University Studies Abroad Consortium

Seoul'd on Seoul

Submitted by Jessica - Loyola University Chicago | July 20, 2017

Being the first American cohort of students at Kookmin led to some special fanfare, especially concerning events at home! Kookmin University is a beautiful kid-sized institution with talented and friendly professors and staff. One hiccup was the administration, who were unhelpful at best. The international affairs office seemed unprepared to deal with us, but if you're self-reliant, it shouldn't be a problem! I had to live a 40 min bus ride away from campus due to a housing issue but was reimbursed some money for the additional expense. Therefore, I lived right by Seoul Station and Itaewon and had a blast. In either the apartments or dorms, one is sure to make friends from around the world. Seoul is a beautiful, busy city that is adjusting slowly in some places and very rapidly in other places to outsiders. If you are Western, be ready to adapt and have one of the best experiences of your life!

Program: USAC South Korea: Undergraduate Courses at Kookmin

Bristol & Culture

Submitted by Lille - University of Nevada, Las Vegas | July 20, 2017

I had set out initially to live in Bristol only for a semester. Halfway through, the experiences, the people, and the city, convinced me to settle in for another round. Hence I spent a year of my life in a fantastic University, where the administration saw me as human and valuable, students sought to explore and meet new people. The experience overall was one of true connection, in a cliche of actualization and self-discovery. Bristol is full of hidden gems, beautiful parks, galleries and museums, people and culture. The experience of living there is unlike any other.

Program: USAC ENGLAND: Bristol - Full Curriculum

My time in Haifa

Submitted by Aaron | July 20, 2017

If you are interested in language learning and international politics, then Israel is a great place to study abroad. The University of Haifa has excellent language programs for learning Hebrew, Spoken Arabic, and Modern Standard Arabic. I had very little prior knowledge of Hebrew or Arabic, but I felt that when I left Israel, I left with an intermediate level of knowledge in both languages. But what really makes it worthwhile is that the language is very applicable in day-to-day life. If you do any traveling during your time there, you will easily find some places where people don't speak any English, making it essential to put your language learning to use (which is one of the best ways to learn). I also had Israeli roommates who were decent English speakers, but by no means were they experts. So I was able to but my language learning to use there as well.

If you are interested in international politics, then you will find Israel a great place to be, both academically and culturally. The classes I took were really interesting and greatly expanded my knowledge of politics in the Middle East. Depending on certain classes you take, some will have class trips that will take you to some very interesting and educational places. For example, on one class trip we went to the Golan Heights, where I was able to meet UN observers who were observing the Syrian Civil War. Though I should mention, on the rating of the program I did put an 8 out of 10. This is because me and a few other students I studied with did have trouble with one professor in one class. I feel this was a rare occurrence, as I didn't have a problem with any other class or professor I had. But if you go to a school where you know people who have gone to the University of Haifa before, you should definitely ask them about their experiences to help influence which classes you should take.

I found talking with Israelis and Arabs to be equally valuable to what I was learning in the classroom. You gain a lot of unique perspectives to the conflicts that happen in the region. During your time in Haifa you will also have the opportunity to make friends from all over the world. I met made friends from almost every continent, learning how to say hello in nearly ten different languages.

The geography is also very beautiful. The University of Haifa is on top of a mountain range overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, which is always a nice place to go on weekends. As part of the international program, you are able to go on two weekend trips throughout the semester, where you will get to go to some very cool places within Israel, and do things like camping and hiking. They go on different trips each semester, which fortunately for me I was able to spend two semesters in Israel, so I got to see a lot of the country. Ein Gedi near the Dead Sea, and Eilat in the southern part of the country were some of my favorite trips.

Lastly, I know that some people usually have questions about security. Throughout my time in Israel I generally felt pretty safe. The university is tight with security so I never felt in danger while I was on campus. We also had an armed guard with us on every class trip. If you do any traveling on your own, it's generally a good idea to have at least one other person with you, but other than that, if you are aware of the news and know what is happening and where, then you should be fine. Hope this review helps and that you enjoy you're time in Israel!

Program: USAC ISRAEL: Haifa - Full Curriculum

Växjö, Sweden

Submitted by FM - Santa Monica College | July 19, 2017

Växjö is a beautiful up and coming town located in the bottom half of Sweden. (A 3hour train ride to Copenhagen Denmark!)
This town is not a bustling city, however there were plenty of activities and places to explore.
The University, LNU, has something like sororities/fraternities, they're called student unions. The international student union offered trips to St. Petersburg Russia, Lapland Finland, and many other excursions. (You can choose which you want to do and you pay accordingly.) The University itself has two student clubs and a pub that host special holiday parties, themed parties, and general deals for students. So there's definitely things to do on the weekends.
LNU also offers a program that they "friend families" which are something like exchange families but without physically living with them. Basically people from the town volunteer to show you around and give you a taste of the Swedish culture/lifestlye. This was one of my favorite parts of the program. At the beginning I had some difficulties engaging with the community and breaking out of just hanging with fellow international students. But my friend family were very engaging and invited me to all sorts of Swedish activities and I tried so much new food with them!
Sweden is amazing, LNU is a great school, and Växjö itself is very charming.
The program itself is great because of its affordability, but if you are a community college student arranging things yourself it can feel a little overwhelming. Things like 'how do I pay my rent' and 'what should I expect for my living accommodations" were some key information that was not abundantly clear. However, if you are organized, proactive about emailing questions/calling, and utilizing resources at LNU things work themselves out.
I had such an amazing time in Sweden and met some good friends that I'm still very close with. Sweden is truly a wonderful and unique place. I would definitely recommend the Växjö Program.

*I also visited the Kalmar Campus for a Halloween Party, the town felt much smaller and in general the travel time to big cities didnt feel worth it. Being close to Copenhagen meant flexibility with catching flights and general ease of travel.

Program: USAC SWEDEN: Vaxjo/Kalmar - Full Curriculum

Study abroad semester in Lüneburg

Submitted by Madeline Marotto - University of Nevada, Reno | July 19, 2017

Studying abroad in Luneburg was an amazing experience! I had the time of my life and made so many new friends. Meeting germans was really easy in such a small town. Wednesday night karaoke at the Irish bar was a favorite among my friends! The program advisor Steffi is so helpful and patient. She is always there to help everyone. I improved my german so quickly and really enjoyed the other classes I took. The professors are the best, thank you Monika, Mark, and Constance! Hamburg is so fun to visit and is only a 30 minute train ride away. The housing situation was really cool because we were all able to live with German roommates or a German family. My roommate became a close friend of mine! I recommend everyone to go to Luneburg to study, it is now my favorite place in the world!

Program: USAC GERMANY: Lüneburg - European Studies & Sustainability