Q: Initially, what made you decide to study abroad? Why did you choose your program?
A: I had always wanted to study abroad since high school because it seemed like a great opportunity to get to know a different education system and meet people from all around the world. I chose this program because I wanted to study abroad at a place that wouldn't cause me too much of a culture shock. Since it was short term I wanted to enjoy my time as much as possible instead having an awkward phase of embracing the culture.
Q: How do you think COVID-19 uniquely impacted what you learned as a study abroad student?
A: I don't think covid affected my program much because we weren't mandated masks. It almost felt like it was pre-covid.
Q: What was the highlight of your study abroad experience?
A: My highlight was being able to travel around the United Kingdom with students I had met from different parts of the world. It felt surreal to be travelling with people I had barely met. It made me realize that we were essentially feeling the same way about studying abroad and wanted to make the most of our time there. Studying abroad was better than I could have ever imagined.
Q: What was your greatest challenge abroad and how did you overcome it?
A: I was very anxious initially because I didn't know how the social aspect of the program would be. It actually went very smoothly because the school hosted multiple social gatherings so students could intermingle. I also easily made friends in class and in my housing building because everyone was very friendly.
Q: How did your coursework abroad compare to your courses at UC Merced?
A: It was about the same rigor as UC Merced.
Q: What did you gain from your study abroad experience?
A: I made friends all over the world and know random facts about those places.
Q: What advice do you have for students considering study abroad?
A: You should 100% do it because it is an eye opening experience. It is a different type of independence that allows you to discover yourself. Also allows you to meet so many different people.
Q: Describe a typical day abroad.
A: I would wake up and get ready for class. As I walked to class I would stop at Pret (a coffee shop I had a fantastic subscription with). My walk would be about 15 minutes. Go to my business psychology class and have a great time because all the students were friends. After class, my group would go somewhere random for lunch after a good 20 minute debate about where we should go. After lunch we would all head to our own rooms to rest, change and/or take a nap. Later we would meet up again to go out and do touristy things. Lastly grab dinner and go hang out in the common area of our building just make jokes, doing karaoke, and having a great time. Eventually, we would get tired and head to our rooms to go to sleep and repeat this the next day.
Q: If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go and why?
A: I would go to Australia because one of my closest friends during the program lives there and I would love to see how her life at home is because she would always describe it and it seemed so different than America.
