Travel is a fantastic and eye opening experience that should be cherished and appreciated. It’s a chance to step out of your comfort zone and experience a different way of life, and learn more about the vast world around you. Study abroad is becoming increasingly more popular, especially in the post-COVID-19 era, amongst college students who want to break free of their usual routines and explore a new culture. If you’re considering going abroad or just want to read some tales from study abroad, the well-travelled staff of Distraction has got you covered.
Caleigh Russo: URome, Spring 2024
“I went in knowing very little; I knew a couple of UM girls in the program but not well. I didn’t want to go abroad with any of my friends because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people.
I am glad I did go abroad because I love it. I live in Trastevere, which is a neighborhood in Rome in an apartment with several roommates who are also AUR students. It was difficult adjustment moving to a new country and living with several random people, but I really love my roommates.
Since being abroad, I have only stayed in Rome for a couple weekends as I’m always hopping around. We have spent our weekends visiting Florence, Vienna, Prague, London, Paris, Dublin, Budapest, Amsterdam, Brussels, Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri.
Find someone who did the program you want to do. I was lucky to have a friend who had done the same program the previous spring, and her advice was invaluable to me.
Throughout the fall semester and winter break, it was so comforting to be able to text someone who had experienced it with all my random questions. She had a Google Doc detailing all her recommendations — from restaurants to coffee shops to nightlife. She was so helpful. She even helped me pick out my schedule, telling me which classes and professors were the best.
Be adaptable — The point of study abroad is to expand your worldview by immersing yourself in other cultures, so it goes without saying that you must be adaptable. Be respectful of other cultures and open to trying new things.
On a smaller scale, when traveling with larger groups, you have to be able to go with the flow. This means when traveling to a new city and acknowledge that not everyone has the same interests as you. Every city has something for everyone, and it’s important to make an itinerary that everyone is happy about.”
Lizzie Kristal: UPrague, Spring 2024
“Want to live in a fairytale? Or see charming architecture laced with snow and riverside courtyards blossoming in the spring? Or drink some of the best, cheapest beer in the world? UPrague is shouting your name. I completed a spring semester in Prague and have nothing bad to say. Not only is Prague in a pristine location to travel to across Europe, but the city itself drips in beauty. The public transportation is efficient, and the prices for just about everything are college student friendly.
The only thing I struggled with was learning the Czech language. UPrague program requires a two-week Czech intensive course at the beginning of the semester, so they prepare you well. But I can’t lie — the only things I remember are ‘dobrý den’ [hello or good afternoon] and ‘děkuju’ [thank you].
Beyond Prague, the program has a few educational trips built in. Our group visited Poland, Austria, Germany and Greece. I also structured my classes for only Monday through Wednesday, so four-day weekends were pristine for traveling. By the end of the semester, I added 13 new countries to my map. However, Prague was still my favorite destination. On a final note, don’t get hit by a tram, hunt for mushrooms and check out the beer spas.”
Tamia McLean: Yonsei University Exchange, Spring 2023
“Before coming to UM, I knew I wanted to study abroad and needed to search for a school that can offer multiple programs to choose from — which, thankfully this university has an overwhelming amount. As someone who’s used to traveling and visiting countries that are like my own cultural background, I knew I wanted to stay in a country that is completely opposite of what I’m used to and avoid the typical destinations such as Paris and Italy — hence why I chose South Korea.
I’ve always been exposed to Korean culture through media, whether through K-pop and K-dramas. Yet, despite being familiar with the basics of the language and the advertised side of the culture, I still wanted to explore another side of the world and become more open-minded and self-sufficient. My stay was at Yonsei University, one of the ‘S.K.Y’ schools that are the equivalent to Ivy Leagues, in the heart of Seoul — South Korea’s bustling metropolitan capital and province. When I tell you that there is so much to do, best believe that five months barely covers a fraction of what Korea can offer.
Though Korea is an ethnically homogenous country, I’ve met so many people from different countries like France, Senegal and Japan. I participated in “café shopping” which is basically visiting different cafés, with many of them having a variety of themes like Studio Ghibli and Harry Potter. I also partied way too hard in Hongdae’s clubbing district and lastly, but most importantly ate a lot of delicious Korean cuisine.
My advice for any student interested in visiting South Korea, or just any country in general is to do your research. Especially if you haven’t traveled before, just research the basic things such as currency exchanges, common phrases in the language so you can get by, climate, social events, cultural traditions, and norms and cues, especially within a collectivist culture like South Korea.
In addition, you must stay mindful of your surroundings and use common sense. South Korea is relatively a safe country in terms of crime rate — the safest one I’ve ever been to from my own experience, but that doesn’t negate the fact that anything can happen, and it doesn’t hurt to be hyperaware of the environment you’re in.”
Ethan Dosa: Macroeconomics Course in Italy and Spain, Summer 2023
“I studied abroad in Italy and Spain for a macroeconomies course over the summer. It was shorter than the normal study abroad for the whole semester, but it was an amazing experience regardless. I highly recommend it to any students on the fence about doing the semester one to try it for those few weeks in the summer instead.
The trip started in Sorrento, Italy where we traveled to the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and Naples. We stayed at a study abroad school in the area and took classes in Italian language and Italian economics with the UM macroeconomics professor. It was a great way to learn more about the country within the classroom setting then go on field trips later in the day to local businesses in the area to learn from their experiences.
We then went on a plane to Spain to spend our second half of the trip in San Sebastián, Pamplona and then Barcelona. There, we went on tours and learned about the history of the areas while we were taking our economics class. I even managed to meet with one of the companies that I would be working for in the United States that summer and managed to secure a future internship for this summer as well.
Overall, it was very valuable to become close with fellow UM students and professors on the trip while adapting to live and learn in a different country. The memories from these trips will last a lifetime and is certainly worth doing in your college years.”
Julia Hecht: URome, Spring 2024
“I always knew I wanted to study abroad in Italy, and I couldn’t be happier with my semester in Rome. It’s such a cool and active city but still has all the perks of European slow living: aperitivo after class, amazing restaurants where the staff doesn’t rush you out and obviously the best pasta, wine and coffee I’ve ever had. My favorite trip from my time abroad was probably a trip through our partner school where we went to Pompeii, Sorrento, Naples and Capri.
Watching the weather get warmer and seeing all the cities come back to life has been so special, and I’m so grateful to have experience it all with my friends from UM.
I think the best way to approach coming abroad is with as little expectations as possible. I think some people come in expecting it to be a four-month long vacation, and those people only got disappointed and missed out on a lot of actual culture. I feel like I’ve learned so much about Europe and traveling in general and that’s just because I went into it with an open mind. It’s absolutely nothing like being in the U.S. and Miami, and that’s the most exciting part.”
words_tamia mclean. photo_distraction staff. design_marita gavioti.
This article was published in Distraction’s Summer 2024 print issue.
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