In the midst of the end of your typical end of semester chaos (last minute edits to your essays, studying for final exams, etc.) my friend and I recently discussed some of our personal reflections and things that we could have done differently if we could go back in time. Although I have thoroughly enjoyed the months that […]
I won’t lie; I knew absolutely nothing about Prague before I chose to study here this semester. It has always been a dream of mine to study abroad, and my experience in Prague has exceeded my expectations. The city itself is gorgeous and the relationships I’ve formed have shaped me as well. Reflecting on my […]
You will want to go home. And that’s okay. In my experience, before studying abroad everyone I talked to only referred to it in positive terms, raving about how it was the best time of their life. Now that I’m at the end of my study abroad term, I understand why. There are so many […]
Studying abroad with IFSA’s Griffith University Gold Coast Internship Program has been life changing. We’re housed in a beautiful apartment on the beach. We have a gym and a pool and can walk right out the front door and be on the beach. We’re also walking distance from everything to do in Surfer’s Paradise: including […]
My motivation was dwindling. The spark and aspiration I entered college with had become a dying flame, hardly reminiscent of its former self. I knew I wanted to work with video production ever since I was a freshman in high school. Hearing peers and classmates say they loved my work meant everything to me, and […]
When I first arrived in Edinburgh to study history and political science at The University of Edinburgh, I was taken aback by my schedule. Each of my classes only met once a week plus one tutorial, and I only had classes on Thursdays and Fridays. This left me with a five-day weekend(?) or a two […]
Studying abroad in London through IFSA was my first time traveling to Europe. Before this January, I only left the country once before. I knew my time abroad was going to be transformative – as someone with incredibly limited experience traveling, studying abroad is the perfect environment to explore the world. But what if you […]
Was it worth the 10 months, 6151 miles from home, two different host countries, and a new language? The question still rings through my brain as I finish up my second semester of IFSA exchange in Merida, Mexico. Was it worth leaving behind my home college with my friends and community that I worked so […]
Before coming to Barcelona, so many people warned me about culture shock. While studying abroad is an invaluable experience full of opportunity, you are also uprooting your entire life to move across the world for three months. As I was told, the stages of culture shock are the honeymoon phase, anxiety, adjustment, and acceptance. Based […]
During my time abroad, I have probably had coffee with dozens and dozens of people, a second “merienda” (snack) with half that many, and a third dinner with only a handful of people. At first the temporality of these relationships abroad scared me. Although, as a “people person,” some of my favorite moments have been […]
