"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!"

"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."

"Increased Korean language skills will help me in my academic and professional career as my minor is in Korean studies and I want to become a foreign service officer so language skills are important in my career."

"Before this experience, I did not have a particular passion for global affairs. Studying abroad not only provided me with a comprehensive understanding of Spanish history and politics but also instilled in me a profound appreciation for international politics."

"I was put into this new environment with a different culture and I loved it. It was so interesting to be able to live there and see the culture of the people both physically represented and through the surroundings in terms of architecture and deliberate choices for academics and such."