College students nationwide are packing their bags and exploring the variety a new country has to offer through schooling. For these five SF State students, it was much more than just exploring a new country. It was a transformative, life-altering experience that shaped their perspective on themselves and the world. Whether it be the contemporary artwork found in Spain, the rich history and lush forests in Ghana, the royal family in the United Kingdom, the cobblestone streets of France or the wine in Portugal, students immerse themselves in the culture that can’t be replicated in their hometowns. 

Madrid, Spain

While Rylie Marquez was observing the countries that were best suitable for her major, which is business, she stumbled across Spain and it immediately caught her eye. She got into the program, packed her bags and chased a new experience. Within the last month of her year abroad in Madrid, Marquez reflected on the time she had spent there and held on to the limited time she had left before returning to San Francisco in December.

“I was just looking for change,” Marquez said. “Honestly, I was really stuck at home [San Francisco]. I just needed something different.”

While studying abroad in Madrid, the appeal and easy accessibility to travel to neighboring countries was something that Marquez jumped on when she had an extra day off school. Marquez was able to immerse herself in nine different countries while studying abroad. Morocco is her favorite. 

“Being able to travel with a whole bunch of people that you’ve just met is a really cool experience,” Marquez said. 

It wasn’t all glitz and glamour studying in Madrid. Marquez had to adapt to the schooling curriculum compared to SF State.

“Here, their grades are mostly based on your final,” Marquez said. “Last semester, I spent a whole month just studying.” 

While Marquez had been in Madrid for about a year studying business and becoming familiar with the lifestyle that she had created for herself, homesickness was a lingering thought in her mind. 

“It made me appreciate more of what I have at home; I realize how much I like [being] at home,” Marquez said. “But, it made me realize how important it is to experience other cultures and meet different people from around the world.” 

Ghana, West Africa

Madison Dixon looks back at her time in Ghana as a memorable and personal experience despite catching typhoid fever while studying abroad. 

“I was sick a lot there,” Dixon said. “Thank God I was able to get medical help and be able to be provided prescriptions.” 

Dixon is a public health major who chose to study in Ghana to familiarize herself with the culture and the atmosphere. 

“I also know that people in that country might not be able to access insurance and be able to go to hospitals,” Dixon said.

However, Dixon didn’t take that setback as a sign to give up when immersing herself in the culture of Ghana. Instead, she used it to motivate her. 

“The health system in Ghana pushed me to want to do global health,” Dixon said. “It pushed me to be another person, like 2.0.” 

Dixon plans on studying abroad and starting her master’s program specializing in global health. Not only did her experience in Ghana guide her to what she wants to focus on in the future, but Dixon completely immersed herself in the lush trees, sandy beaches and vibrant culture.

“You’re out there by yourself, so you really have to learn who you are,” Dixon said. “Overall it was a great experience, and I would definitely want to go back.”

United Kingdom

With London starting as a dream location to visit, Mia Nani took that dream and turned it into a reality. After missing the deadline to apply, Nani lost a bit of hope, but a sign to apply was waiting for her after the deadline was extended. 

“At SF State, I’m a commuter, so this was the first time I moved out and even left the country,” Nani said. “It was a really big step for me.” 

While living with her parents in San Francisco, Nani was looking for an experience where she felt independent. 

“I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to survive,” Nani says. “I just proved to myself that I have the capabilities to.”

Not only was Nani able to experience the United Kingdom, but she visited the surrounding countries as well due to the affordability. 

“I went to Scotland, Spain, France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and Greece,” Nani said. 

Nani’s experience going abroad shifted the way she went about the world. Taking in new experiences and meeting new people was high on her list while being abroad.

“I kept putting myself out there,” Nani said after reflecting on her time abroad. “Normally, I’m pretty introverted. Going abroad, I told myself that I would take risks and do things out of my comfort zone.”

Reims, France

After discovering that university students were allowed to study abroad while she was in elementary school, Camille Romana dreamed of the day she could go and do just that. 

“I visited there [France] at a young age, and I knew right away that that was the country I wanted to go to,” Romana said. “It was always my top option.”

After spending a year abroad studying in France, Romana found the schoolwork to be more laid-back in comparison to studies at SF State. Free time was on her side apart from the exams at the end of the semester. As she was minoring in French, the language barrier was no problem for Romana. 

“Being immersed in the language especially was helpful,” Romana said. “I really got to practice that.”

Being able to immerse herself not only in the lifestyle but also in the language was something that Romana was looking for. Studying abroad gave her the ability to do that. 

“I look at things now in the bigger picture than I did before,” Romana said. “Now, I’m always looking outside of that because of what I learned.”

Lisbon, Portugal 

With the cobblestone streets, tiled houses, bright blue beaches and sunny weather, Lisbon was calling Chloe Pine’s name when her friend who had moved to Portugal convinced her to study there.

“I’m a math major, and it was not a smart decision to study in Portugal,” Pine said. “I went there because I knew it was a really beautiful country.” 

Although studying in Portugal set her back a couple of credits, Pine found that exploring Lisbon was a life-changing experience that she wouldn’t trade. The program in which she enrolled allowed her and other students to travel. 

“Our program really set us up, we had a lot of excursions, they gave us metro passes, so we definitely had a lot of ways to explore the city,” Pine said.

While being able to travel where she pleased due to the resources her program had given her, Pine was able to experience different aspects of life that she had never experienced before. 

“This is so cliche, but study abroad changed my life,” Pine said. “It was my first time in Europe and it was such an amazing experience; it exposed me to so many different types of people and cultures.”

Being able to experience life outside the United States for the first time was what made this experience so unique and life-changing for Pine. Exploring the surrounding cities, becoming one with the culture and learning how to live in a different country were all factors that made the experience one she will never forget. 

“It made me realize how different life is outside the U.S.” said Pine. “It was really cool to see how accessible world travel was and learning new languages.”