SELF and BLP in Slovenia : Reviews (Ljubljana)
The following program review responses have been selected for publication by Study Abroad & Global Engagement
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Marysa M Bradshaw,
Summer 2016 Participant
Slovenia is beautiful and everyone we met was super welcoming! Going to a country with not a lot of tourists really allowed us to be immersed in Slovenian culture. My favorite part besides the gelato, was learning about how Slovenians live and the remaining elements of communism still left from the former Yugoslavian country.
Summer 2016 Participant
My favorite part of this program was the variety of experiences we enjoyed. We would move from company visits in the morning, to universities in the afternoon, to tours of towns and free time at night. I feel like I got to experience everything Slovenia had to offer.
Sean Patrick Murray,
Summer 2016 Participant
The scenery of the entire country was incredible, but my favorite part was visiting Lake Bled because the castle, the island and the lake are an absolutely breathtaking combination.
Summer 2017 Participant
I really enjoyed our free time when we could interact with the locals. I learned the most about the people and culture during this time. My favorite interaction was going to the city local market. It was fantastic communicating with the different vendors. I practiced speaking their language, and they really helped me with my pronunciation and finding the words that I did not know.
David D Depew,
Summer 2017 Participant
My favorite part was how friendly everyone we met was. Even though we may have been bumbling around Ljubljana and Portoroz in the evenings with little idea what we were doing, everyone from business owners to just people on the street were pleasant, helpful, and genuinely happy to have our company.
Summer 2017 Participant
I really loved getting to visit the coastal cities of Piran and Portoroz on the weekend. I also really enjoyed the amount of freedom we were given to do what we wanted.
Summer 2017 Participant
My favorite part of the program was our day trip to Venice.
Sydney Nicole Gard,
Summer 2017 Participant
My favorite part of the program was how balanced it was: we had lots of company visits, but also tons of cultural experiences and free time.
Jack A Hane,
Summer 2017 Participant
I enjoyed truly learning about the culture and way of life of people that live half way across the world. The people who arranged the trip did a fantastic job.
Summer 2017 Participant
My favorite part of the program was seeing the historical sights in Slovenia. I didn't know much about the history of the country and it was interesting to hear about and feel the pride Slovenians have.
Summer 2017 Participant
Our free nights in Ljubljana and our free day in Portoroz and Piran. Both of these times truly allowed me to experience the culture and people of Slovenia. My most impactful cultural experience was actually with a taxi driver from Slovenia on the way to a beach in Croatia. We had a great discussion about Yugoslavia and how Slovenia is different now. We also talked about the migrant issue occurring at the moment in Europe and Slovene's feelings about Muslim immigrants and the acts of terror in Europe. And lastly we talked about the USA as I tried to find a way to explain where Kansas was. It ended up with me cracking up as it seems everyone knows where Kansas City is.
Harrison Luo,
Summer 2017 Participant
The culture and the experiences are simply life-changing. You get to see a new world you've never seen before, meet interesting companies you've never heard of, and see a country so diverse and unique.
William Thomas Reintjes,
Summer 2017 Participant
Experiencing a country that many people do not know exist is quite an amazing experience. We experienced all Slovenia had to offer which was incredible.
Summer 2017 Participant
Being with such amazing people was by far the best part of the program. Traveling with old friends while making new ones was my favorite part of the entire trip.
Summer 2017 Participant
I loved being able to experience the beautiful landscape and nature in Slovenia. I also loved how we were able to travel to Italy and Croatia to see the cultural differences from countries that were so close to eachother. I appreciated the opportunity to work with engineers and befriend them at the same time. I had a lot of fun on the trips and learned so much from the company visits. This was the experience of a lifetime and everyday I wish I could go back and do it all again!
Austin Douglas Gaumer,
Summer 2018 Participant
The program was an amazing experience, but the absolute best part was bonding with everyone on the trip. It was so nice to get to know everyone together and have an amazing time.
Summer 2019 Participant
Slovenia's countryside is absolutely gorgeous. The lush forests, mountains, and waterfalls add to the countries charm.
Reser R Hall,
Summer 2019 Participant
I loved the weekend in Portoroz and Piran. It was fun to have a free day in such a vibrant place in the Slovenian Riviera.
Emily R Hull,
Summer 2019 Participant
My favorite part of the Slovenia program was the opportunity to experience a new and exciting culture. I fell in love with Ljubljana and Portoroz, and I was able to learn deeply about the Slovene daily life. I learned some Slovene before going on the program, and I was able to use most of it while I was abroad. That for me was probably the best part.
Andrew A Moore,
Summer 2019 Participant
My favorite part of the trip was our first evening in Portoroz and Piran. I joined the three faculty on a walk from Portoroz to Piran, where we sat down at a restaurant for a few hours, and then got gelato on our way back to Portoroz. The people, sunset, conversation, and food made it an experience that only happens once every few years.
Summer 2019 Participant
Being able to study in a lesser known central European country was crucial. It allowed me to see what life is really like in European towns as well as see the more famous tourist attractions. My favorite city that we visited was Piran, Slovenia. It truly felt like a community.
Marysa M Bradshaw,
Summer 2016 Participant
Being able to tour businesses during the day and then experience restaurants and historical sites at night was a great experience!
Summer 2016 Participant
The most rewarding aspect was being able to interact with locals. While I was there, I spent some time with Slovene university students who were the same age as me. I enjoyed getting to hear their experiences and compare them with my own.
Sean Patrick Murray,
Summer 2016 Participant
The itinerary was structured in an organized way so we did not waste our limited time, but also allowed for free time so students could visit places and see sites that the entire group might not necessarily be interested in. For example, I spent part of my free time visiting one of the biggest breweries in the nation, which is something not everyone on the trip would have been interested in doing.
Emma J Beaty,
Summer 2017 Participant
I loved being with the small and friendly group of SELF and BLP students. Some great friendships blossomed.
Summer 2017 Participant
I found the most rewarding experiences to be when I was on my own. I feel like this was when I learned the most.
David D Depew,
Summer 2017 Participant
I found it rewarding to be immersed in a nation that focused strongly on their 'footprint' - Slovenians are crazy (in the best way) about being green. The buildings, recycling systems, even manufacturing processes were all streamlined to their most clean and efficient form, and the dedication with which this was done was inspiring.
Summer 2017 Participant
I think that getting to see all kinds of different companies was rewarding but it was also very rewarding to get to try part of Slovenian culture.
Summer 2017 Participant
I found the interaction with locals to be the most rewarding. They were all so friendly and accepting.
Sydney Nicole Gard,
Summer 2017 Participant
As I hadn't traveled out of the country before this trip, just seeing another culture, language, and history outside of the US was extremely valuable. Also, while I didn't necessarily love waking up early for the company visits most mornings, I've used the knowledge I gained from the company visits much more than I expected since I got home.
Jack A Hane,
Summer 2017 Participant
I found that interacting with local people was fascinating and helped me to grow in my cultural diversity.
Summer 2017 Participant
The most rewarding part of the program was interacting with the local people in Slovenia because I was able to see their viewpoint of the world.
William Thomas Reintjes,
Summer 2017 Participant
Our company visits were very rewarding because it allowed us to understand how businesses operate in different cultures.
Summer 2017 Participant
When a representative from the US Embassy visited, he explained that he had learned the most about his own country by leaving it. He also spoke about how Slovenians are very lucky to have a small country because the same model would not work in a larger more diverse population like the US. I was able to experience this myself through our company visits. While I learned a lot about Slovenia, I debatably learned just as much about the United States while abroad. There is such a strong global interdependence that I was able to learn about a variety of places in just ten days! I believe that this experience enhanced my ability to think and consider multiple perspectives, as we were constantly faced with opportunities that led to me considering different cultures and experiences.
Summer 2018 Participant
The most rewarding elements of the program for me were interacting with native Slovenes and visiting awesome start up companies.
Summer 2018 Participant
The most rewarding elements were the moments when we were allowed to explore the city during our free time. It was during these times that we could really make the trip our own and see what the city is like from the viewpoint of a citizen rather than a tourist.
Summer 2019 Participant
The most rewarding part of the program was seeing how the people of Slovenia balance work and home life. This work-life balance is sorely missing in America and I think
Reser R Hall,
Summer 2019 Participant
I thought hearing about the companies was the most rewarding. It was interesting doing some comparing and contrasting with how things work in America versus how they work in Slovenia.
Summer 2019 Participant
I found visiting the Slovenian Businesses and Engineering Firms as the most rewarding, because we were able to gain a better perspective of how foreign nations conduct businesses in their economic system.
Emily R Hull,
Summer 2019 Participant
I found it rewarding to see businesses in action in someplace other than the United States. I had never been outside of the country before, so that was a major plus for this trip. It was also very interesting to be in a place transitioning from a command to free market economy, so it was a different perspective than many other countries as well.
Marysa M Bradshaw,
Summer 2016 Participant
Anytime you get the chance to do a study abroad, do it. Even if you are nervous or don't really know everyone going, it is a great opportunity to change how you see the world and create networks!
Summer 2016 Participant
I learned that to truly understand a culture, you have to step away from the tourist attractions and spend time with local people in local spots. While it is important to visit the tourist hotspots, it is also important to be a traveler and not a tourist by allowing yourself to fade into the background and explore the country from a native's point of view.
Summer 2016 Participant
I developed a better sense of how business and engineering are truly intertwined.
Sean Patrick Murray,
Summer 2016 Participant
I learned that you should not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Slovenia is a relatively unknown country, so many of us were unsure about going on the program just because there was so many aspects of the nation itself we had no idea about, but this fact allowed us to be more open minded throughout the whole experience.
Summer 2016 Participant
Bring copies of your passport wherever you go because this is the only form of identification that is accepted in most places while you're abroad.
Summer 2017 Participant
Do not be afraid to ask for help. People are more than willing to help if you ask nicely.
David D Depew,
Summer 2017 Participant
I learned to take advantage of sleeping on the bus - there's so much to do in the cities during the evenings that sleep is a rare commodity! Naps are definitely recommended, at the appropriate time, of course!
Summer 2017 Participant
I learned how to survive in a foreign country but also how economic and business policies can change in different parts of the world.
Summer 2017 Participant
I became more culturally aware and competent.
Sydney Nicole Gard,
Summer 2017 Participant
I learned about the relationship between business and engineering, something I hadn't thought much about.
Jack A Hane,
Summer 2017 Participant
Enjoy and savor every meal! The food was a highlight of the trip!!
Harrison Luo,
Summer 2017 Participant
Gelato is way better that Ice Cream.
William Thomas Reintjes,
Summer 2017 Participant
The most important thing I learned is that it is very important to experience new cultures, because you might find yourself wanting to become a part of it.
Summer 2017 Participant
Our large group, cameras, and tour guide made us very obvious tourists. This led locals to see us as foreigners. The locals were very proud of their country and were happy to tell us all about it. While we were abroad, we were representing the United States so our actions reflected our country. The locals liked when we knew simple words like "Havala" or "thank you". The interest we expressed in their culture was invaluable and future students should definitely take the time to do the same.
Summer 2017 Participant
Connections are one of the most important tools you can have as you get older in life. Knowing the right people and having a good relationship with a lot of people can be extremely beneficial and can allow for great experiences like this one.
Summer 2019 Participant
What I learned about this trip is that not everybody conducts business the same way as the United States. In fact, some countries may have completely different cultural values from the United States as well. It just goes to show that there are multiple paths countries can take to reach prosperity.
Andrew A Moore,
Summer 2019 Participant
When the faculty told us that we needed to be ready for business at all times, that is a good rule to live by on the trip. Some of the other people did not take that rule seriously and paid the price in my opinion. I would also recommend packing extremely light (a single backpack sufficed for me), researching the visits beforehand, keeping a journal for your own personal memory, and taking just a crash course on the language for a month or two beforehand, because it will impress the faculty and the local people.
Summer 2019 Participant
The greatest lesson that I learned on this trip was to open my eyes to the possibilities of an international business career. Whether I am a state away or across an ocean, I feel brave and confident that I will be able to succeed.