Megan’s Experience in Brussels, Belgium

Megan Hammer

Megan studied in Beligum on the CIEE: Brussels, Business, Communications, and Culture Program during the Spring of 2015.

If you could give only one reason, why would you suggest other students study abroad?

You will never be the same- and for the better. Going to a completely new place, with people you don’t know and a language you can’t understand will change you forever. It challenges you, and you learn how to overcome these challenges. Going abroad is the most surreal experience I believe someone will ever have in their life. You do things you never thought you could- like learn to decipher a new city’s map every weekend. You meet the most interesting people and hear their incredible stories. You create a bond with people so quickly it’s unfathomable. The world has so many things to offer, and when you get to experience them first hand your life will be changed forever.

What was it about your program specifically that fit your personal goals over other programs?

Royal Palace of Brussels

My goals going abroad were to go someone I’ve never been and with people I’ve never met; Brussels was the perfect fit. Brussels is not somewhere you typically hear about when people say they’re going abroad, but along with the people on my trip I think it was the perfect hidden gem. I didn’t want to go somewhere that I knew a lot of people going to, it was important to get outside my comfort zone and try putting myself out there. This was the perfect city because I rarely felt like a tourist, it was home.

Megan Belgium 2
Royal Palace of Brussels

What advice would you give to outbound study abroad students to help them make the most of their study abroad experiences?

Don’t hold yourself back! It is easy to rely on our devices and social media when it gets a little rough. Put the phone and computer away and put yourself out there! You begin to realize how engaging life is and how great conversation can be once you’re not checking your phone every minute. Your friends from America will still be there when you get home, and trust me you are having way more fun than they are! Take advantage of every opportunity you are given, and try your hardest not to close yourself off.

 

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