When I got the call that I’d been offered a spot in the Language and Culture program in Santander, Spain, nothing could have prepared me for how much I would gain from this experience. As I sit writing this blog in my small homestay room, admiring the skyline of this… read more
Foreign Language
Shanghai Serenade
After six long years and a global pandemic, I was back in China. I arrived in Shanghai two days before my academic program began to get adjusted to the city that I would call home for the summer. East China Normal University is in the Putou District of Shanghai, so… read more
Chilean Connections
I had never been outside the U.S. before my current Education Abroad program in Santiago, Chile. While I’ve taken some trips around the country, most of my experiences stem from the same Texas suburb. Therefore, when family or friends asked what I was looking forward to before embarking, I had… read more
Breaking Through the Roadblocks: Scholarship Searches
Our goal at Education Abroad is to make studying abroad accessible to all students. One of how we fulfill this objective is by providing a plethora of scholarship opportunities. Studying abroad can be costly, but our funding resources help alleviate some of those expenses. One Peer Mentor, who is utilizing… read more
Keeping Up Your Language Skills When You Return
Participating in a study abroad program is a great way to learn a new language or improve your language skills. Being immersed in countries where the dominant language isn’t English will force you to utilize your second language and gain experience that you wouldn’t find in a classroom setting. But… read more
Shifting My Personal Focus
Last December, I had a scare that almost prevented me from going abroad: In order to get acceptance from my international university, I had to send a copy of my passport. I had applied for renewal a couple months before, but it still hadn’t come in the mail. I received… read more
Irish Classrooms: What I’ve Gained
When I get home from studying abroad, I know what questions to expect: “Where did you go?” “How was the food?” “What about the weather?” I’m happy to answer all of them, but I’m also eager to talk about an (ironically) less popular subject, which is academics. For those of… read more
Step by Step
When I missed my connecting flight to South Korea three weeks ago, I thought it was a sign from the universe that leaving home wasn’t the best idea. I struggled to find peace while I hastily shouldered my heavy duffel and tried to figure out how to get on the… read more
Shifting Expectations
Part of me has always known that I wanted a different study abroad experience than most people. I wanted to integrate completely into a society that was so different from my life back home in Texas. That’s why I originally wanted to go to mainland China: so I could practice… read more
What Immersion Does To Your Brain
In two days, it will be three weeks since I arrived here in Mexico City for the first time. Two years ago, I would have never thought I’d be here. It’s funny to me because in the first semester of my freshman year, when UT Austin was heavily promoting study… read more