IFSA, Institute for Study Abroad

Personally, I've always had a great desire to travel and explore the world. There's a quote that goes, "how can I die without seeing every inch of this earth?" and I couldn't find that to be more relevant to myself. I knew applying to study abroad was a great chance to make this dream a reality. Additionally, at the time I was looking to apply, I found myself in a bit of a rut both at school and home. I've spent my entire life in Philadelphia, and don't get me wrong, I love it here but I needed a change. So I figured the best way for me to get out of this funk I was in was for me to get out of the area and spend a few months in a new atmosphere completely.

There were a lot of reasons behind my decision to study abroad. While part of the motivation was my school's incredible financial aid program and the psychology department encouraging all psych majors to spend a semester outside of the United States, I think in the end it came down to I wanted to see the world and fully experience a different culture, and I realized that this was the perfect time in my life to do it. There was nothing tying me down, nothing holding me back, and nothing to lose, so I decided to take a chance and see how the rest of the world looked.

When I was applying for college, I entertained the idea of going to university in the United Kingdom. I had chosen to attend the same small school in New York City for thirteen years, kindergarten to twelfth grade, because I felt connected to its values and traditions. Its familiarity every year was comfortable for me. College was my first step away from that, and UK universities seemed like the farthest step I could take. Although I did apply, I decided I was not ready for such a big change. I pocketed the idea of traveling across the Atlantic Ocean to live and study until my junior year at Wesleyan.