Hopkins students choose to study abroad in dozens of different countries. The News-Letter asked three students to share their experiences and the lessons they’ve learned while overseas.
Carli Heiman
Galway, Ireland
During the fall semester of 2015, senior Carli Heiman studied at the National University of Ireland at Galway. She was one of many American and European students in the program.
While abroad, Heiman lived in an apartment complex provided by the program. In her free time, she had plenty of opportunities to explore the area.
“There were some trips already planned for me, to Northern Ireland and one weekend at the Killary Fjord in Connemara,” Heiman wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “[I] also travelled to many other European cities almost every weekend. It is very easy to travel around Europe... with tickets being as low as 25 euros each way.”
“My favorite memory is visiting the Cliffs of Moher on one of the few sunny days in Ireland,” Heiman recalls. “I am a photography minor, and the views were absolutely breathtaking.”
For Heiman, the decision to study abroad stemmed from a desire to immerse herself in a different culture.
“I felt like growing up in the U.S. gave me so many privileges and opportunities, but also gave me a biased view of my country, so I wanted to see what the rest of the world thinks of the U.S.,” she wrote.
Although she experienced a few minor difficulties in transferring credits, Heiman’s transition back to Hopkins life was relatively stress-free.
“Since I had friends who studied abroad the same time as I did we were able to figure it out together and everything worked out,” she wrote.
Abby Grant
Milan, Italy
Like Heiman, senior Abby Grant studied abroad in Europe during her junior year. She traveled to Milan, Italy with the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) and took classes through the program.
“[It was a] wonderful program,” Grant wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “People in the Milan IES program... love the American students and want the students to have the best, most enriching time abroad.”
Grant described how being abroad made even everyday life exciting.
“During the school week, I formed a life in Milan,” Grant wrote. “I joined a gym, was a babysitting/ English tutor to a Milanese family, went grocery shopping and had simple dinners at home with my roommates. All the mundane things we do during the day in the USA hold true over in Italy.”
Grant didn’t decide to go to Italy until a few months before the program started, but the advisors in the Office of Study Abroad were supportive.
“[They] helped me get everything in order in a very quick fashion,” Grant wrote. “Advisors in the study abroad office want students to go abroad and will do extra work to make it happen.”
Grant was ultimately satisfied with her semester abroad.
“It’s an eye opening experience and you grow as a person, both emotionally and socially and worldly,” she wrote. “I wouldn’t change my time in Milan for anything.”
Gabby Liflander
Barcelona, Spain
Junior Gabby Liflander, who is currently abroad for a semester in Barcelona, Spain, also spoke about her independent study abroad program, which has given her an opportunity to live and take classes in an environment completely different from Hopkins.
Although the program’s large size was overwhelming at first, Liflander found it easy to adjust.
“I live in a homestay, which was definitely a change from living in dorms at Hopkins, but I know it is the best way to experience the country,” she wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “My host ‘parents’ only speak Spanish, so my roommate and I have no choice but to speak Spanish for at least an hour at home every day. Because of this, my Spanish has drastically improved!”
Like Heiman and Grant, some of Liflander’s most memorable experiences have been non-academic, such as the festival of La Mercé.
“The entire weekend was amazing; you couldn’t walk anywhere in the entire city without running into some sort of celebration or activity,” Liflander wrote. “The weekend concluded with an incredible fireworks display in front of a Disney-esque castle that has been transformed into a museum, which was, hands down, the best fireworks I’ve ever seen!”
Liflander was satisfied with the Office of Study Abroad and said the process fast and easy.
“All I had to do was meet with the women in the office for a few minutes... and they were all extremely helpful whenever I had other questions,” she wrote.
Heiman, Grant and Liflander all recommend studying abroad to any interested student.
“Literally just do it,” Liflander wrote. “You won’t regret it.”
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