UD Abroad Blog

Submitted by Zachary Shulman on the 2019 fall semester DIS program in Copenhagen, Denmark…

This week, I had the opportunity to travel on a school-sponsored trip to Hamburg, Germany, where my class and I learned about European trade, international law, Hamburg’s history, and Germany’s relationship with its own past. Not only was the trip powerfully educational, it also served as a way for the people within my “core course” (essentially our semester-specific majors) to grow closer together. DIS sponsors two “travel study” weeks per semester; a shorter study tour to a different region of Denmark, northern Germany, or southern Sweden depending on the core course, and a longer study tour to a different country almost anywhere throughout Europe. In two weeks, I will be traveling with this same class to Brussels, Belgium, the capital of the European Union, to gain personal experience with the European political institutions.

The benefits of these study tours outside the classroom cannot be understated. Real-life experience with individuals, institutions, and ideas of the field you are hoping to enter is crucial to finding your spot within it. In a field as broad as politics and government, my ability to learn about the United States’ closest partners, the member-states of the European Union, and the processes by which they enact continental policy provides me with a fresh perspective of the U.S. and how each country can learn from the other. As a city of industry and trade, Hamburg offers a unique and detailed image of European commerce. As a political science major focusing on international relations, I was able to draw a lot of inspiration from this experience in regard to future career path options.

To any students planning on studying abroad, I cannot stress the importance of taking full advantage of your location. Whether you are studying in Europe, like I have for both of my studies abroad, or somewhere else in the world, allow your experience to change the way you view the world and your country’s position within it. No matter where you are receiving your education, there is always something new to be learned to help you refine your own ideas and grow your potential for success in your professional life.

Submitted by Lia Naselli on the 2019 fall semester program in Prague, Czech Republic…

This past weekend, my friends and I traveled to Budapest, Hungary. This was my first weekend traveling outside of Prague. Admittedly, I was a little nervous before this trip. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I just prayed that everything would go according to plan.

Our bus departed at 5:30 on Friday morning and arrived in Budapest around 1 p.m. Along our route, I couldn’t help, but peer through the window and reflect on how lucky I was to be able to travel throughout Europe and see places I’d never dreamed of seeing. This sense of gratitude persisted throughout the weekend.

When we arrived, we struggled to figure out how to get to our hostel. We had just been dropped off in the outskirts of Budapest with no sense of where we were or how to navigate public transportation. We almost took the easy route and called an Uber, but we decided to try and figure out how to take the tram. We eventually found a place to buy tickets and off we went. We settled into our hostel and spent the rest of the day exploring the city. We saw St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Budapest Eye, and the breathtaking Parliament building. For dinner, we had some traditional Hungarian food. It was so delicious and extremely cheap!

The next day was jam-packed with sightseeing and activities. In short, we went to the thermal baths, Matthias Church, Fisherman’s Bastion, and Buda Castle. Although these are the most “touristy” things to do in Budapest, they are absolutely worth seeing. To finish out the day, we took a sunset boat cruise on the Danube River. It was truly the perfect day!

This trip was definitely one to remember. My friends and I fell in love with Budapest, and by the end of the weekend, we didn’t want to leave! However, coming back to Prague actually felt like coming back home. Traveling outside of Prague made me realize how comfortable and familiar things are starting to feel here. Can’t wait for the next adventure!

 

 

Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…

After two weeks of studying here, the pangs of homesickness have started to come and go. As class is getting harder, I am beginning to miss the simplicity of my life back in the United States. However, this only makes me want to continue improving on my Spanish and make the most of my time here. Last night, a group of us went to the Granada CF vs FC Barcelona game. It was such an amazing experience watching Messi play and getting to witness Granada beat Barcelona in a 2-0 game. I enjoyed being a part of something that many people here are so passionate about.

 

 

 

Submitted by Danielle Tahan on the 2019 fall semester program in London, England…

After two full weeks in London, I am still amazed by the richness in culture and diversity that the city has to offer. Everytime that we hop on the Tube and arrive in a different area of London, it feels like we are somewhere completely new.

When walking off the Tube, you will probably enter a different ambience and energy than your previous location, which creates such a thrilling journey. Although London is full of deeply historical buildings and structures, there are also unique modern buildings throughout the city. Living in a central location of London, I am able to easily travel to a variety of sites; in the past week, I visited the deeply historical town of Bath as well as the eclectic, modern Camden Town.

I have never been in a city that compares; London is one of the most global cities in the world, and this is what I admire London most for. I am learning what it is to be a Londoner – it is likely that you are not from London. Every other person that I meet is from a different country, and they bring their culture with them to further diversify the city. You can eat at a restaurant with a cuisine from any other country in the world while in London, which shows how diverse its community is. To put it in perspective, the student body of the primary school where I intern is made up of 31 different nationalities. Just within my classroom, three children do not speak English. Not only do I face the challenge of understanding the students through their limited English, but I am also gaining a greater cross-cultural experience by working with students of diverse backgrounds. In this beautifully diverse environment, I am learning how to effectively communicate with all individuals. I greatly admire how incredibly diverse London is and its power to embrace people from all cultures. I aim to further explore how its rich cultural and diverse roots impact the individuals of the city.

 

 

Submitted by Victoria Vinson on the 2019 fall semester program in Prague, Czech Republic…

This week in Prague was calmer after my travels from last weekend. As all of my roommates were traveling this weekend, I took the time to explore and discover new things about the city. The star of this week’s adventures was a place called Vyšehrad, a 934 year old fortress that sits atop a large hill and overlooks the city. There are many features to this site, from a graveyard and Basilica to an open-air theater and a large park. This visit was extraordinary, especially due to the beautiful weather here this weekend. I spent hours exploring the different facets of this site and laying in the grass with a good book. Vyšehrad also features a gallery open year round and several small bistros and cafes to rest your feet and have a coffee. I highly recommend this place to anyone studying abroad in Prague; it is rich in ancient Czech history and has the most stunning view of the city I have seen so far. One place down, a city more to go!

Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…

We took trips to the Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel this past week! I loved learning about the history of the city and how important these buildings are to the city. My favorite part was seeing the crypt where the graves of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella are. The details on the buildings were incredible! I’m excited to learn more about the history of the city as I live here longer.

Submitted by Zachary Shulman on the 2019 fall semester DIS program in Copenhagen, Denmark…

It’s that time of the semester once again; tests, papers, and projects are all coming together in a perfect storm. I have two papers, a distant presentation, and precursors to my midterms to budget for, and it is usually at this point in the semester when school is at the forefront of my schedule. During my time in college, however, I have abided by the invaluable advice of almost every professor I have had; form a study group.

As the stress of the semester builds, it can be easy to succumb to homesickness, feelings of social isolation and loneliness, and a desire to just take a break from the hecticness. Fortunately, you are not alone. The best way I have found to alleviate these feelings is to find a couple of peers in your classes with whom you think you can work well. Meet up every week or so and go over the material. Don’t worry about imposing or not being close enough with them; there will be plenty of time to get closer while you cram for tests and projects together.

It can sometimes feel, at least in my experience, that the first two or three weeks of the semester is exclusively the time for making new friends in your classes. The longer you wait, the more awkward it can seem to make an introduction, right? Wrong. There is never a bad time to reach out to your fellow students and invite them to sit down with you and study together. There are few methods of learning information more effective than discussing them out loud with other people. Not only are you able to hear the perspectives and interpretations of other minds, but you have the chance to teach something you understood that another student may be struggling to understand.

If you are like me, it can be very hard to find the balance between your social and academic lives. You may want to skip some homework to go hang out with friends. Conversely, you may want to blow off a weekend trip to make some more progress on your big project or paper. Unfortunately, there is no standard rulebook for finding this balance. Some days you may be able to afford taking the time away from the books and blow off some steam. Other times you will have to reject the allure of a study break with friends to complete an assignment that will eat up a healthy chunk of time. That is why I am such an ardent proponent of study groups. Merge your social and academic lives, and you will find the balance working itself out.

Submitted by Haleigh Kidd on the 2019 fall semester program in Paris, France…

This week, I started my internship! My internship is with an urban farm near the edge of Paris that uses sustainable growing techniques and they also serve much of their produce fresh in dishes at the attached canteen and bar. I really feel so lucky to work with a company that uses green methods and also reaches out to the surrounding community. French work life is definitely a little bit different however. For one, lunchtime is set in stone and takes at least an hour. This may be the exception with my company, but those who work in the gardens drink coffee (literally coffee after coffee after coffee) and smoke cigarettes throughout the day, and everyone for the most part is really relaxed with one another and they joke around quite a bit at work. I already feel included and like I can do a lot to help out – they’re not shy about having me do some heavy lifting or dirty work in the gardens. I was even allowed (invited actually!) into a work meeting where the events of the past and coming week were discussed. What’s more, it’s a great opportunity to practice my French – my supervisors don’t let me get away without it! Often times, I’m given directions first in French and any clarifications are in English. And there are other interns as well, some American and some French and many of the French interns stopped learning English after elementary school so it’s an even better opportunity for me when the main form of communication has to be French. Other than starting (and loving) my internship, I’ve met some French students who have been so kind in showing me the more everyday parts of Paris like lesser known parks, the canals, the best Chinese restaurants, etc. rather than just the tourist attractions. They even invited me to a housewarming party for a friend and I got the chance to talk to a lot of French students about the differences between American and French school, work, life and everything in between. It was a great experience and we all agreed that speaking a foreign language is the hardest aspect of learning so we worked out a system where they would speak to me in French and could understand my replies in English and vice versa. I have never had conversations like that where using two languages at once actually made it clearer and easier to understand one another. I was stupidly proud of how much I understood and much of my anxieties melted away as the French students reassured me that I knew much more than I thought I did and even though pronunciation in French is difficult for me, they thought my accent was very charming. And so of course I didn’t document this party with any pictures, I will share some from my internship!

 

 

Submitted by Daniel Bailey on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…

I’ve been in Granada now for about three weeks and it has already exceeded my expectations. Before I came, I was worried about being in a new country and not being able to speak Spanish well enough. I quickly learned that I was not the only one who was nervous, and that I had a great support system with everyone in my program. My host mom is so caring and understanding, which made the transition slightly easier. Taking the intensive Spanish course has greatly helped my Spanish skills, and there are plenty of opportunities to practice outside of class. I’ve attended two “intercambios” where English speakers can practice their Spanish with native Spaniards, and I’ve met some pretty cool people. I’ve gotten the chance to explore a lot of the city so far, but there is still so much to see. I love hanging out with everyone in my group, I can’t imagine being here with anyone else. The city is already starting to feel like home. At this point I still have three months left so I can’t wait to see how this semester continues to surprise me!