Studying abroad was the experience of a lifetime. I have never seen such beautiful sights, met such amazing people, and had such an experience before.

Studying abroad helped me learn and grow a lot as a person in many ways. To start off, my time abroad enhanced my academic pursuits through learning about things that I have never learned about, and actually being able to see them in person. There is something special about actually being able to stand and see what you are learning. It also enhanced my career goals because my mind was open to a whole new world full of opportunities. I got to experience a different culture and life, and it really made me broaden my horizons.

Studying abroad did not only affect my learning, but it affected me personally. I had some tough times abroad missing home, dealing with the heat, adjusting to the time change, etc. However, being abroad helped me learn how to deal with and overcome hard times, and I truly think that it led to a whole new level of character development. I will most likely never be put in that situation again, and I am glad that I was able to push through the hardships and have a great experience.

There were many differences between the American and Greek culture. To start off, they eat dinner at 10 pm at the earliest, which was a huge change for me. I also learned that they do not tip, and they are actually confused when you leave extra money on the table.

Something that I always thought when studying abroad was that you have a lot of free time to be on your own, but I found out that that was not true. We were doing stuff nonstop and did not have a lot of free time to do whatever we wanted. However, everything that we did was stuff that I wanted to do and helped enhance my experience, so I am not upset at the lack of free time that we got.

Overall, studying abroad was a huge eye-opening experience for me, and I am very glad that I pulled the plug and did it. I met some of my best friends, got to immerse myself in a new culture, and see some amazing things. I am very grateful for my opportunity and for the donors that helped make it possible!

Name: Emma Ksoll
Status: Junior
Major: Marketing
Hometown: Rochester, Michigan
Program: Business Law, Ethics, and Sustainability in an Emerging Global Market in Greece