Why did you choose this program?
There are a couple of reasons. As you could probably imagine, I love to travel, and I have always dreamed of going to Europe and seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Alps, and so much more. When I was program searching, I came across this one that went to four different countries within three weeks, and I was instantly drawn to it!
I was also looking to get a better understanding of international business/marketing, which is the field I’m going into. Thankfully, in one of my classes, we worked on an awesome project that dealt with this topic! We also had the opportunity to tour three businesses while overseas and received great insights there.
Last but not the least, I wanted to lose my sense of egocentrism. I have always known that the world is greater than the small town I grew up in, and I have always wanted to see more. I chose this program because we got to visit four different countries and we were able to experience four different cultures to understand their differences and similarities.
What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
Prior to departure, we had three or four meetings to work on classwork ahead of time, so we had extra time to explore. On top of this, the Professor and Teaching Assistants provided us with a packing checklist, a day-to-day schedule during the program, inter-Europe travel arrangements, housing, travel insurance, and tours. As mentioned, all travel within Europe was organized by the teaching assistants. However, we were in charge of buying plane tickets to Europe and back. Many students contacted the travel agent who works with the Professor, and we ended up on a group flight, so it wasn’t a big deal getting overseas! We were also free to organize activities when we had an afternoon off!
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
A couple pieces of advice: Bring a good camera! A good smartphone camera will work, or if you’d like, bring an actual camera to capture every little moment. I ended up with over 3,000 pictures from my time in Europe!
Most importantly, try to go into the program with an open mind and without knowing anyone else. I know it can be scary to go somewhere without a friend, but I did this, and it forced me to go out and meet the other students in the group! I became friends with some awesome people in just three weeks, and it’s because I made it a priority to meet new people and look at everything as a new experience.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
For the first two weeks, we were in class from 10 AM to 3 PM during the weekdays. Depending on what class you were taking, you could be sitting in lecture and studying during that time or preparing a presentation at a European coffee shop! After this time, we were free to choose something to do unless we had a tour or event schedule that evening.
For example, in Paris, we had a boat tour down the Seine River, and in Berlin, we had a walking history tour of the city! After the first two weeks, we primarily had small projects to work on in groups, and we would present them to the rest of the group. Besides this, we had lots of free time in the last week, and we finished with a final master presentation at the end of the program!
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
One of my biggest fears was in the size of the group and not knowing anyone. I was nervous I wouldn’t find people to spend the next three weeks with, but I needed to hear my own piece of advice given! I should not have worried about this at all. The way housing was set up helped me meet new people since we roomed with 3-4 other girls. Being in different groups for projects during the program also helped.
Listen to my advice above, don’t worry about not knowing people! Everything will work out and you will have a great experience with the other participants. This program helped me realize that the greatest things come from an open mind, and you can only truly meet new people if you let yourself branch out.
I’m content with where I am now, do I really need to go overseas?
YES! Immersing yourself in a different country is life-changing and something that every person should experience. I always knew that my life was good where I was before going to Europe, but I still wanted to see and do more. Needless to say, I am so glad I did. This program gave me a bigger view of life and understanding of myself. At the end of the day, we are all just people who enjoy family, friends, good food, and culture! I am in love with Europe, and I already want to go back as well as explore more continents!
