Contact Ask Me About… Studying abroad in Lisbon, Portugal for a semester was one of the most transformative experiences of my college journey—and I did it completely on my own. I didn’t know anyone going into the program, had never been to Portugal, and was navigating a new culture, language, and academic system for the…
Contact Ask Me About… A unique experience about the Danish Institute of Study Abroad was their Long Study Tours. Each core course, students spent a week visiting a specific country and applying what they learned in class to the new environment they were introduced to. A week before this trip, students focused on a specific…
Contact Ask Me About… My favorite part of my abroad experience was traveling with different groups of people. I visited over 10 countries during my four months in Europe. This gave me the opportunity to experience a wide range of cultures, languages, food, and travel styles. The experience of traveling with people I had just…
Contact Ask Me About… Studying abroad in London was my first experience traveling to the UK and Europe while navigating a different academic culture alone. London taught me independence, and I learned how to truly take care of myself. Of course, while at Penn, you also learn to be independent, but starting from scratch in…
Contact Ask Me About… My Experience Abroad Before the start of my classes at la Universidad de Sevilla, my full intention was dedicating all of my coursework to my minor (Hispanic Studies), rather than pursuing coursework to fulfill my Neuroscience major requirements or complement my “pre-med journey” as it can be difficult to (1) take…
Contact Ask Me About… As a native English speaker and proficient French speaker, I arrived in Barcelona knowing only a couple of Spanish phrases. I was surprised to discover that Catalan was the dominant language in daily life. At corner stores, instead of saying “buenos días,” I quickly learned to say “bon dia!” This immersion…
Contact Ask Me About… One unique aspect of my study abroad experience that other students should ask me about is what it’s like to be fully immersed—in language, culture, academics, and community engagement—all at once. I studied in Sevilla, Spain through a small program of about 25 students, which created a tight-knit community and allowed…
Contact Featured Blogs Ask Me About… My Experience Abroad I took classes related to my professional interests (ex. my sustainable and impact investing finance class), while also practicing Mandarin in every day life. I avoided taking elective classes early on in college, so I had a lot of space to study whatever I wanted while…
Contact Ask Me About… In 2024, I participated in three different Penn Abroad programs. I knew I wanted to go abroad but I wasn’t sure how, so I decided to engage with all three types of programs. I realize that scheduling constraints and competition for places means that all students don’t necessarily have this privilege,…
Contact Ask Me About… Growing up in Côte d’Ivoire, studying in the U.S., and now living in Paris, I’ve experienced education systems in French and English. Therefore, I am constantly code-switching, not just between languages, but between worldviews. I’ve had to adapt to new cultural norms, but I’ve also held onto the values that shape…