Program and Location:

Spring, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador

Major/Minor:

Environmental Science Major, and Spanish Minor

Why did you choose to study abroad?

From the moment I first entered college (and honestly, even before that), I knew I wanted to study abroad during my time at NC State. I’ve always enjoyed traveling to new places and learning about new cultures. Study abroad felt like a great way to get to live in another country for a significant period of time. Also, as a Spanish minor-turned-major, I really wanted to immerse myself in the Spanish language.

How did you pick your program?

I was looking for a program that would allow me to live in a Spanish-speaking country for a semester while also taking classes towards my environmental science major. I used the study abroad website’s search tool to help me find recommended programs for College of Natural Resources students, and two Spanish-speaking programs that popped up: Ecuador and Spain. Since I had never traveled to South America before, and I was more familiar with the style of Spanish in that region, I picked Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador.

What was something you learned about yourself? How are you different? How are you the same? Or, what did you realize about your own culture by living in another one?

One thing I learned about myself was that I can step further out of my comfort zone than I thought I could before. I knew going into my study abroad experience that I would be presented with many new challenges, but I had certain expectations about those challenges. I was expecting my main challenges to be attending classes in Spanish and adapting to living with an Ecuadorian host family. However, it ended up being more than that. From presenting a scientific research poster in Spanish to eating foods that I normally shy away from, I ended up out of my comfort zone a lot more than I was expecting. Looking back on what I managed to accomplish, I now feel more confident about overcoming future challenges.

What advice would you give to another student?

My first piece of advice would be to plan early, so that you can have as much flexibility with your classes abroad as possible. I would also encourage another student to explore your host country outside of the city your university is in. I had some amazing experiences by taking buses a few hours away to see other cities, towns, and mountains. And for the purpose of exploring, I highly recommend that you find a good travel guidebook specific to your country or region. My dad gave me an Ecuador travel guide for Christmas right before I left, and I used it all the time. It was super helpful for getting an idea of what to expect in new cities I was traveling to so I could know what attractions I wanted to prioritize. It also had maps of all the cities and regions, which were very handy when I was avoiding Google Maps to save my phone battery.

How were your classes abroad different than if you would have taken them at NC State? Did you take any field trips or do anything outside of the traditional classroom?

 As an environmental science student, I was very excited to enroll in an ecology course while abroad. If I had taken ecology at NC State, I’m sure I would have loved it, but Ecuadorian ecosystems are so incredibly diverse that I’m thrilled to have had the chance to take the course there. My professors were experts in Ecuadorian ecosystems and were able to share a lot of personal experiences. Also, we got to take field trips to a wetland research site and the Amazon rainforest, among other fascinating places.

Would you do it again?

 Yes! I’m very glad I took the opportunity to do this program, and I’m hoping to return to South America as soon as I can.