WorldStrides

I studied abroad this summer in Florence with WorldStrides and it was truly an amazing experience. I was able to immerse myself in a new culture, grow in unforeseen ways, make new friends and so many memories that I will forever cherish.

I know everybody says that studying abroad changed their life, and now I understand why. While I was in Athens, I was so taken out of my regular routine that I was able to reflect on the ways I was living my life. Now, back in the US, I'm so much more intentional with how I spend my time. The perspective gained from living in Athens is worth every risk I took studying abroad there. There's so much to do and explore that I never felt bored or tied down to a certain routine, which was an amazing way for me to get out of my comfort zone. Transportation was really cheap and easy to understand (after a few weeks of practice), which made traveling in Greece and to other countries very convenient. The professors at the American College of Greece were extremely kind and welcoming to study abroad students, and they were eager to answer any questions I had. The grading scale is a little wonky in Greece - your entire class grade is mostly made up of your final and midterm tests. The Greek students were pretty laid-back in my experience and asked questions less frequently than we do here. The WorldStrides excursions were one of my favorite parts of studying abroad in Greece. They were all included in the program and all amazing! We visited Hydra, Meteora, and many other fascinating parts of Greece that I wouldn't have known to explore without WorldStrides. Long story short, go to Athens!

During my time in Berlin, I lived my best life. Getting dropped off in a foreign country no knowing a single person is very scary. But then I left knowing about 200 different people through random interactions and putting myself out there in local community. Being on your own and having to figure out most things by yourself, really builds you as a person. Through living on my own with not much support and traveling to other countries alone, I was really able to discover who I was. Studying abroad is much more then just going to a different university in a different location. You learn so much about other cultures, people, ways of life, and yourself. I 1000% recommend going abroad, it changed my life!