What Students Say about UC Davis Summer Abroad


Going on SA to Argentina really changed my life and made college so much more memorable... and since I did it so early, I get to do it again-in Korea!
Charlene - Latin American Culture
Buenos Aires, Argentina 2005

The trip to South Africa was the greatest adventure I have ever been on. While in Cape Town we learned about the country's social ills, the political injustice, economic inequality and the HIV/AIDS crisis. I may not paint a beautiful picture of Cape Town, but you can't imagine how magnificent this place without going there. As a class, we traveled to see wildlife along the coast, enjoyed a wine tasting adventure on the weekend, and went to Kirstenbosch garden to learn about native plants and birds. After three weeks in Cape Town we flew to Edeni reserve in the eastern part of South Africa. During our week there we saw the big five (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and buffalo) as well as cheetahs, giraffes, and antelope. Seeing these animals in person is stunning and I can't wait till I am able to go back.
Mark Dosch-South Africa: Identity, Culture, and Nature
South Africa 2004

Spending the summer in Scotland was the highlight of my time at Davis.  Not only was the country fascinating, but the course was one of the best that I had while at Davis.  Dr. Johns was an outstanding professor, and the course was very well prepared and thought-out.  In addition to reading the literature of a country while in that country, we met and talked with some of the top Scottish playwrights, poets, and authors, participated in a world-famous arts and literature festival, and traveled to some of most beautiful places in the world.
Sara Ebrahim - Introduction to Scottish Literature
Scotland 2003

It has been three and a half years since my Summer Sessions trip to Australia, and sometimes it seems like I was just there. I have so many incredible memories from that trip (and so many amazing photos!). It was wonderful to learn about Australia's history, nature, and culture, and then be able to step outside and experience it. I feel like we saw so much in such a short time. It really was one of the best things I did during my time at UC Davis, and I plan to go back to 'Oz' and explore more.
Megan Chiosso-Australia: Identity, Nature, and Culture
Australia 2003

While I am not at all in the field of literature (legal writing is unfortunately notoriously dull and terrible), there are three things that really stand out for me from that summer. The first is a genuine and lasting love of Shakespeare. My law school is located in a small village without much to do during the winter months besides wait it out. During the past couple of years, my constant vacations have been disappearing for an hour here and there into various works, from sonnets to historical plays. When especially frustrated with legal studies, I recite various sonnets to myself. I've even used the form to make up rhymes of legal jargon and crap to remember during closed book final exams- the framework helps!

The second thing is an appreciation for travel, and marking my travels in writing. Since the summer in London, I have had the opportunity to travel extensively, and, in habit formed from our summer journals, I always keep a blank book with me. Not only is it a wonderful way to reflect on the day's adventures, it preserves memories in a way that just pictures or my own increasingly faulty memory cannot. The last thing is what the experience of the trip did for me. I signed up to go on a whim, without knowing anyone on the trip, having never traveled alone, especially not out of the country. What I learned is that I am strong and capable. I honestly think that in many ways, I found my footing that summer, something that encouraged me to go across the country for school, to move to Washington alone for a semester, and to really embrace life as a big adventure that I am thrilled to be a part of.
Emily Plett-Miyake-Shakespeare-Live!
England 2000

The experience I had in South Africa was a phenomenal one. The summer abroad program at UC Davis gives everyone a well rounded view of what it is like to live in Africa. Half of our time was spent in the city of Cape Town taking in local culture and history, and the other half was spent in the African bush. While people on vacation pay to go on a safari, we were able to camp in the wilderness of Africa. This was a priceless experience for me and helped me because I realized what I was meant to do for the rest of my life.
Danielle Tufts- South Africa: Identity, Culture, and Nature
South Africa 2004

I'm glad I took the engineering class in Romania, especially because our first assignment was a scavenger hunt where we had to walk around town documenting various materials, providing another way to get oriented around town. The labs were especially exciting because we had to adapt them to what resources were available, and for one lab we were invited into a professor's research facility to test the tensile strengths of different alloys with a machine that was much stronger than the ones available at UC Davis. In addition, through this class we were able to take a fieldtrip to a factory that ships bearings all over the world, and they allowed us to tour the shops as the steel was being treated in various stages. It provided for a much more interesting learning environment than simply a lecture hall and lab back on campus in Davis [. . . ]My experience sparked so much personal growth that I can't wait to travel abroad next summer.
Alexis Norausky-Materialsylvania
Romania 2005

 

Participation in the UC Davis Study Abroad Program changes one's life forever. It gives a person an in depth knowledge and an experience that no other form of travel may provide. Moreover, in the safe hands of the well-informed instructors, cultural immersion in a foreign country becomes a fairly simple process. And, last but not least, one finds friends that he or she will cherish time and time again.
Dinusha Maheepala-Australia: Identity, Nature, and Culture
Australia 2005