Opinion | Picking the right location is the key to studying abroad

Studying abroad is an opportunity not all college students get the chance to take.
There are many opportunities offered at Butler University. The university offers programs in  the summer and during both semesters.
Students can learn about different cultures and actually be a resident in places like Paris, London or Rome.
“It’s really fun to be a part of someone else’s culture,” junior Chloe Richardson said. “It felt like I was Scottish for four months.”
Richardson studied abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland, during the recent fall semester.
She said it is a great feeling to adapt to another culture and a completely new lifestyle, including simple activities like walking to class, buying groceries and taking the train.
“It’s more of a relaxed lifestyle, and people are in not much of a hurry,” Richardson said.
Students get to adapt to a new way of eating as well because, over in Europe, residents do not exactly cook their meat. But the food tastes just as good, if not better.
When visiting my friends abroad in Paris over Spring Break, I had the chance to travel to Barcelona.
“I got to see a lot of Western Europe, but Barcelona was definitely my favorite city compared to Paris or Rome,” said, senior Emily VanTyle. Who studied abroad in Alcala de Henares, Spain.
She described Rome and Paris as kind of dirty cities.
“They were very crowded and not as vibrant, and there is always a lot of people trying to sell you whatever they can find,” she said.
Studying abroad in Europe, students can visit multiple places, whereas in some other countries, students would not get this opportunity.
“You can take a bus or a train to London, and it can be a quick trip,” Richardson said. “But if you are in a place like Australia, you wouldn’t be able to afford to see other places.
I didn’t just get to experience Scotland but all of these other cultures too.”
I got a taste of the study abroad life, and I’m so thankful I had the opportunity. I know my friends are having the time of their lives in places they will never forget. Studying abroad gives students the chance to represent Butler in completely different ways.
The experiences abroad are what change a student’s life, and the memories make the experience so unique that it is hard to explain to others.
“One of the best times I had, we took a bus to the end of the longest street and walked the whole distance back with a bottle of wine,” senior Kevin Wolf said. He studied abroad in Grenoble, France.
He said another cool experience was going to a fort at the top of a hill, where it overlooked the city provided a breathtaking view.
“It was neat to see the different cultures and go out to different restaurants to try new foods,” Wolf said.
He said where he stayed, there was a lot of Italian and Arabic influence, but exploring the city was definitely unique in its own way.
“Skiing in the Alps is definitely the top of the list of my favorite things, but I was also able to visit Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Germany, Scotland, Hungary and Austria,” Wolf said.
Europe is a great place to study abroad because the traveling is cheap.
“I got to see 15 different countries,” said junior Karina Hamamouche, who studied in Chambery, France. “While I was there, I was able to go to Algeria in North Africa.”
She said that Algeria is not a typical country people normally visit while studying abroad, but it was a personal experience because it is where her father is from, and she got to meet her family for the first time.
She said she would recommend France, Spain or England to those looking to study abroad..
Leaving the country is a great way to enhance foreign language skills and become fluent.
“In foreign countries, they start foreign languages really early, so it’s easy to find someone that speaks another language,” Hamamouche said.
The art and architecture are definitely must-sees. To see paintings and buildings that are hundreds of years old is extraordinary enough.
Studying abroad is a great way to experience many different  cultures. It is a way to live a new lifestyle.

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