Study Off-Campus Blog

I Learned: Studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark helped me grow academically and personally. I learned so much about what makes a city revolve around the people rather than cars, which makes for a lively, sustainable, and meaningful place. It was interesting to compare the development of city planning and policy from the U.S. to modern Copenhagen. Further, studying abroad challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and to meet people who enabled me to experience so much. 

Best Part: I think it is tough to say what the best part of studying abroad is because I feel that my experience was full of “best” parts. However, I would say one of the best parts of my experience was my core course. The course that I took was “Prostitution and the Sex Trade” where we were able to look at sex work through a sociological and policy perspective which I found incredibly eye-opening and informative. This is often a topic that is not talked about in-depth considering it has so many angles to look at it from.

Housing: I lived in a Kollegium, which is similar to a dorm building setup. Each Kollegium has a different arrangement; however, I shared a room with a roommate and a kitchen and common space with the 14 other people on my floor. That sounds like a lot to share a kitchen, but our floor was very communal which made it easy to clean everything. Both locals and people in the program were living in the building. I met some of my best friends abroad on my floor (including my roommate), so I am happy with my decision. 

I also was able to participate in the visiting host program which basically meant I had a local who I could meet up with whenever worked for us both. This was not a homestay, but an opportunity to meet someone who lives there without actually living with them, which I found to be an amazing experience. She was the sweetest person, and I would even call her my “host mom.”

The Classes: Classes were located at different building locations that were all close to each other. The program was not through a university campus, but I actually preferred being able to go to different buildings throughout the city and go on field trips every week to supplement what I was learning. Classes were similar to the U.S.; however, I many teachers did a flipped classroom where the classes were not filled with taking notes or lectures. Instead, I read material prior to class and had a conversation about the topic during class. I preferred this method of teaching as it allowed me to gain new perspectives from my peers while being able to make sense of the material. 

My Tips: If someone else was going abroad to Copenhagen, I would say to fully immerse yourself in the place and be fully present. I liked to believe that I was truly living there while studying, meaning I made an effort to meet new people and make lasting connections. However, I would also remind someone to take time for themselves, too. Living in a different country may feel overwhelming at times, but that is part of the process of being somewhere new. So, it's important to surround yourself with supportive people and do things that align with your goals. 

P.s. You have to try the pastries! 

I Learned: Going to SITC helped me confirm that I am pursuing the right major and career path. I got paired with one of Boston’s largest homeless services organizations, Pine Street Inn. My passion for ending homelessness and solving social inequities flourished at Pine Street Inn because I was able to leverage that passion into my work and projects. During the internship, I realized that I am the type of person who thrives in a work environment that requires me to wear many hats. Learning from a job that you’re passionate about is such a rewarding experience. Being in Boston with an internship gave me a glimpse into the future that I’d love to have after graduation. I now know what it’s like to work a job I love, how to live independently and cook all of my meals, and that I thrive in city environments. 

Best Part: Living in a new city that I wasn’t really familiar with was amazing. I grew up in NYC and only moved into Boston with a small idea of how cool the city truly is. The independence to hop on the T and do whatever I wanted was liberating. I also got to live in a really sweet apartment in Allston with randomly selected students that were also in the internship program. My roommates and I really hit it off, and we often went to the Boston Commons, did karaoke nights, went to farmers markets to get fresh produce for our meals, explored 30+ cafes in Boston, and hosted gatherings with other interns in the SITC program. 

The Program Structure: The balance between taking two classes and working a full-time internship was very manageable. The workload from the professors was doable, and they were very conscious not to overburden us students with too much work. There were two classes a week where I met with other members of my internship cohort. The classes were  great opportunities to learn about social impact and to socialize with other students. 

The housing situation was one of my favorite aspects of the program. The apartments were in the heart of Allston. I was less than 10 minutes from BU’s campus, around tons of amazing food spots, and a 5-minute walk from the Green Line. The apartment had four big bedrooms, tons of windows and natural light, a full kitchen with tons of cabinet space, and a balcony. My roommates and I managed to decorate the apartment really well in the short months we were there; it was honestly really sad to say goodbye to the apartment. 

Words of Wisdom for Future Students:  You’ll professionally and personally grow during this program. If you want to get some real-life experience working in an organization, (especially if you are interested in social impact work) you should go for it! Make sure you advocate for a field of your interest, be as specific as possible for what you want to get out of the internship, and your internship pairing should be great. The SITC experience felt like I was playing the role of an adult after graduation. It can help you realize what you do and don’t like. You might realize you hate the corporate 9-5 structure or that you want to pivot your job focus. You’ll learn so much about yourself!

I Learned: Studying abroad in Singapore was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. Living in a new city and exploring different places was exciting, but what I learned about myself was even more impactful. I became more independent as I navigated unfamiliar environments, and immersing myself in a different culture broadened my perspective and deepened my understanding of the world. 

Best Part: The amazing friends I made, the incredible food, and the ease of traveling to other ASEAN countries. Singapore quickly became my favorite; it is a beautiful, clean, and safe city with fast, reliable public transportation that makes getting around effortless. At the same time, visiting Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia added so much depth to my experience and made my time abroad even more memorable. Each place taught me something new and helped shape a truly unforgettable journey.

Tips: If you’re planning to study in Singapore, I couldn’t recommend it more. It’s a beautiful, green, and vibrant city that’s incredibly clean and easy to navigate. Make the most of your time by exploring both the city and the surrounding ASEAN countries. There’s so much history, culture, and delicious food to discover. Be sure to try as much hawker food as possible (it’s affordable and amazing!). And don’t forget to bring an umbrella with you; it really does rain almost every day!

Studying abroad was one of the best experiences I have had so far in my life. Not only was it amazing getting the opportunity to live in a new city and explore so many different places, but I also learned a lot about myself. I learned to be independent as I had to live by myself and to do my own research while planning my trips. I also got to experience living in a different culture which allowed my perspective to change in many ways while expanding my views in the world. 

I Learned: My experience studying in Asia taught me more about my personal strengths than anything else.  I left for the semester not knowing anyone else in the program, which was nerve wracking.  Those nerves quickly eased as within days I had made a handful of friends from all over the world.  I learned that no matter where I go, I will always be able to make connections with others, and that taking the first big step to try something new will always teach you something about yourself. 

Best Part: The best part was experiencing the everyday life of a college student in a foreign country! I wore a uniform to class, enjoyed Tom kha kai soup in over 100 degree weather, rode on the back of a motorbike to class, and frequented karaoke bars on the weekends.  Mahidol University was so different from UMass, and being able to experience Thai culture through my classmates was my favorite part. 

My Advice to Others Considering This Program: I would encourage you to give it a shot. I had never originally expected to study in Asia, but after researching the program and Thai culture, I decided to go for it. I couldn’t be happier that I did.  I would try to not say "no" when it comes to food, even if it seems foreign to you. You never know… it might become your new favorite food.  Also, I’d say to be prepared for the heat; it's sunny and hot. 

I Learned: Studying abroad gave me the opportunity to become more independent and adaptable while experiencing a new culture. It also helped me become more confident navigating unfamiliar places and meeting people from different backgrounds.

Best Part: One of the most rewarding parts of my experience was learning about European politics while actually living in Europe. Being able to travel to different countries and see the policies and political systems we discussed in class in action gave me a much deeper understanding than I could have gained from a classroom alone.

My Advice to Others: I would absolutely recommend studying in Limerick. The University of Limerick has a very American-style campus, so it feels familiar while still giving you a truly Irish experience. You'll take classes alongside Irish students, get involved in campus clubs and organizations, and live on campus. One thing to keep in mind is that the grading system is very different from UMass. Classes rely heavily, if not entirely, on your final exam, so it's important to stay on top of things throughout the semester.

My advice to others: Absolutely go. Studying abroad builds so much independence, character, and confidence in yourself and in skills you may not even realize you have. The friendships you make, the people you meet, and the experiences you have are unforgettable. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and something I’ll always be grateful for getting to experience. 

I Learned: I'm introverted and like to be independent. A lot of what I learned wasn't about being alone; it was about letting people in. Korean classrooms move fast and expect a lot of work outside classes, so I had to get way more disciplined about how I used my time - joining study groups and sitting for hours in cafes or the dorm common rooms with friends just grinding through readings together instead of doing everything solo like I used to at UMass. In the second semester, I moved off campus and lived alone for the first time in a goshiwon. I wanted to experience it since I had the opportunity, and it was honestly so fun living off campus in a foreign country. While I don't need a friend with me 24/7, living in a goshiwon taught me it's okay to depend on people sometimes, even if it's just for morale. It can be nice knowing there are people around who want to hang out and do things together and who are just as spontaneous as I am. On top of all that, I also applied to be an intern as an activities program assistant for the winter semester and got it. Every weekday we would go out and do fun activities with the students who were only staying for a few weeks in Korea. It was fun showing them around the city and experiencing new things together while still attending classes in the morning.

Best Part: The best part of studying abroad was the scale of it, honestly. This wasn't just one semester abroad for me. I spent my entire sophomore year in another country, for 9 months without seeing my home friends or my family, taking full course loads in a different education system the whole time. It was so different from my first semester in London where I had a cohort with other UMass people and a built-in support system. In Korea, I went completely alone, no UMass cohort, and nobody I already knew. I was figuring out how to study, how to make friends, how to just function day-to-day, all while still being a student with deadlines, and doing it without anyone from home to fall back on. I'm a spontaneous kind of person, even when it's outside my comfort zone, and which is what drove me to stay the full year in the first place. You genuinely don't know where saying yes will take you until you're already in it, and looking back almost every good thing that happened to me came from just agreeing to something before I had time to overthink it. If I'm going to be stressed about school, I'd rather be stressed about it in Seoul than back home, at least there I was learning something new every single day on top of my academics. Even the hard parts, like the language barrier or being homesick or missing my friends and family, taught me something that I don't think I could have learned any other way.

What prompted you to go: What pushed me to study in Korea was the fact that I had the opportunity to study abroad my first semester in London with CEA. During that time, I learned so much about myself and how different life can be on the other side of the ocean. When I got back to UMass, I was even more excited for another study abroad, and I immediately went and asked the Office of Global Affairs if it would be possible. Korea wasn't even my first option since I felt like I already, in some way, knew or experienced Korean culture by learning Korean and watching Korean shows since the age of 13. However, I thought how it was still somewhere I'd never actually been and decided that if I had the opportunity to go that I should. As a result, I decided to stay a full year to fully immerse myself.

My advice to others: If someone is considering going abroad, I would say they should most definitely do it. You'll make so many memories and stories to tell when you get back home. It's a good way to experience life away from the normality of home. Honestly, my biggest advice is just say yes to things. You'll never know what you'll get out of it until you try. You also build global connections that you wouldn't get otherwise: friends from everywhere and even some of the teachers, people you'll probably keep in touch with long after you're back. It forces you to develop independence fast, but the good thing is you're never really doing it alone. There's a whole group of people around you also figuring it out for the first time, so you get that independence without actually being isolated. It just gave me perspective - on my major, on home, on myself - in a way that I couldn't really get staying at home.

I Learned: Through studying abroad, I gained an international perspective on public policy. I took a module on criminology. I thought it was so interesting to learn how the judicial system works in Ireland and how that compares to the American context.

Best Part: I believe the best part about studying abroad was all the interesting people that I was able to meet from around the world.

My advice to others: I would say that Dublin is a very fun city but small. For the best possible experience, plan lots of trips to other parts of Ireland and Europe to get the most out of the experience. Also, anyone studying abroad in Ireland should make an effort to get to know Irish people there because they are the best part about the country.