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All the Ways Study Abroad Tests and Strengthens Your Identity

All the Ways Study Abroad Tests and Strengthens Your Identity

by Jennifer Monroe | Apr 20, 2026 | Home Feature, Personal Growth, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA

Contributors: Keren Dror (UC Los Angeles), Annika Jorgensen (UC Berkeley), and Mercedes Lefiti (UC Santa Cruz) We all pack certain things for study abroad: maybe a favorite snack, a photo, a childhood stuffie to remind us of home. Each of us also carries something...
5 Steps to Break the Comfort Zone Trap and Adopt a Study Abroad Mindset

5 Steps to Break the Comfort Zone Trap and Adopt a Study Abroad Mindset

by Virginia O'Connor | Apr 20, 2026 | Home Feature, Personal Growth, UC Berkeley

By Monique Evdokiou (UC Berkeley), studied abroad in Rome, Italy Prior to starting my study abroad experience, I felt confident that I was more than prepared. To get ready for the experience, I had a group of friends that I already knew attending the program. I was...
How Embracing Uncertainty Led to My Greatest Adventure

How Embracing Uncertainty Led to My Greatest Adventure

by Virginia O'Connor | Apr 20, 2026 | Europe, Home Feature, Personal Growth, UC Irvine

By Valerie Elizabeth Cruz (UC Irvine) studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland Like many first-generation college students, I started my journey at UC Irvine with a desperate need for a concrete plan. I had no idea what my undergraduate career would manifest, and as a...
How To Talk With Your Family About Study Abroad

How To Talk With Your Family About Study Abroad

by Virginia O'Connor | Apr 20, 2026 | Home Feature, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz

Contributors: Anai Ramos (UC Berkeley), Danella (Dani) Escalante-Regalado (UC Berkeley), and Emma Baltadano-Bañales (UC Santa Cruz), 2024 blog writing contestants You know your friends and family care about you, and their concerns come from a place of love and...

Study Abroad Program: Lund University, Sweden
Program Location: Lund, Sweden
Other Countries Visited: Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria,
Hungary, and Norway

Home University: UC Berkeley
Major:  Bioengineering
Year: Junior (Graduating Spring 2017)

Alison Long is a rising senior studying tissue engineering and drug delivery at UC Berkeley. She loves spending time outdoors, hiking, biking and playing soccer. As a nature enthusiast, her travels involved exploring national parks and canvassing tulip festivals around Europe. In her free time, Alison enjoys painting and watching cooking competitions on the Food Network.