"As a Public Policy major, I would say that thinking about the history, culture, etc. of your study abroad location in real-time gives you much more perspective on the policies of today. Being able to interact with locals and gather their opinions on policies that might be unrecognizable or complicated to us as foreigners was really enlightening for me."

"I became more independent and self reliant and learned how to adapt to different cultures and different people. It gave me a different perspective on how others may view my own culture as well."

"University of Maryland offers so many scholarship opportunities for study abroad students to help cover some of the tuition costs. Also as an out-of-state student at Maryland, my tuition at my London university is cheaper than my UMD tuition."

"As a public policy major, my advice is to take any and every opportunity you can get to learn about other cultures and perspectives... It was eye opening to see how people from different backgrounds responded to my questions and learn about how they thought their home country compared to the US. "

"I would tell anyone, regardless of your identity, that studying abroad is one of the most special opportunities you should have. Never let your identity deter you from going to another country because there is always a place for you where you want to go."

"Getting to know people with a completely different worldview is not only fascinating, but also curiosity inducing. I did a group project with students from Norway, Mexico, and Scotland, heard the Scottish perspective on Brexit, and debated politics with my French roommate."