t have to parallel park on the teeny-tiny streets of Paris. (Submitted January 13, 2024)

Submitted by Sydney Ballenger on the 2024 semester program in Rome, Italy…

My first week in Rome has been beautiful, exhausting, fun, and challenging. This week was packed with orientation activities before the semester begins next week and was full of other stressors and challenges that come with moving to a new school in a new country. My roommates and I navigated through the grocery stores, reading the Italian labels until we figured out what to buy to cook. Google maps helped me to figure out the bus station and how I could explore the city. My step count doubled, as I walked absolutely everywhere and spent as much time as I could exploring my new home. So far, the highlight of the week has been finding cafés to try cappuccinos and a cornetto (a croissant) and finding gelatario’s on every street corner. Being in Italy this past week has also made me very excited to start classes next week and begin to learn Italian. I hope that by the end of the semester I will be able to order my cappuccino in Italian and confidently take public transportation without the help of my maps app. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to get so far out of my comfort zone and get comfortable being uncomfortable in unfamiliar places and situations. (Submitted January 11, 2024)