CIEE First Year Abroad

Throughout my time spent in Berlin, I have encountered many new experiences, countries, friends, and relationships that have all strengthened my character and have directed me on the path toward personal growth. I completed my studies at the CIEE Berlin campus, however, it surely was not the only place I began to frequent while in Berlin. The recommendations from the campus staff and the hearty smiles from my professors were nothing short of kind and endearing. I thoroughly enjoyed the structure of the program as well. With the 6 week blocks, I was able to collect more class credits than a typical American semester, while also completing the requirements for my writing minor.

Berlin is a place where I was able to truly experience independence and freedom for the first time. It is such a unique city with endless opportunities for self-discovery. It has been the perfect way for me to explore life outside my comfort zone, and it's great for any first-year student looking to get a feel for the beauty in finding yourself. Whether you spend your time exploring the city with friends, communicating with your loved ones from a distance, or simply window-shopping while listening to your favorite podcast, Berlin is the perfect place to admire the little things in life. My advice for anyone exploring the city would definitely be to have a picnic or two, try out as many cafés as your wallet will allow, and definitely get out for walks, because you will most likely stumble upon your new favorite coffee shop.

Before coming to Rome, I had never travelled abroad. CIEE made this transition into a new country and culture easy. Through weekly activities such as cooking classes or spritz socials, CIEE made activities to help their students become more comfortable and involved with their new community. I was also able to gain a large portion of credits through the classes CIEE offered. Not only was I able to talk classes such as "Culture & Cuisine" or "Contemporary Italy" which taught me about Italian culture and way of life, but I was able to gain credit at my home university while doing so.

Studying in Rome gave me the opportunity to pave my own path. Being in Rome, there are so many things to do from history, nature, food, nightlife, and so much more. I had the chance to engineer my own day and be independent, prioritize what was important to me. There were long school days but for the most part, you did not have to worry about school outside of the classroom, so you are free to explore with a clear mind. Not to mention, Rome is a great and central place to travel from. I would recommend studying in Romr with CIEE.

After studying abroad in Paris for a semester, I have memories that will last forever. When I started to get settled in during my first month, I realized that my experience was going to be whatever I wanted it to be. I feel like everyone has this overall perception of students going abroad and just traveling and partying. However, that isn’t what I wanted my experience to be. I wanted to come home from Europe having learned new life lessons and a different understanding of a part of the world I have never discovered before.

I came to Paris all alone not knowing anyone in the program, flew all the way by myself, and had random roommates. This situation worked out great for me because my roommates ended up being two of my best friends abroad and I actually got to meet new people who also go to the same home university as me. It was definitely a lot to soak in upon arriving but I think my openness and extroverted personality helped me a lot through the process. Something I was worried about when coming abroad was not being able to have a routine but surely after a few weeks I was able to get into one. I have also never experienced the level of independence that study abroad gives you. It was so liberating walking through the streets of Paris, soaking it all in and thinking to myself “Wow I’m fully just living in Paris right now.” But like I said, you choose how you want to live your life. I know some of my friends in different countries are always with people because they hate being alone. I personally have always been an independent person so I chose to be alone sometimes. This has definitely made me more mature and open to new experiences. Overall, some advice I would give to a student that is planning on studying abroad is that you don’t have to do what everyone else does. You get to choose your own experience so make it the best that you can for yourself. Try not to do the same things you would be doing back in the US when you are abroad. Get out of your comfort zone and explore.