Studying abroad is one of those quintessential college experiences. Where to go though? There is a whole world full of possibilities out there.

If you want to get a true idea of what it is like to study abroad look no further than some of Mary Washington’s very own students who are studying abroad. The following students have taken the time to blog about their experiences in various countries around the world. From the mundane to the spectacular, these blogs are worth taking a look at for the insight they provide into what it is like to study abroad.

The first blog is written by Andromeda who studied in Italy in the fall of 2008. She is a classics major at MW and here is how she described the program she did:

I am currently living in Rome at a little social experiment called the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies. The program consists of 36 Classics majors from all over the United States living and studying together in one building. Sounds like a reality television show, doesn’t it? All students take a class called The Ancient City, which involves several site tours per week. Though the class falls into the archaeology category, the ultimate purpose is to gain a better understanding of Roman culture, which is valuable no matter what aspect of Classics one prefers.

Italy not quite exotic enough for you? Well how about Istanbul? Emily Potsky is studying at Bogaziçi University in Turkey. This blog is rich in photos and videos and gives a great insight into what it is like to study abroad in a very different culture. When is the last time a cat came wandering into the middle of your class? I certainly can’t remember, but that is just one of many random observations Emily has made. She also has a Flickr account with a bunch of great photos and some videos too.

On to Egypt we go to find Matthew Guckenberg studying in Cairo. I love this blog because of Matthew’s description of what the culture is like in Cairo and already Matthew seems to really grok it. His observation of little things make this blog worth watching:

…it seems that in Cairo sidewalks are not for walking at all, but rather for all sorts of other activities. I have found that most sidewalks are taken up by people sitting in chairs, smoking, loitering, selling various things, and security guard posts. And don’t let me forget the possibly illegal parking half on the sidewalk, half on the road. So you may be wondering where you walk then. That’s a very simple answer, the road.

Matthew has also responded to readers comments and I’m sure if you had anything you were interested in he would be glad to tell you about it.

Next we will take a look at a UMW student studying in Bulgaria. Eric Halsey is studying abroad at the American University of Bulgaria. Did you know Bulgaria was so pretty? I didn’t, but thanks to Eric’s blog I have been able to see the beauty that surrounds him. So take a look at it, you won’t be sorry . Also, one of the nice things about his blog is Eric’s description of the locations beyond his own impression making this blog practically a quick guide to place in Bulgaria.

Last but not least is Joe who is in Florence for 4 months. Right away you will notice that Joe was eager to get to Italy, his passion for the culture is clear. He has a job at the American Consular Service where on his first day got to work on passport renewals and emergency passports, cool right? And scary fact courtesy of Joe is “about 70% of all the cases of stolen passports in Florence come from the train station.” Something good to keep in mind. And just recently, Joe spent the weekend showing various members of Congress, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, around Florence, now there’s an experience for you!

I hope this has been helpful to those of you interested in studying abroad and if you really dig these blogs leave some comment love. Also, if you know of any other people blogging their experience overseas, let us know.

Ciao!