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You’re Going to #LoveStudyAbroad

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Ashley Houston
February 12, 2016

This Valentine’s Day, love doesn’t have to be romantic. We're falling in love with study abroad.

We’ve been thinking a lot about love: how, most of the time, the love you feel most often isn’t romantic love. When you study abroad, certain parts of your host city—the language, the culture, and the connections that you make—are what will have you falling in love with study abroad.

Watch what some of our staff had to say about falling in love with study abroad:

Still wondering, “Why study abroad?” Here are some of the benefits of studying abroad and what you’ll love about it:

study abroad love

“Every day is pretty different—when you walk outside in the morning you don’t know if you would be bargaining for your sandwich, getting a ride on the rickshaw, or taking an excursion to a part outside of the city that you’ve never been to. And I think that’s what made it so exciting because you never really knew what you were going to get. Every experience changes you, no matter if it’s good or bad. You’re going to love study abroad because you’re going to fall in love with the unknown.” 

–Mary B., Program Associate

study abroad culture

“When you study abroad, I think every aspect of every culture where you study is going to be something you’ll fall in love with!”

–Anna M., Digital Marketing Coordinator

study abroad language

“One of my favorite things about studying abroad was the language. Every kind of dialect is different, and that is exciting and something that you can learn—not only by interacting with your classmates and your professors, but by interacting with the locals—with people that have lived there all their lives. One of the most rewarding things was striking up the conversation with that cab driver or with that person that sells the hot dogs on the street.” 

–Hernando S., Program Associate

study abroad challenges

“Study abroad presents many challenges, and the interesting thing is, you’re going to find you fall in love with a lot of those challenges.” 

–Doug W., Assistant Manager of Office Services

study abroad independence

“In life we forget that we’re super resilient as humans, and study abroad is an opportunity to really realize that every day. In really small ways—trying a new restaurant or talking to a stranger—and in big ways too. So, I know you’re going to love the independence that you gain through studying abroad.” 

–Nicole Z., Program Advising Manager

study abroad friends

“One of the things that changed me was the connections that I made while studying abroad. You’re going to love the connections that you make when you study abroad…I think that when we think about different countries we just think about the country, we don’t think about the people who live there and that they have a story. They have a face, and they have lives, and so experiencing that really changed me. And really let me know that there’s a world outside of the United States.” 

–Kyndall C., Program Advisor

love study abroad

“The reason you’re going to love who you become is because you have no idea who that’s going to be, but it’s buried deep inside you and she or he will come out when you least expect it.” 

–Amy M., Associate Vice President of Marketing

We want you to #LoveStudyAbroad, too! Explore our Program Finder to find the perfect program fit for you.

 

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Ashley Houston

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