Academic Year 2024 Participant
My favorite part of the program was definitely the people. I have a whole network both of other international students, classmates, flatmates, and society members that made Stirling a home to me. It's a bit of a cliché, but that's what truly matters in the end.
Spring 2024 Participant
Meeting and speaking with those from outside the US and from other states was the most rewarding part of my experience abroad. My roommates were from Sweden, Spain, Australia, Mexico, Canada, and in the US from Maine, Maryland, Ohio, and North Carolina. I loved talking with them and sounding ideas off of each other. While we grew up across the globe, there were so many similarities that we shared. For example, the love of Harry Potter movie nights was not lost on a single one of us. But it was also interesting to compare the differences. I got to learn so much more about their cultures and day to day lives that I never would have by not meeting them in person. I found some amazing friends, even though we were all thousands of miles away from home.
Spring 2025 Participant
Probably a very common piece of advice, but go in with a very open mind. Studying abroad can be overwhelming and seem scary, but there are so many resources out there to ease those feelings. I remember feeling extremely anxious about going even thought I knew I wanted to. Speaking to people that did the program previously, is very helpful and reassuring. There will be things that are new and not the norm that may be hard to adjust to, but being open to learning about those new things and being willing to experience is the best way to go about it. I felt that starting small was helpful; walking around the city centre or campus of the university or taking a solo trip to a neighboring city.