Personal Growth Stories
From Strangers to Family: Building Your Community Abroad
When fifty friends gathered around a makeshift Thanksgiving table in Edinburgh, they were no longer strangers but family. From joining Scotland’s oldest sport to creating nightly traditions in the Warrender dorms, one UC Santa Barbara student shares how she transformed her biggest study abroad fear – loneliness – into an unforgettable story of community and connection. Through candlelit dinners, Highland adventures, and tearful goodbyes at Kings Cross Station, discover how saying “yes” to every opportunity built lasting friendships that bridged 5,000 miles.
A Solo Traveler’s Guide to Europe: Lessons from Study Abroad
Solene Granatur, a seasoned solo traveler, shares practical tips and heartwarming moments from her study abroad journey across Europe. From navigating budget airlines to finding community in unexpected places, discover how to make the most of your solo adventures while staying safe and savvy abroad.
Navigating Chronic Illness on Study Abroad
Imagine wearing an invisible backpack filled with a random number of rocks each morning – this is how Kaitlyn McWalters (UC Berkeley) describes living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Despite the daily challenges of managing a chronic illness, she chose to pursue her dream of studying in Japan. Her story offers practical insights and inspiration for students who wonder if their health conditions might prevent them from going abroad.
Reflections on Studying Abroad in Germany
As a first-generation student who immigrated from South Korea, (UC Berkeley) Youngseong Ryu’s semester in Berlin marked more than just a study abroad experience—it was a milestone in personal growth. Through Berlin’s stunning architecture, rich artistic culture, and complex history, he discovered new perspectives that would shape his future as an art educator.
Food Experiences that Defined My Mediterranean Study Abroad Experience
Journey through Florence, Rome, and Barcelona as Yvonne Liu (UC Berkeley) shares all the ways that Mediterranean cuisine and culture intersect to create transformative study abroad moments that reinforce tradition, connection, and discovery.
6 Tips to Overcome Impostor Syndrome on Study Abroad
What does it take to shake off impostor syndrome and shush your inner critic? Read the practical steps that Natalie Glennon (UC Santa Barbara), a financially challenged first-generation student, implemented to overcome impostor syndrome and make the most of her study abroad experience in the Netherlands.
Big Ben and Little Wins: Lessons from a Brief Summer in London
What can you get out of a short academic program abroad? Turns out, you can learn a lot in three weeks! Divyanshi Saha (UC San Diego) says studying abroad is not just about academics – it’s about stepping out of your comfort zone, making memories, and discovering who you are in the process.
It’s the Firenze We Make Along the Way
Trey Timberlake (UC Berkeley), a gay man from Palm Springs, California, challenged his childhood feelings of isolation and otherness as well as his fear of masculinity while studying abroad in Florence, Italy. See why Trey describes study abroad as the most transformative experience of his life.
Finding Your Way on Study Abroad by Embracing Abundance
If you lived in the same town your whole life, would you be excited or terrified by the idea of leaving it all behind to study abroad in another country? Both is probably the correct answer, and Morgan Taylor-Cohen (UC Los Angeles) says you have to embrace abundance to get you through to the other side.
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