Studying abroad is a lifelong experience I will always be grateful for.
During the Fall 2022 semester, I studied in Liverpool, England at Liverpool John Moores University with the SJSU Study Abroad and Away program to continue my journalism studies.
I saw the opportunity of studying abroad as a way to grow as a person because I was going to be away from my family in an unfamiliar country.
Studying abroad was something I wanted to do for myself to get out of my comfort zone.
When I arrived, I was afraid and worried about how I could possibly survive alone for four months.
One day I asked myself, “when is the next time you’re going to be in Europe again?” and “how many people would die to be in your shoes right now?”
Settling in a different country was a big culture shock, but I had to mentally toughen up to make the most of my time there.
One aspect of the culture shock was the cold weather.
Being from California, I’m used to the heat and sun, so the transition to colder weather was difficult.
Another aspect of studying abroad that I didn’t expect was getting used to foreign accents.
Sometimes it was difficult to understand what an Englishman was saying, so I’d have to ask them to repeat themselves because I’m not used to hearing people speak with an English accent.
In the midst of socializing, I soon became known as the Hispanic American from California among a diverse friend group of fellow foreign exchange students.
I became friends with various people from different countries including Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Spain.
My Spanish friend group had well over 40 people.
I didn’t expect to be speaking Spanish in England, but it made it feel like home again because I strictly speak Spanish at home with my family.
Every day was a new adventure because there was always something to do, especially with a big group of friends.
Getting to know people from different countries was a highlight of studying abroad because there were endless conversations, including our favorite alcoholic drinks, food, music and life goals.
These types of conversations were life changing because it helped me reflect on myself and make connections with new people.
I learned to be more open-minded and understanding of situations because I was exposed to various cultures.
It’s important to learn about diverse cultures so one won’t be ignorant or prejudiced toward someone because of their background.
The foreign exchange students on my abroad experience helped motivate one another through university because we were all experiencing the same change.
For me, the school curriculum wasn’t difficult or different to anything I had done in the past.
The host university only allowed students to take three classes throughout the semester.
One class was a group project where I had to create a website with local news. Another class was to create a pitch for an agency, and lastly a class teaching students how to create video and audio news packages.
Since these were fairly easy classes, I had a lot of down time.
My favorite part of Liverpool was its close-knit community.
Local pubs were full of spirit with live music and soccer fan chants in the air.
The average cost of a pint of beer was £3 which is equal to $3.73 in U.S. dollars. I felt like a kid at a candy shop.
Transportation was economically friendly because the city was small. Buses or bicycles were used to get around if people didn't have a car.
One of the best things about studying abroad was traveling elsewhere in Europe.
I’d recommend for students studying abroad to create an itinerary of things they’d like to do and have a plan ready.
Studying abroad is good for students because they have the chance to travel on their own when they are at their host location.
Ryanair had flights that were affordable for weekend getaways.
I traveled to Dublin, Ireland, Vienna, Austria and Brussels, Belgium on my own time and money.
The majority of my time outside Liverpool was spent sightseeing and trying different cuisines not found in the U.S.
The most intriguing dish I tried was wiener schnitzel, a traditional dish in Vienna.
Wiener schnitzel is a thin breaded and pan fried cutlet of veal, according to Visiting Vienna.
I wish I had more time in my study abroad program because I would have liked to explore more countries.
It’s expensive to travel from California to anywhere in Europe, so I tried to value exploring new locations.
Studying abroad helped widen my perspective of cultures outside of the U.S. and made friends from around the world.
The experience of studying abroad should be recommended more to students because it gives them the opportunity to network with people from other countries.
Another positive thing about studying abroad is that students are able to explore willingly.
Students should consider studying abroad because it will benefit them personally and academically if taken advantage of.
