As a film major, I’ve wanted to do this post for a while now but could never decide on what movies to include. At first I toiled with focusing on movies that take place in Sydney. I would have written about Finding Nemo and Anyone But You. However that would only apply to a small audience. Next I considered throwing in movies that take place in multiple cities around the world. However Cars Two and Spiderman Far From Home focus more on action rather than the importance of the experiences one might face when abroad.

I have been reflecting a lot the past few days on how much better my second semester abroad has been compared to my first one. While semester-long programs are popular, I think that spending a full year in a foreign country can significantly make your experience better. Here are some of the reasons why, in my opinion, you should go abroad for a whole year.

1. Language proficiency

One of the great things about Granada is that it’s a very convenient city to travel from, both to other cities in Spain and to different European countries. Spain has great bus and train systems, and the Málaga airport is also easy to access via a bus that runs several times a day from Granada to Málaga. As my semester abroad winds down, I’ve been intentionally spending the last several weekends in Granada, but I thought this would also be a good time to reflect on some of the traveling I’ve done. 

The IES Abroad London trip to Scotland was one of the highlights of my time abroad in the United Kingdom. A group of us in the program took a train up to Scotland which allowed us to take in the beautiful countryside on the way. We then settled in our hostel before beginning the weekend’s adventures. We started off with a guided tour of the city of Edinburgh which has such beautiful and rich architecture - the cobblestone roads and gothic buildings enveloped us in an ancient and romantic aesthetic.

After five weeks in the semester, mid-semester break has arrived at the University of Auckland. The two-week break provides the perfect time to travel around the area and catch up on any last-minute assignments. For my mid-semester break, I joined a trip with four friends, traveling to Queenstown (a town in the South Island of New Zealand) and Sydney and Airlie Beach in Australia. For 10 days, I was living out of a suitcase and trying new activities and new foods. One essential reason that this trip was possible was early planning and budgeting. 

Wow…. I can’t believe it’s over!

My semester abroad in Nice came to a rapid close. After my last final, which happened to be Beginner French (I hope I did well :) ), I left my apartment and took a walk to the Nice Port. I continued towards the lighthouse path, which I loved to sit on and watch the sunset earlier in the semester. I would often bring a book or my journal with me and listen as the waves crashed into the rocks. It was my little bit of peace and quiet in the noise of the semester. 

Hello! My name is Danai Mandebvu and I am a rising senior pursuing a double major in Theatre and Global Studies at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, United States as an international student from Zimbabwe. I studied abroad in London in spring 2024 with IES Abroad London’s Theatre program.  My experience abroad was one of the best experiences of my life for so many different reasons. I had the opportunity to spend four amazing months accumulating beautiful and challenging experiences that excited and stretched me professionally, academically, emotionally, mentally and relationally.

I love experiencing new things! If I had to make a list of things I value - experiences would be in the top five. I believe in the power that experiences have to shape, grow and mold people and I also believe that experiences make excellent advisors for future decision-making versions of ourselves. That is why I decided to study abroad - to experience a different country, culture, and educational program. That is why I decided to study abroad in London despite already studying abroad as a Zimababwean international student at Hope College in Holland, Michigan in the United States.