Throughout your time at Vanderbilt, you most likely will experience an event or conversations about studying abroad. The critical tasks of choosing a program, country or even whether studying abroad is a good fit for you can be difficult and overwhelming. The Vanderbilt Global Education Office simplifies the process through its drop-in hours and critical resources, such as the YES Study Abroad Course Search Tool, which lists the courses offered at international universities and explains how they would transfer back to Vanderbilt. But it is not an easy decision sometimes. There are some misconceptions and, at times, doubts about the overall experience. I spoke with two students about their most recent semester abroad — their takeaways, their learnings and the shocks about it all.  

Senior Joshua Mi, from Nashville, spent the second semester of his junior year participating in the DIS Copenhagen program in Denmark. 

“I always felt like studying abroad was an integral part of the college experience,” Mi said. 

Mi visited seventeen countries, although he cannot determine his favorite city, as they all uphold different characters, cultures and vibes.  

Senior Valentina Alvarez, from Uruguay, spent the second semester of her junior year in Sydney, Australia, immersing herself in the IFSA University of New South Wales program. Alvarez recounts not only Australia’s beauty, with “really gorgeous beaches,” but also its slow-paced lifestyle that encouraged a balance between work and life, a huge contrast from Nashville.  

“I knew I really wanted to go as far away as I could, and I thought Sydney was perfect because it’s culturally similar [to the Western World],” Alvarez said.  

Alvarez reflected on the incredible experiences Australia provided when it came to traveling; she discussed that she and her fellow Australian friends drove throughout the country from Sydney to Perth, which is a whopping 41-hour drive. Alvarez also loved Sydney’s cultural diversity, feeling both shocked and comforted to hear various languages, including Spanish.  

“I was surprised and really glad to hear Spanish because I speak Spanish. Half of the people that I met were speaking Spanish, and they just immigrated there,” Alvarez said. 

Alvarez feels as though she has grown, now being able to adapt to diverse cultures as well as appreciate what is in front of her, whether it is the present moment or the nature that surrounds her. She talked about how every week she woke up at 4 a.m. to visit Coogee Beach, a well-known beach in Sydney, and watch the sunrise. It was these kinds of moments, Alvarez stated, that you do not get to have often in the States, let alone in Nashville. 

Both Mi and Alvarez discussed how studying abroad enhanced their knowledge both in and out of the classroom. Mi took a business strategy course, which allowed him to connect with European companies, looking at them from a European perspective. Mi was able to travel to Estonia and Finland, visiting government incubators to see how governments fund startups in Estonia. 

“I’m sure I could have found an American equivalent for [this experience], but nowhere else would I have been able to understand European business, except in Europe,” Mi said. 

Mi also took a climate change planning course, which provided him with the tools to understand how Copenhagen is able to be the “design center of the world” when it comes to sustainability, inclusivity and accessibility. Mi reflects on how the course allowed them to walk around the city and learn what it means to have adaptive architecture so that everyone can live with climate change.  

When it comes to understanding what they know now and the shocks of going abroad, Mi discussed how he felt the Danish culture was incredibly strong, leaning more on the exclusive side.  

“That’s not to say anyone was mean, but it’s just, especially for students of color, [their exclusivity is] something to strongly consider,” Mi said. 

Mi was also shocked by Copenhagen’s climate, specifically how they went two weeks without sunlight, something Mi did not know going into the program. 

Alvarez, on the other hand, was shocked that there were not as many wild animals and bugs in Sydney as she had assumed. She recommends that students communicate and befriend Australians who can debunk any misconceptions as well as get an authentic Australian perspective and experience.  

“When I went to the beach, I was afraid of sharks, but all the Australians said, ‘That’s not real,’” Alvarez said. 

When deciding on a program, it’s beneficial to lean on students who have completed it to get a realistic idea of what it’s like as well as to gain some advice.   

“I went to a lot of meetings with people who had already studied in Sydney to listen to what they were saying, what their experience was, and I think that’s what convinced me to go,” Alvarez said. 

Alvarez reflected on how helpful the GEO was in ensuring she was not alone in the process of applying and going abroad.  

Mi’s advice when it comes to studying abroad in Copenhagen is to ensure your housing accommodates your needs as an individual and student and that you figure out your needs based on your goals and wants. While the program had diverse accommodations from homestays to apartments, Mi emphasized that housing is a “critical determinant of the study abroad experience.”  

The two highly recommend studying abroad, as it truly is the experience you hear about. Not only can you learn about yourself, your career and a new country, but it is also incredibly exciting, fun and rewarding.