Contact Ask Me About… My experience is unique because, as an Egyptian born in America, I had always been connected to my roots but through the lens of my parents’ perspective. Every 8 years, we’d visit Egypt, staying primarily in the village where my family is from. These visits were special but often limited to…
Contact Ask Me About… Students should ask me about navigating study abroad as an adoptee returning to my birth country while still learning the language. My semester at Fudan University in Shanghai was not just about classes, but it was a personal journey. As a Chinese adoptee raised in the US, I looked like many…
SA: University of Otago Sophia, one of the Semester Abroad Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during the Fall 2025 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. Just in the past weekend alone, I’ve accomplished two things I never expected would be a part of my abroad journey:…
Contact Ask Me About… My Experience Abroad I found that my courses at the Universitat de Barcelona furthered my academic goals as both a Political Science and Hispanic Studies student. I took two political science classes, the EU: Political Institutions and Introduction to Public Law, which were invaluable experiences. These courses helped me develop my knowledge…
Contact Ask Me About… As a pre-med student, I was one of few in my cohort at Penn who studied abroad, which was initially daunting. There’s often an assumption that going abroad is difficult or distracting from Penn’s rigid pre-med track, but my semester in Edinburgh showed me just how valuable it can be. I…
Contact Ask Me About… Studying at Oxford, something unique about my abroad experience was immersing myself in an intense academic culture while still wanting to make the most of everything outside the classroom. Studying abroad is most often seen as a step away from Penn’s academics, but Oxford was equally rigorous, just in a very…
Contact Ask Me About… One unique aspect of my time abroad was that I was the only student from Penn in the program, so I didn’t have a built-in support system and had to step outside my comfort zone to form connections. I lived in an apartment with complete strangers from different backgrounds, which taught…
Contact Ask Me About… Studying abroad is undeniably life-changing, but it also brings moments that can be difficult to hear about or experience firsthand. I would like to share my answer to the question: “What is a situation that was emotionally taxing, yet ultimately changed me?” When I was in Cape Town, I witnessed the…
Contact Ask Me About… As a dual degree student, I initially thought it wasn’t possible to study abroad. However, after talking to my advisors and coming up with a clear plan / course schedule, I realized I could go abroad and still graduate in time. I am happy to talk more about the logistics that…
Contact Ask Me About… Studying abroad in Dublin was my first time living in Ireland as an Irish citizen, a long-awaited opportunity to connect with my roots and explore whether I might want to return long-term. Trinity’s central location and Dublin’s welcoming, progressive culture made it an especially affirming place, and I definitely want to…