Kat | UK & Trip Across Europe

Kat at the Vatican in Rome

Kat Cordes is a junior UW student who traveled to the United Kingdom during the spring of  2012. Kat spent five months living with a family in north Camden, which she really enjoyed. She describes the semester as a collection of “spectacular moments,” from getting to know the people, seeing the historical sites, going to shows, and enjoying the culture. Kat describes the trip as “simply perfect!”

 Eiffel Tower (by: Kat)

At semester’s end, Kat traveled across Europe with friends. They used couchsurfing.com to find no-cost accommodations while meeting incredible people, enjoying city life, and visiting the sights. She describes this trip across Europe as “the most enlightening I have ever done in my life.”          

Kat recommends that UW women “stay present and recognize the potential threats” when they are travelling abroad. Kat says she gathered this skill quickly during her time in Paris and Athens.

If you are considering studying in the UK, or taking a trip across Europe, feel free to contact Kat at kcordes1@uwyo.edu. 

Marti | England & Italy

Marti Brown is a senior UW student who traveled to England & Italy during the Summer of 2012 as part of a Faculty-Led Program.

Marti in front of Old Vic (London)

During the trip, Marti was able to earn academic credit while learning about Shakespeare. Marti was immersed in Shakespeare’s surroundings and got to see where he grew up and where he eventually wrote poetry and plays.  She spent most of the trip reading plays, seeing plays, and reviewing plays.  
         

She stayed in bed and breakfasts and hotels during the trip and would recommend that other UW students do the same. Marti says her favorite memory from the trip was “writing my love's initials in Juliet's alley in Verona, Italy.”

Her advice to other UW students who are studying abroad is to “experience all of the country's cultural foods!”    
          

If you’re considering travelling to England or Italy, or if you’re looking into a faculty-led program, feel free to contact Marti at mbrown58@uwyo.edu. 

Andrea Gooder | Germany

Andrea is a UW Master’s student who traveled to Germany in the summer of 2012 to complete her thesis research. She spent most of her time in the cities of Frankfurt and Berlin where she lived in a studio apartment and private residence.

Andrea conducted archival research at The German National Library (in Frankfurt) and The Berlin State Library (in Berlin). She said the libraries were, “amazing places to do research, and the (library) staff were very nice.”

Andrea recommends that any students visiting Berlin make time to see The Pergamon Museum, which she called the “most amazing museum I have ever been in.” For students who are completing research abroad, Andrea suggests creating a day-by-day research plan (before you leave). She says this will help you to make the most of your limited time abroad.   
           

To students thinking of studying abroad, Andrea says  “Any kind of study abroad is an absolutely amazing experience. It changes how you view your own life, the world, and your place in the world. It also teaches you to broaden the limits of what you think you can do in life, which is always a great feeling. “

If you’re thinking of travelling to Germany you can contact Andrea at agooder@uwyo,edu. 

Dennis Alm | Sweden

Dennis is a UW Senior who travelled to Sweden during the spring of 2011. He attended Linnaeus University as an exchange student. Linnaeus is located in Kalmar, Sweden along the Baltic Sea.  Dennis highly recommends Linnaeus University to other UW students. Linnaeus’ Exchange Student Office helped him coordinate living accommodations, social activities, and English courses. Dennis chose to live in off-campus ‘Kalmarhem at Stagneliusgatan’ apartments; he really enjoyed apartment-living in Sweden.

While attending Linnaeus, Dennis participated in the Erasmus Student Network Group, a network of 50 exchange students. As a member of the group, he attended city tours, dinners, parties, and even a snowboarding trip. Dennis’ favorite trip with the group was the ESN Sea Battle, a 2 night student cruise between Stockholm, Sweden and Tallinn, Estonia with around 2,000 exchange students from all over the Baltic Region.

Advice From Dennis

Dennis’ advice to UW students looking to travel abroad is to "be proactive before you go.” By this he means learning some of the language (before you arrive) in order to assist you with everyday tasks like grocery shopping and buying train tickets.  He also recommends completing your Visa paperwork as soon as possible.  According to Dennis, “the Swedish Consulate requires you to send your passport to them before you go… and this process may take a while.”

Dennis also suggests that you keep all important information, like your foreign cell phone number and address, in your backpack while travelling. Dennis kept this information in his checked luggage and then ran into trouble when his bags were lost!

Even with this setback, Dennis greatly enjoyed his study abroad experience. He says, “take advantage of what the study abroad program has to offer while you can. Enjoy being a student while the opportunities are endless .”

Because of his semester in Sweden, Dennis now has friends all over the world!

If you’re thinking of travelling to Sweden, you can contact Dennis at dalm@uwyo.edu