Europe

<p>Growing up in California with years of Spanish classes can make you think you're ready to live in Spain, but real fluency comes not from classes or textbooks. Rather, it comes from embracing the awkward moments and making mistakes. Read (UC Santa Barbara) Aileen Pulchney's humorous and honest adventures of learning to speak Spanish in Madrid.</p>

<p>What can you get out of a short academic program abroad? Turns out, you can learn a lot in three weeks! Divyanshi Saha (UC San Diego) says studying abroad is not just about academics - it's about stepping out of your comfort zone, making memories, and discovering who you are in the process.</p>

<p>Trey Timberlake (UC Berkeley), a gay man from Palm Springs, California, challenged his childhood feelings of isolation and otherness as well as his fear of masculinity while studying abroad in Florence, Italy. See why Trey describes study abroad as the most transformative experience of his life.</p>

<p>If you lived in the same town your whole life, would you be excited or terrified by the idea of leaving it all behind to study abroad in another country? Both is probably the correct answer, and Morgan Taylor-Cohen (UC Los Angeles) says you have to embrace abundance to get you through to the other side.</p>

<p>If you're a shy, introverted person, could you travel almost 6,000 miles away from home to study abroad on your own? Francesca Casimiro (UC Berkeley) did and you can too. Read her story and learn how you can too.</p>

<p>Travel the landscapes of England through Serena Broome's (UC Davis) photo album and see the magical experiences you can have when you study abroad with UCEAP.</p>

<p>If you're a business major at a UC, where in the world will you get the most benefit from studying abroad? See why Christina Chi (UC Irvine) recommends London and the Business and Entrepreneurship program as the best option.</p>

<p>Too many students - especially first-gen students - stop before they even get started because they assume their budget can't handle study abroad. The good news is there are so many scholarships that await you! Check out (UC Irvine) Qi Jun Chen's roadmap for earning scholarships to study abroad.</p>

<p>Ever wonder what it's like to spend Thanksgiving in another country, far away from your family and friends at home? Read (UC Santa Barbara) Elias Veran's story of spending Thanksgiving weekend on an olive farm in Provence, hosted by UC alum, Thomas Seale.</p>

<p>Learn how one Iranian-American student from UC Berkeley, Tara Shahandeh, discovered strength and resilience in the face of challenges while studying abroad in France. Learn what helped her finally claim her role as a multicultural, multi-lingual anthropologist. </p>