College is full of exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and the chance to explore another country during study abroad is certainly one of the most unique and thrilling. It’s a great chance to understand a new culture from both an educational and experiential perspective. QUEST currently has 10 students studying abroad across the globe from Europe to Australia. I spoke with two QUESTees to hear about everything from their study abroad journey so far.
Daniel Lamb is a computer engineering major from Cohort 40 who is currently studying in Madrid, Spain. He was inspired to study in Madrid because he wanted to explore a new country, meet international students, and try as many new things as possible! His favorite experience so far has been his solo travel to Valencia where he was able to participate in a festival called Las Falleras. He got to dance, eat, and build human towers with locals around a massive bonfire. His favorite class abroad has been his Spanish class, which is taught fully in Spanish by a professor who loves to poke fun and have a good time with his students. Lamb advises future QUEST students looking to study abroad to try as many new things as they can and not to worry about feeling out of place as that feeling is part of the gateway to new experiences.
Lamb (Cohort 40) parasailing in Spain
Maya Pollack is a computer science major from Cohort 40 studying abroad in Sydney, Australia. Pollack grew up loving to travel and knew she wanted to take advantage of studying abroad in college. Over the last two months in Australia, she has felt “genuinely immersed in the culture of this beautiful country,” and it has enhanced her “academic journey with invaluable insights and personal growth.” Her favorite class so far has been an environmental science lab where they go on weekly outdoor field trips related to the content they learn in class. Her favorite experience was when she visited Cairns, Queensland and went skydiving! Pollack wants future QUESTees to take the opportunity to study abroad if they can. She finds that “traveling and seeing the world is such an important part of life, pushing you to become more worldly and open-minded.” She advises coming in with the mindset of “getting comfortable with being uncomfortable” to maximize the exciting elements of studying abroad.
Pollack (Cohort 40) skydiving in Cairns, New Zealand