For many, higher education is about proving what they know. The seemingly endless tests, essays and assignments make it easy to forget there is value in novelty.
Studying abroad offers a unique chance to face this unknown.
In six months, I climbed the Eiffel Tower, stargazed in the Sahara Desert and watched the sun set over the Venice Canals — things I never thought I could do. Embracing the discomfort of airports, dining solo and navigating public transit was necessary to make the most of my time.
The sun rises over the Sahara Desert. Parked below are several ATVs visitors have ridden across the sand.
I picked the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), one of eight offered by the UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) Global Learning Office. Connected with institutions across 35+ countries, UCEAP is not exclusive to one
major or subject, and is a popular choice among students studying abroad.
Every program provides the same draw: encountering new cultures and communities. Arturo Torres, a Global Learning Advisor at UCSC, described one of the most valuable benefits students gain.
“Learning from different perspectives allows students to develop a mindset where they look at different things from different avenues,” he said. “That is extremely important in the development of anything … their professional, emotional and physical well-being. That’s what students really cherish, having the world at their fingertips.”
While I took major-specific classes, I also sampled disciplines I hadn’t been able to at UCSC. I learned a new language, examined the topic of witches in literature and dove into Italian pop culture.
Many students feel that traversing their host country and its surrounding areas was fundamental in expanding their viewpoints. Fourth-year cognitive science and global and community health major Noel Martinez relayed his time living in Dublin, Ireland in fall 2025.
“[Studying abroad] gives you a bit of perspective on how much you don’t know and how much you haven’t seen,” he said. “The U.S. isn’t the whole world.”
When it was my turn, I prepared for things to be different. I landed in Bologna, Italy last January, speaking no Italian and having never been outside of the United States by myself. I was in the middle of a cultural hub of art and food, alone. It was going to be unlike anything I had ever done.
Additionally, there are the long-term advantages that participants bring back, beyond a grade.
“It’s extremely valuable in … the lifelong memories that you make,” Torres said. “I feel that those are some of the most beneficial and inspiring years that a student can have in their life.”
A group of metalsmith shops inside the Marrakech Medina in Morocco.
My education continued outside of the classroom. Not just how to read a map, but exploring who I wanted to be. I never considered myself an exceptionally brave or adventurous person, but after my time in Bologna, it would be untrue to say I am not. I have drank coffee twelve different ways across twelve different countries, slept in airports and on benches, and now have returned, ready to face my senior year with the same wonder and determination in which I tackled studying abroad.