"Go in with very few expectations, because no matter how much you plan, there will always be surprises and different outcomes..."

"I lived with a host family and dedicated most of my coursework to learning Spanish and it fully paid off. I speak Spanish comfortably now after my four immersive months in Chile and traveling around South America."

"I was able to make lots of new friendships and talk to people I may not have been able to interact with before. I expanded my social network greatly as I met people from all over the world and also a lot of students from UMD that I may not met without study abroad!"

"Studying abroad was the best decision I've ever made! It helped me step out of my comfort zone and become more confident in myself."

"A skill I gained while in India was the ability to connect with people from the region on a deeper level - especially those who live in the US now. Meaning, I am able to relate to those whose lineage comes from the area which is important for my future in a diverse work environment."

"The ease of access to countries with different cultures allowed me to grow my respect for people who are different than me and also see how it compares to other cultures by experiencing it. With this new knowledge, I believe it will help me understand and relate to people who are different than me in an easier way in the future work place."