It’s possible! I never met anybody who had gone away for two consecutive semesters, but it was the best decision I have ever made. Leaving my UMass identity for my entire junior year was intimidating and I even had friends and family tell me that it wasn’t a good idea. They told me that I would be missing out on the Amherst nightlife, lose my friends, and go broke. None of that was true.
Continue readingNext semester, as a sophomore at UMass, I will be studying abroad in Seville, Spain and taking all classes in Spanish that relate to Spanish and Andalusian culture. I feel like an unspoken normality is that many college students, if they choose to study abroad, will go during their junior year. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing to go at this point in your college career, I still think there are benefits to studying abroad as a sophomore.
If the Covid-19 pandemic showed me one thing, it would be that anything can happen and the future is unpredictable. I am lucky enough to have come into college as the pandemic had settled a little bit, and I truly could not imagine if it had prevented me from being able to study abroad. Studying abroad has been a dream of mine for several years and it has been one of my plans because I know it will help advance my skills for my academic and professional careers. Thus, keeping in mind that anything can happen at any given moment, I wanted to seize the opportunity to study abroad sooner rather than later.
When I was younger, I remember daydreaming about studying abroad and wondering what going to school in a different country would be like. However, now that I have the opportunity I’ve felt completely overwhelmed by the idea. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go or if I even liked the idea of living in a foreign country for an extended period of time without anyone, I knew near me. I’m very much a home body and feel safe in what is familiar so for me it would be a very big step. However, part of the study abroad experience is to step out of you comfort zone, meet new people, and be independent.
Continue readingI was nervous about so many things before studying abroad. Will I make friends? Will my host family be creepy or weird? Will I be robbed? Am I packing enough clothes? Will the Spaniards make fun of my accent?
I wish so badly that someone told me to stop worrying about the future because you have no idea what is going to happen. Just focus on the excitement of a new experience.
Continue readingI always knew I wanted to study abroad in college, that was never a question. However, the entire process of applying was a struggle. Finding out what exact city I wanted to be in, and then what specific program, AND THEN all the steps that came in with your applications… it was a nightmare. Let’s just say October was not a fun month when it came to this. I wish I had some advice as to what it would actually be like, but that is why I am here writing this blog, in hopes of making your application process go smoother with less tears. I am coming from my experience as a junior applying to go abroad my second semester, during the spring. Continue reading
I believe this is a question that some natives/heritage speakers hardly think about. Generally, most of us want to study abroad before we even arrive on campus. We’ve either heard great things from family members or friends who have studied abroad, or an advisor somewhere in the world strongly recommended doing so before graduating.
However, many native speakers often come to UMass from other countries, or at least once in their life have the opportunity to visit the country from which their heritage originates. So, is there really a need to study abroad? Continue reading
I thought that I was incredibly unqualified for writing a blog post because I am a sophomore with no concrete study abroad, internship, or career plans. Nor do I have plans really beyond the next few months. And I realize that statement might induce a heart attack for UMass professors, advisors, and any other faculty members. That is not to say I do not think about the future at all, because I do constantly. I just hate deciding on one life path, and I frequently get antsy and need to change my environment, which leads my life to be semi-unpredictable. Perhaps that is just my excuse for lacking in preparing myself for the future, but it is true. It is also true that I am pretty clueless about what I want to do, where I want to live, and who I want to be in life. But, I am slowly learning it, as well as what I do not want to do, where I do not want to live, and who I do not want to be. Continue reading
Currently, I am finishing my Fall 2019 semester of my senior year of college. However, it wasn’t until the end of my sophomore year that I fully declared my major in Spanish. Between graduating high school and entering college, I took a gap semester to Central America. Therefore, I entered UMASS in the Spring semester. Not only was I unsure of what I wanted to study, but I also wanted to be involved in an experience involving learning about other cultures. I additionally wanted to focus on my own personal growth. Initially, I was extremely nervous going to a location that I was unfamiliar to. When I mentioned to other people where I was going for my gap semester, often times, their reaction wasn’t as positive as I anticipated. This was commonly affiliated with their ideas regarding safety in such areas. The initial responses I got from other people about where I was going provoked high anxiety and doubt in continuing with the program. However, it was one of the best things I have ever done. Continue reading
Are you a Spanish major wanting to go abroad but you have no idea where you want to go? Do you overthink most things in your life, and this is another example of that? Did you already make a spreadsheet of twenty possible programs and their costs, pros, and cons, and still have no idea where to go? If you answered yes to all of these questions, first of all, I want to meet you. Please reach out to me. I’m glad I’m not the only neurotic Spanish major out there. Or if you answered yes to any one of these questions, congratulations on being less neurotic than I am. All jokes aside, I understand what it feels like to be so confused on where to go because I was there two months ago, and I want to give you some suggestions on how to decide. Continue reading
Studying abroad has become an extremely popular activity that students in college will do. Over 1,200 students at UMass participate in these programs of studying in another continent. Studying abroad has been something that I have always wanted to do. My dad studied abroad in Argentina when he was in college and he says how it is something that he will never forget. My roommate is an engineer and he has a small window for him to go abroad. His schedule only allows him to go during his sophomore year and he could only pick from a few schools, while being a Spanish major has really given me flexibility to be able to pick a program that I like and have an option to pick between multiple countries to study in as well. Continue reading