Personal Growth Archives - Page 3 of 6 - UCEAP News and Features

Unforgettable Lessons from 5 Questions Asked in 5 Cities Abroad

by Virginia O'Connor | Aug 25, 2025 | Europe, Personal Growth

By Alyson Lee (UC Berkeley) Every study abroad journey begins with questions. How do I apply for a visa? Where will I live? What should I pack and why must all my liquids fit in a quart-sized bag? But as I discovered during my semester in Madrid, the real...

The First 24 Hours: Two Stories of What Can Go Wrong Abroad

by Virginia O'Connor | Aug 15, 2025 | Personal Growth, UC Berkeley, UCLA

Contributors: Justine Pendergraft (UC Los Angeles) and Maria Newman (UC Berkeley) 2024 blog writing contestants It turns out all that talk in the UCEAP predeparture orientations about embassies, health care, and emergency numbers—none of which sounds familiar or...

The Truth About Study Abroad: It’s Messy, Beautiful and Worth It

by Virginia O'Connor | Aug 8, 2025 | Personal Growth, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara

Contributors: Ailun Shi (UC Berkeley), Claire Scott (UC Santa Barbara), and Sarah Salot (UC Irvine) 2024 blog writing contestants Let’s be real—no one’s study abroad experience perfectly matches their Instagram saved folder. Every student faces moments that never make...

A Journey Inward: How Daily Journaling Leads to Personal Growth

by Virginia O'Connor | Mar 17, 2025 | Americas, Personal Growth, UC Berkeley

By Alex Masci (UC Berkeley) studied abroad in Villarrica, Chile Day 116 – Last Day in Villarrica (12/26/2023): With most of my stuff packed up, I returned to the yard to sit under the apple tree and soak in my surroundings. The warm red color of my host...

From Strangers to Family: Building Your Community Abroad

by Virginia O'Connor | Mar 10, 2025 | Europe, Local Living, Personal Growth, UC Santa Barbara

By Irish Vaughan (UC Santa Barbara) studied abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland On study abroad, you quickly learn that you will find your people and build a community abroad In late November 2023, a makeshift dinner table constructed from desks, couches, and swivel chairs...

A Solo Traveler’s Guide to Europe: Lessons from Study Abroad

by Virginia O'Connor | Mar 5, 2025 | Europe, Personal Growth, UC Santa Barbara

By Solene Granatur (UC Santa Barbara) studied abroad in Spain So you’ve applied to study abroad—your application is submitted, and all the paperwork is filed. And suddenly you’re dreaming of walking through streets you don’t know, meeting new people,...

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

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.

[fusion_button link="/contact/" color="custom" size="small" stretch="no" type="flat" shape="square" target="_self" title="VIEW ALL POSTS" accent_color="#00a5e5" accent_hover_color="#474747" bevel_color="" border_width="2px" icon="" icon_position="left" icon_divider="no" modal="" animation_type="bounce" animation_direction="up" animation_speed="1" animation_offset="" alignment="center" class="story-submissions" id=""]SUBMIT YOUR OWN TRAVEL GUIDE[/fusion_button]