Social Sciences Study Abroad Programs in Western Europe

Wow...I cannot believe that just a few months ago, I was walking my route to la Universidad de Sevilla like it was just another day. I knew I wanted to go abroad from the day I started my college experience, but I was so nervous and homesick when I landed in Sevilla that I feared I had made a terrible mistake. I could not have been more wrong! Right from the start, the WorldStrides staff (especially Quique!) took us all under their wing and showed us the rich, welcoming culture of Sevilla. Our orientation was less about classes and more about immersing ourselves in the city, from touring the Catedral and Real Alcázar to trying our first tapas (espinacas con garbanzos, anyone?). My host mother was encouraging and helped me to practice my Spanish each day, and all of my professors were engaging and invested in student success. Most importantly, I met one of my best friends abroad in the WorldStrides program! We spent so much money at the Jester cafés there... By the end of my time abroad, I had connected with Sevilla in ways I could not have anticipated, and I grew in my confidence and open-mindedness. I spent my weekends navigating airports and metros in new cities I visited, tried plenty of foods I would not have spared a glance to back home (my host mom made great boquerones...), painted watercolor scenes around Sevilla in one of my classes, and learned to understand and walk alongside my neighbors across the world. I will never have an experience quite like this again - and what a bittersweet feeling that is. Thank you, WorldStrides, for gifting me with the opportunity of a lifetime! And to anyone reading this, if you are looking for a sign to pick Sevilla, this is it!!

While I was in Greece, I visited a few Islands and a Tonne of nice restaurants. The people were wonderful and so welcoming It became a second home to me. I wish desperately that I could go back but unfortunately I'm in my senior year and can't travel abroad again but I definitely will be going back soon.

new anglia university is amazing, i am in pre med now, and enjoying it a lot. professors are great and all departments answer all my questions on time. basic sciences i lacked on because i had many questions from school, but here i had the chance to learn all about them before proceeding with my md and getting the chance to become a doctor

I had an amazing time studying abroad in Greece with WorldStrides! It was an unforgettable experience filled with incredible memories, beautiful places, and opportunities to learn about a new culture. I loved exploring Greece, experiencing its history, trying new things, and meeting new people. Everything was well organized, and the experience allowed me to step outside my comfort zone while making memories that I will cherish forever. I am so grateful for this opportunity and would highly recommend WorldStrides to anyone considering studying abroad!

I studied abroad at UM Maastricht in spring 2026, and I wish I never had to leave. Maastricht Netherlands is a municipality within the Netherlands and I originally chose this location based on the country of the Netherlands itself as it was my number one option from the day, I knew I wanted to study abroad. The country of the Netherlands seemed very beautiful, it seemed to have nature included in daily aspects, and the Netherlands seemed like a place where people could be themselves and be weird. When I arrived, that is exactly what I experienced. I was immersed within the university and country from the first day that I arrived. The university itself is spread out through this small but beautiful city, and is integrated with history, art, and nature across the whole campus. Which means that the city itself was also immersed and full of art, history, nature, culture, and a lively lifestyle. I learned a lot about Dutch culture, but studying abroad here also allowed me to continuously learn about at least 13 other cultures. It allowed me to be immersed within different language, and it allowed me to professionally and personally develop on every corner that I turned. UM was designed in the Dutch Way, and as accommodating for all cultures. The university had a message to understand and educate all and for me that applies to my day-to-day as I am a fourth year student about to graduate and become a teacher. As a teacher, it is important to understand all of my students, individualities and characteristics that set them apart or together within the students around them. A part of this requires to have minimal biases, which is how you create a positive environment within the classroom. I believe that the courses I took here enabled me to learn more about the psychology of learning and being around others. I took social psychology. Esther Slits was hands-down the best professor I had within the university, this course connected to previous courses I had taken within child development. Her course stuck with me the most and I have been able to apply what I learned in her class to my current classrooms. So far I have been in the four different classrooms and since coming home, I have been in one. So I am able to see the different mechanisms of application from before I learned more in her class compared to after I gained a full understanding of connections within social psychology. I had many ah ha moments within this class that have led me to encourage the education department within my university to encourage our studying educators to study abroad to gain a wider knowledge, and understanding of our classroom mechanisms, as well as as the students themselves. I found that studying in a university that required English within all courses was infatuating as almost every student and each tutorial or lecture spoke a different language. Which led me to gain a water understanding about how students feel within the classroom in elementary, middle, or high school, who don’t speak the same language as everyone else, and I learned how my students feel when they don’t understand what is being said because of a language barrier, and how to incorporate those student students into the classroom environment. All of my professors made it apparent that everyone could understand any language being spoken during instruction, however, when we had downtime or group work, everyone around me would speak in their own language. Or in Dutch. Which I definitely loved and would never prevent, I learned Dutch for a few months before attending, but in reality I still could not speak full sentences. My professors would always chime me in and ask the students around us in free time to speak in English, because even if a student is not involved in a conversation with a language, they don’t speak. It is still important that that student is not left out or feels unseen, or unheard. And that is my largest Takeaway within my study abroad, and I’m so thankful that I was able to continue and travel throughout my experience as the Netherlands country is in the middle of the European continent itself. I believe that I will encourage more educators to travel abroad and that I would always recommend them to go to Maastricht Netherlands to visit, because living there is not for everybody. But it was for me, I miss it every single day, and I cannot stop thinking about it. The nature, the people, the jokes, and the environment of the country has a whole. It’s stuck to me and I wish I could say that a part of me is Netherlandish but I can’t. One day I plan on coming back, as it truly was an impeccable lifetime experience, that you can’t only experience once.

When I first applied to Sevilla I was skeptical. Coming from a big school the normal was to study abroad in larger cities such as Barcelona, Florence, and London. What scared me the most was applying somewhere I would know practically no one, which turned out to be the best part. I quickly found my group within a few days thanks to Worldstrides cultural immersion experiences such as visiting the cathedral or going to a flamenco show. I became best friends with the girls in my program I was lucky enough to live with in the center of Sevilla, housing that you can only dream of. I spent my weekends feeling the true experience of being a sevillan, getting tapas with friends, volunteering to teach english at a local elementary school, and dressing up in our trajes for the feria de sevilla. to anyone hesitating picking a smaller city, i would absolutely recommend Sevilla 100 times over, the sense of community and support you get from not only the Worldstrides administration but the university is unmatched.

When people tell you that studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it can be hard to understand just how true that is until you experience it for yourself. Studying abroad genuinely changed who I am as a person, and looking back, I can say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. My mom was born in Spain, and growing up, I always dreamed of experiencing even a small part of what her life was like there. Hearing all of her stories made me even more excited about the opportunity. Living in Spain allowed me to experience everything I had imagined and so much more. From the incredible food and rich culture to the late-night social life, historic sites, and overall lifestyle, I fell in love with everything about it. I was able to immerse myself in the culture both inside and outside the classroom, even taking a class entirely in Spanish. One of the most rewarding parts was the friendships I made, not only with local students in Seville, who I now have a reason to visit, but with people from Germany, France, Italy, the UK, and all across the United States. I came away with friendships that I know will last a lifetime. Seville's location also gave me the opportunity to travel and experience so much more of the world. I visited six countries during my time abroad, including Italy, England, and Morocco, just to name a few. Each destination offered a new culture, perspective, and experience that made my time abroad even more special. More than anything, studying abroad made me feel even more connected to a country that has always been such a meaningful part of my family's heritage. Being able to experience the culture my mom grew up in while creating my own memories and connections there is something I will forever be grateful for. If you are considering studying abroad, DO IT! It is completely normal to be nervous, but the people you meet, places you see, and person you become along the way make it all worth it. You truly will never get another opportunity quite like this one, and it is an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Studying abroad in Madrid changed my life forever- while this statement seems to leave every study abroad student's mouth, it really is the truth. I explored many different countries during my stay in Spain which opened my eyes to what the world has to offer other than the United States, but surely the most impactful part of my abroad experience was making Madrid my temporary home. I never thought a city could feel like home when I don't speak the native language, but Madrid is a place that speaks to you without words. The city itself is a beautiful place- well kept, rich in its culture, sights, and amazing eats but the city itself is alive. It is the most full of life place I have traveled to- everywhere you go everyone is present with the people around them, playing games, talking, laughing, sharing meals, dancing, singing, all of the above. It's a place that I will hold in my heart forever, a place that I wouldn't have been able to experience without a program like WorldStrides that made everything seamless. They made it comfortable to move to a foreign country and made our program feel like a family. Thank you WorldStrides and thank you Madrid for changing my life!

Studying abroad is one of the best decisions I have made! I was nervous to spend so much time away from home but as soon as we exited security at the Athens airport, the WorldStrides staff was there greeting us with smiles. They took us to our dorms and helped us acclimate to living in an unfamiliar place. The professors of all my classes were very understanding of our confusion and adjustment period. They supported me and made sure that the classrooms were a safe space, and I’ll always be grateful for them! Arguably the best parts of studying abroad were the people I met and the places I saw. One of my first days in the program I was adopted into a friend group, and they are still my closest friends today. They encouraged me to travel to many different places on my bucket list, accompanying me to many of them. As an avid fan of traveling, the support of my friends, professors, and WorldStrides staff to go explore new places was the best thing I could have asked for. I am no longer afraid of traveling by myself or of navigating a country in which I do not speak the language. I will look back fondly on my semester abroad in Athens for many years to come!

I had a great time during this program. I learned so much, both educationally and culturally. The classes were great, and the teachers and staff genuinely care. Dina made the transition so easy and was always just one email away whenever I needed anything. I met some great people who I am still in contact with and believe I will remain friends with for a long time. The location of the house was great and very convenient. However, I did think the housing could have been better. The bathrooms, especially, could use some work. All in all, I had a wonderful experience, and this program has been one of the biggest highlights of my life so far. One thing I wish we had done more of was introductory activities earlier in the program, such as visiting local markets and stores and learning how to navigate public transportation. I think having more of these activities at the beginning would have made the transition even easier and helped us become more comfortable in our new surroundings.

Odyssey in Athens with Webster University was a once in a lifetime experience. I was able to meet wonderful people from around the world and experience the joy of learning with them! I was able to spend weekends island hopping with my new friends and attend amazing classes during the week.

I had such an amazing experience with my study abroad program in Athens Greece! Our apartment was in the heart of Athens that allowed me and my roommates to explore as much as we wanted when we were not in class. The professors for classes were incredibly kind and helpful. I went over seas alone not knowing anyone and came back with friends that I still meet up with 3 years later. I would not be the person I am today without this experience due to the independence, the learning, the culture and the people. This program provided so many opportunities to explore and learn about Greek culture and history. I strongly encourage students study aboard and this program is a fantastic way to do it!

I had a very enjoyable semester, the administration worked hard to make different events and excursions for the students to go on. I felt the classes were participation based and student centered rather than just reading notes out loud which was quite enjoyable

I had a very enjoyable semester, the administration worked hard to make different events and excursions for the students to go on. I felt the classes were participation based and student centered rather than just reading notes out loud which was quite enjoyable

I had a very enjoyable semester, the administration worked hard to make different events and excursions for the students to go on. I felt the classes were participation based and student centered rather than just reading notes out loud which was quite enjoyable

I had a very enjoyable semester, the administration worked hard to make different events and excursions for the students to go on. I felt the classes were participation based and student centered rather than just reading notes out loud which was quite enjoyable

I had a very enjoyable semester, the administration worked hard to make different events and excursions for the students to go on. I felt the classes were participation based and student centered rather than just reading notes out loud which was quite enjoyable

I can't recommend this program enough if you have the opportunity to apply for it. It has undoubtably changed my life. As an artist, it was incredible to be immersed in such a vibrant city with such beautiful grafitti/ street art as well as the ancient ruins all around you. To be able to study in the birthplace of knowledge, it makes you feel like you are contributing to something bigger than yourself. The program itself was also really amazing because it gave us the opportunity to connect with a group of people we could rely on when traveling together. It was also nice to have a schedule and trips planned out for you. It's an incredible opportunity to enhance your global outreach and gain new perspective. I miss it everyday!

I appreciate that NAU offers a preparatory route for students who intend to pursue the MD programme. For me, the opportunity to consolidate my knowledge of the sciences before beginning advanced medical education was an important consideration when choosing this pathway. As I near the completion of Pre-Med, I feel that the experience has been a worthwhile part of my preparation for the challenges ahead.

At 19, I am still at the beginning of my academic journey, but I already have a clear ambition to become a doctor. I see Pre-Med as an important first step towards that goal, as I got inspired to start it by my older sister. I am glad to have the opportunity to prepare academically before progressing further, and I want to use this time to develop the discipline and knowledge required for medical school.