A semester around the world: Tales and tips from students who studied abroad Fall ‘24

| Contributing Writer

As another semester rolls around, we say our hellos and goodbyes to many things. We say goodbye to our restful breaks, and hello to another assortment of classes. We also say goodbye to friends and classmates embarking on their studies abroad, and hello to those who are just returning from their trips. 

Studying abroad gives students the opportunity to live, learn, and work in a completely different location than the one they call home. At WashU, students across each school can pick from programs in over 50 countries that cater to their major. WashU’s abroad office also works with financial aid services to eliminate barriers to the experience. 

With stories as souvenirs, returning students have shared their reflections on and wisdom from their study abroad experiences.

The study abroad experience looks different for every student. For senior Dani Morera Di Nubila who studied abroad in Florence, Italy, the opportunity to study abroad was especially important due to her interest in architecture.

“Since it’s a profession that’s built on human connections and connecting communities through spaces, any type of travel is helpful,” she said. “You can see how different cultures adapt to the spaces they’re in and how different cities are built for the needs of that culture, and I think that’s one of the most enriching experiences as a designer.”

Dani Morera Di Nubila (pictured on the right side in white) with her friends in Italy. (Photo courtesy of Dani Morera Di Nubila)

While some study abroad opportunities are more career-oriented, others — like junior Paul Kang’s sojourn in Seoul, South Korea — are chosen because of cultural ties.

“It’s something I always wanted to do. My parents are from Korea, but I haven’t really been there a lot, maybe one or two times in my life,” Kang said. “I started to reconnect more and more with my culture, and I was curious what it would be like to live there and experience college life there. It’s something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time.” 

A snowy day at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo courtesy of Paul Kang)

After choosing a destination, there are still many important factors to consider that can impact the experience. One of these factors is housing.

“It would’ve been nice to know more about the housing over there,” said junior Ben Esther, who studied abroad in New Zealand. “Had I known what the dorms were like, I would’ve gone with the apartment, which was in a suite-style setup like WashU … It would’ve been nice to know how many kids went abroad from WashU, and how many study abroad students there were at the University of Auckland. It’s not a huge study abroad destination.” 

A mountain view near Glenorchy on the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo courtesy of Ben Esther)

Others, however, choose housing arrangements that further immerse them in their country’s culture and language. Senior Nathan Pravda did just that during his semester in Toulouse, France.

“I think living with a host family, waking up every day, talking with them really improves your language comprehension and ability because it’s much easier talking with someone who you live with,” Pravda said. “They know the relationship dynamic, especially around the language. They’re there to help you and correct you, and they’re trying to immerse you more in their culture and tell you the things that they do, like the museums that are good to go to, the restaurants that are good, stuff like that.”

A Minotaur animatronic in front of Le Capitole, the city center of Toulouse, France. (Photo courtesy of Nathan Pravda)

Junior Priscilla Lee — when traveling outside of her program in Florence, Italy — chose to stay in hostels. The experience helped her form some lifelong connections.

“At almost every single hostel, we made a new friend,” Lee said. “Some of these hostels have bars that you could just meet random travelers. That’s where I met a traveler who was going to visit Florence within the next few weeks, so when he came, I showed him around the entire city. You get to make random connections. I met someone in a hostel in Paris that lived near Italy, and she was like, ‘If you ever come here, you can just stay at my place and we can ski together.’ I still text her to this day.” 

Priscilla Lee (right) with roommates in Switzerland during one of her excursions outside of Florence, Italy. (Photo courtesy of Priscilla Lee)

Some students — like junior Bella Gomez, who absolutely loved her experience in Geneva, Switzerland — decide to turn their semester into an entire year abroad.

“I decided I wanted to do the year abroad I think my second semester freshman year. I just really loved the abroad opportunities that are available at WashU — they’re so cool. I never traveled the world before, and I thankfully had the support of scholarships, and my scholarship program at WashU really allowed me to do it,” Gomez said.

She didn’t restrict herself to just one hemisphere, either. She is planning on spending her second semester in Arica, Chile.

“I decided to pick two programs that are in two very different parts of the world so I could experience public health in a very different way,” Gomez said.

Bella Gomez (middle) at the 46e Course De l’Escalade celebrating Geneva, Switzerland’s history. (Photo courtesy of Bella Gomez)

Upon their return home, many students had valuable pieces of advice to share with those who may ultimately decide to take the leap and study abroad. 

“Try to break out of your comfort zone,” said senior Sebastian Solorzano, who spent his semester in Hong Kong. “Go places that you would never really want to go, talk to people that you normally wouldn’t talk to. Don’t do the same things you do at WashU. Don’t try to remake your normal routine. I think that’s really the value. Blank slate, try something else, figure out if you like it. I think there’s a lot of habits I developed in Hong Kong that I won’t bring back, and vice versa. I think you’re doing yourself a disservice, trying to just stay on the same line that you’re already following.” 

Sebastian Solorzano (right) with his friend Nicolas Laursen (left) at Mount Ijen, Indonesia. (Photo courtesy Sebastian Solorzano)

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