Anonymous wrote:University of Jordan in Amman, JO for a spring semester. It was incredible, excellent food, great historic sites, wonderful people, and perfect experience to improve language skills and be immersed in the culture.

I visited here on a long weekend trip while I was studying in Turkey! Loved Jordan.

Russia, early 2000s. Absolutely bonkers, and somewhat sad that I will probably never return.

Anonymous wrote:Madrid in the early 90s. It was awesome but I imagine the experience is very different for kids now with the internet, cell phones, etc. It makes me sad that my kids won't have the same experience I did, where we were completely disconnected from home friends and family. Also where we had to figure things out with books, maps, etc. It really made us all very self-sufficient.

+1 Sevilla, late 90s. I imagine the kids today are just working on their Instagrams for the audience back home.

My group really bonded, honestly because once the novelty wore off, it was hard! The language barrier, getting homesick, figuring out how to make the most of the experience without relying too heavily on your fellow Americans (and speaking English all the time). I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, but it definitely was not all wine and roses. It pains me to think that kids can just bury themselves in their phones now instead of relying on other humans to help navigate situations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Salamanca in Spain in the 90s.

Same! So much fun. I wouldn’t say our group leaders were very good chaperones, though.

Same place, same time. Great memories.

-- Salamanca in the 90s

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Salamanca in Spain in the 90s.

Same! So much fun. I wouldn’t say our group leaders were very good chaperones, though.

Same place, same time. Great memories.

University of Jordan in Amman, JO for a spring semester. It was incredible, excellent food, great historic sites, wonderful people, and perfect experience to improve language skills and be immersed in the culture.

Oxford for a term. Then summer in London.

Edinburgh, Scotland - loved the medieval history and castles, the warm and lovely people, museums, and the sun setting so late in the spring/summer.

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Anonymous wrote:Innsbruck, Austria.

Had a Eurail pass and traveled to Rome, Paris and Munich on the weekends.

It was heaven.

Me too- it was amazing!

I was in Geneva but also had a eurail pass - yes, absolutely amazing!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Madrid in the early 90s. It was awesome but I imagine the experience is very different for kids now with the internet, cell phones, etc. It makes me sad that my kids won't have the same experience I did, where we were completely disconnected from home friends and family. Also where we had to figure things out with books, maps, etc. It really made us all very self-sufficient.

+1

We program students were a very tight, bonded group, maybe because we were so dependent on each other. The friends I made that year are close friends to this day.

I feel the same way. I studied abroad at the advent of smart phones; some people had them, but they were pretty rare. Wifi still wasn’t great or as ubiquitous. I think I skyped with my family once in a 7 month period. We exchanged emails but that was it. All my friends were local students or other international students. I was just totally immersed. I didn’t want to come home, ha!

Anonymous wrote:Madagascar, which ultimately led me to join Peace Corps, which led to a career in international development.

I had a similar path via South Africa.

Russian language students of the world unite?

Moscow, Soviet Union, 1991, one semester (undergrad)
St. Petersburg, Russia, 1993-94, academic year (grad)

London- late 90s.

This isn't a semester abroad but I deferred grad school for a year and did a year of volunteer work in Manchester (England).