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"I am a first generation African American college student that has lived in a single parent household my entire life. The best advice I would give any individual coming from any one of those backgrounds is to fully embrace themselves in the experience and try not to focus on things you cannot control or things going on back home."

"Personally, this experience was eye opening; I realized just how similar people are on the individual level, yet how different they are on a cultural level."

"It was my first time abroad. I was able to go abroad because the program fit my studies, did not delay graduation, and was cheaper than U.S. tuition."

"In order to understand different cultures, we can't just look at them in textbooks, going out and speaking to others, listening, and understanding is more valuable than any reading you could do on another culture."

"Go somewhere. Go anywhere. I am a firm believer that people should take any chance to stretch their mind and expand their worldview during our college careers and our lives in general . When I went to study abroad in a foreign country, I quickly shifted out of my comfortable life in College Park, for the first time, and took on the role of an active visitor, learner, and traveler."

"The programming setup before the beginning of classes forced me to meet others and to trust myself. This made me more confident and allowed me to experience things I never would have otherwise. For example, I completed a surf camp, I tried skydiving, scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef, and also explored both Thailand and New Zealand."