Studying abroad is a collection of moments, minutes, hours, days that pass by in a blink of an eye. Between prepping for class, listening to lectures, and figuring out your fabulous weekend plans, things happen. It is in the mundane Wednesday that something in us starts to stir, that we start to tap into understandings bigger than us and our study abroad experience. It is the morning coffee with our homestay mother, the walk around the Apartheid museum, the fruit seller that you visit every day after class. It’s the realization that you’re handling homesickness, that you’re pushing your comfort zone, that you’re ready to face another unfamiliar day in an unfamiliar place.
Share your study abroad stories and relive the best memories of your life!
It’s booking that train to London and crashing in the bus stop until a reasonable hour. It’s phoning home, doing time zone math, acing your exams.
It’s finding something to learn in every single moment. That’s where the best study abroad stories lie. Today, we’re going to share just a handful of inspiring study abroad stories to hopefully help YOU get off your butt and book that program abroad. The time is now.
Inspiring study abroad stories
Photo credit Siena Terenzio
1. Take the “long cut” home
ISA Study Abroad in Seville, Spain
“I had a 40 minute walk from my house to the school; before I arrived in Spain and I looked at google maps, I was nervous that I was going to have to take a bus or bike in order to get to class on time. During my final days in Spain I began taking long-cuts in order to make my walk to and from class as long as possible. I walked as slow as I could, appreciating every smell, every sight, all of the sounds, and just the feeling of walking through the most beautiful city I had ever experienced. I advise everyone to take the ‘long-cuts’ home, and relish every second of them.
Take in every second and don't take any of it for granted.”
[Browse Study Abroad Programs in Spain]
Photo credit Maurice Paquette
2. Work hard, play hard
API at University College London in England
“My days started a little later than my usual schedule in the United States, as the first classes at UCL were after 9:30 a.m. I would stop on my walk to class at a local coffee shop, one of the few with American coffee, before continuing to my morning classes. Most days I had class for about two hours (some were longer, depending on if I had lab or not), that were in a variety of different styles. One of my classes was a large lecture of close to 250 students, one was smaller lecture with 40 students, and the final two were seminars with 10 and 25 students respectively.
After finishing class, I would grab a quick lunch from a local shop, before heading to the beautiful UCL library to do required reading and studying. Usually finished by 4:00 p.m., I would head to meet up with friends and explore the city! We would take the tube to a part of the city we had never been to and walk around, we would go read in one of the many beautiful parks, or we would go to one of the numerous historical landmarks. My favorite thing was pick-up soccer which I played twice a week with locals. The day would finish with a homemade dinner.”
[Browse Study Abroad Programs in England]
Photo credit Megan Shoemaker
3. A spring break to remember
Boston University’s Study & Intern in Australia
“My most memorable experience abroad was my spring break. I went snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, explored rainforests, rode a camel, and camped out in the outback…all in a week! It was a dream spring break that cannot be topped. What I loved about Australia was the extremely diverse landscape. One day I was snorkeling in the ocean along beautiful coral, and the next day, I was hiking the barren outback. Australia’s landscape has the ability to take your breath away and remind you of the wonders of nature.”
[Browse Study Abroad Programs in Australia]
4. A new perspective is a great souvenir
Photo credit Haedyn Smith
“My way of thinking about things has changed entirely. I think the difference between cultures was the catalyst for this change in my thought-pattern. You develop a global perspective and realize that there is so much going on in the world than you could ever imagine.”
[Browse Study Abroad Programs in Germany]
5. Independence FTW
Photo credit Brooke Hillriegel
Semester in Florence, Italy with CISabroad
“I had to learn how to adapt to new environments quickly. Because I have never been out of the country and have only taken a plane one other time in my life, I really had to learn to adjust to the traveling and learning how to navigate through new places. I had a couple of other friends from my school in the same program, but also easily made new friends within my classes and program. This allowed me to open up and create new friendships as I was exploring the world for the first time. I have never been more than three hours away from my family, so being in a different time zone and not being able to see them for those couple of months was hard, but helped me become more independent.”
[Browse Study Abroad Programs in Italy]
6. Every day a new experience
Photo credit Nathan Herman
“One of the most historic cities in the world, one of the most powerful empires in history...need I say more? Being able to wake up everyday and walk among the ruins and historic places that have changed the entire world for over two millenniums was an amazing experience. The food and culture within Italy made every day a new experience.
My study abroad experience completely changed my view on the world and how I experience different things. I am completely okay with going outside of my comfort zone now. In fact, I just booked a flight to go to Asia for a month to backpack all on my own. I never in a million years would be able to do something like that if I had never studied abroad.”
[Browse Study Abroad Programs in Rome]
Photo credit Robert Ellebracht
7. No comprende? Not for long!
“I didn't know any Spanish when I arrived in Chile and therefore I had to work a lot harder and ask more questions than the other students who had taken Spanish in college or for many years. This helped me to push myself—I was able to get around places on my own after one month of being in Chile. Being immersed made me work harder and feel the need to use the language, so I used it as much as I could and asked many questions.
Now that I'm home, I feel that I can communicate more with the Spanish speaking students at my university because they’re studying abroad and some of them struggle with English. If I can talk in some Spanish to them, it might help them to be more comfortable and know that I am there to learn just like they are—and that I have done what they are doing.”
[Browse Study Abroad Programs in Chile]
What study abroad stories do YOU have to share?
We <3 study abroad & you will too!
We know that some stories are told best around the campfire or when you’re up past midnight with your bestie, but this is the chance for YOU to tell us about your time abroad and inspire others to follow in your footsteps.
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