When you’re starting out in design you hunger to fix all the things. Your imagination and passion are boundless. So what turns a junior designer into a seasoned pro? It’s more than experience—it’s an ability to be in the moment and be a whole person.
Why did you decide to study abroad?
I went to Queen Mary, University of London through IFSA-Butler. I lived in a flat on campus with a couple of other study abroad "associate" students, but mostly people from the UK who go to Queen Mary full-time. The academics there seemed really easy at the beginning of the semester, but that's just because the style of teaching at the university level there is very different from the US! They have far fewer assignments throughout the course of the semester, but as we got closer to the end I saw just how difficult my finals were going to be, how much more I would have to study to do well on them, and I finally realized just how rigorous Queen Mary's academics are! They're not impossibly difficult by any means, but you will learn a lot by going there.
Almost all of the organized excursions I went on were through IFSA-Butler. (Although Queen Mary does have a few events specifically for its associate students!) I thought they were absolutely fabulous - they took us to really interesting places, they were fabulously well organized, and, best of all, they were free through the program! (I guess I had technically already paid for them in my tuition, but it sure didn't feel that way when I was there.) Overall, going to Queen Mary through IFSA-Butler was a really fabulous experience. Both institutions have all kinds of resources for you if you want/need to use them, but they also allow you plenty of freedom to go out and explore London, the UK, and the rest of Europe on your own as well! I legitimately couldn't imagine a better study abroad experience.
Tell us about the program you went on ( program name and sponsor, housing, academics, excursions, etc... )
The Semester in Europe program is one of the most unique experiences in study abroad.
Over the course of one semester, you will travel with your classmates and professors to approximately 25 remarkable cities that have shaped world history and culture, including Athens, Paris, Florence, Prague, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Budapest and Rome.
5 academic tracks are available for you to choose from:
- Semester in Europe
- Semester in Europe: Custom (Spring only)
- Semester in Europe: Business
- Semester in Europe: Art
- Semester in Europe: International Relations
Our aim is to help you develop a broad understanding of the past, present and future of the European Union and the nations within it. We start with a full semester's worth of accredited college coursework in international relations, history, art history, sociology and geography, all focused on Europe. Our courses are taught by experienced and engaging faculty at Inter-college, the leading college on the island of Cyprus, your home base during the semester.
Your courses will give you the critical academic background to allow you to structure your experience. But we believe that learning in a classroom is not enough.
