Samantha Guisinger
Samantha studied in Ireland on the Dublin: University College Dublin program during Spring 2015.
If you could give only one reason, why would you suggest other students study abroad?
Choosing to study abroad was one of the best decisions I have made at Penn State. I had the opportunity to meet new people from all around the world. I tried food that I had never even heard of before and heard languages spoken in native tongues. I explored cities I had never seen before with other new, eager travelers. If I could only choose one reason to tell other students to go abroad; I would say you should go abroad for the people. The people you get to meet will surprise you and become some of your best friends. You will meet students that you will share once in a lifetime experiences with. My abroad friends and I will never forget all the pubs we sang and danced at, all the desserts we ate in Portugal, what it felt like to ride down the canals in Venice, the restaurants in Florence, the times we booked hostels last minute in Spain, and the adventures we had witnessing a completely new culture in Morocco. Getting to have these experiences is amazing but getting to share them with new people is even better. I learned a lot from my roommate who was Australian about what life was like at university for them and all the places she had been in Asia. I can’t wait to go to Australia next now!
What advice would you give to outbound study abroad students to help them make the most of their study abroad experiences?
Being in Ireland I also came to find that it is true what they say about Irish people; they really are the nicest people on the planet. It’s funny to think that my favorite part about study abroad was the people and that was what I was most worried about. I was terrified I would not meet anyone and wouldn’t find people to travel with. My advice to anyone with the same fear is to put yourself out there. Pretend like it is freshmen year all over again. Everyone is looking to meet new people and I would suggest going to any and all orientation activities your program holds. Everyone there is looking for friends just like you are. I think to get the most out of study abroad experience it is important to fully get involved in different cultures.