Stories

The beginning of winter quarter has not only brought us back some rain but also our juniors who spent fall quarter studying abroad.  All across Europe, as well as “Down Under” in New Zealand, many were able to experience what it’s like to live amongst a different culture and way of life.  Two of our juniors, Michael Ney and Ileana Sepahi, spent their fall quarter in Spain and France, respectively- two countries that greatly differ from the United States in many ways.  

Michael, an economics major, spent his fall quarter studying in San Sebastian, Spain, a beach city in Northern Spain.  He describes San Sebastian as a “hidden gem” with “awesome people, food, art, hiking, views, and surfing.” As a direct exchange student, Michael took classes alongside Spanish locals as well as European Erasmus (study abroad) students and enjoyed meeting and spending time with new, interesting, and like-minded people from all across Europe.  In addition to meeting people from around the world in his classes, Michael also took the opportunity to live in an apartment in the center of San Sebastian with students from Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. This experience allowed him to create “lasting friendships with people who [he], otherwise, would have never crossed paths with.”

In addition to traveling around Spain, Michael was also able to visit a number of European cities.  Of all the cities he traveled to, for its “interesting and unique Renaissance history, food, art, and architecture,” Florence, Italy was his favorite.  One of his most memorable experiences in Florence was when he climbed to the top of Il Duomo and looked out over the cityscape and surrounding hills.

In hindsight, Michael adds that without a good idea of how to get around or where to buy the things he needed, “adjustment to life in a foreign city with a different culture was challenging at first.”  However, eventually, “life [in San Sebastian] became very normal, to a point where it was weird, at first, coming back and readjusting to life at home.” He also advises others who are considering studying abroad to “try new things.”  He explains that “study abroad comes at such a unique point in time in your life” when you “have the time and energy to do so many new things” and that “exploring a new city and travelling around Europe exposes you to so many new experiences, cultures, and ideas.”

Ileana, a marketing major, spent her fall quarter studying in Paris, France.  As a city that many SCU students choose to study in, Paris offered a program that would allow Ileana to “share [her] experiences with people [she] knew [she] would see back at home.”  Now, she has some particularly special memories to share with people she spent time with while abroad. In addition, being in France gave her much greater access to other parts of Europe and she was able to meet up with other SCU students and friends in cities across the continent.  Another aspect of studying in Paris that Ileana enjoyed was the art history classes that she took. She explains that “each class, [her] professor took students to explore the ins and outs of Paris– everything from the famous architecture and museums down to the local street art.”

Living in another country comes with many amazing experiences but many challenges as well.  One aspect that Ileana found to be especially difficult was practicing the local language. She found that it was “definitely much harder to practice [her] French than [she] thought it would be.”  This was mainly due to the fact that she chose not to live in a homestay. To overcome this, Ileana made “an active effort to practice French at local bakeries” as well as “listening to [French] podcasts on the metro when heading to class.”  

To those who may be considering studying abroad, Ileana explains that it’s best to “Just go!! Go, go, and go with an open heart and mind.”  She describes how, as an International Student who has lived abroad her whole life, she was hesitant to repeat experiences; however, in hindsight, studying abroad was unique to what she had previously done.  She also advises people to “try and envision what you want to have experienced or done by the end of abroad” so that you can work toward fulfilling your goals throughout your quarter. Lastly, she explains that “if you are ever unsure about anything, reach out to someone who has studied abroad before” because most people who have would love to tell you all about it.

Thank you Michael and Ileana for sharing your adventures and advice with us. It’s great to have you back!