If you had told me at the beginning of my Viterbi experience that I would get to study abroad, I would’ve thought you were crazy. I would’ve said there’s no way, not with all the classes and busy schedules I need in order to graduate.
Well, at the very beginning of my Junior year, I started getting all the emails about study abroad programs, and my friends in other majors started talking about it too. Although at the time I thought it would be impossible for an engineering student to do it, I started reading the emails and meeting with my advisor.
I knew that I wanted to go to Europe, and USC offers a program with the University of Edinburgh that teaches many of the engineering classes I was hoping to take here. With many back-and-forth emails, I found classes that would transfer to USC and allow me to progress toward my degree.
After planning everything I needed, I finally went to Edinburgh, Scotland, and spent the semester meeting people from all over the world and traveling to more than 10 different countries. I visited Italy, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Morocco, Turkey, and so much more. Studying abroad was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had, and I 1000% recommend it to anyone who’s thinking about it.
Not only did I get to learn at one of the top universities in the world, but I also got to learn by visiting other countries and immersing myself in different cultures. This experience gave me a much broader perspective and has allowed me to become a more well-rounded engineer.
USC offers so many study abroad opportunities (even if you just want to visit a new country for 2 weeks), and I know Viterbi also works to provide its students with specific engineering abroad opportunities so that they can progress toward their degree with no interruption. This last semester, I learned that although learning in a traditional classroom setting is important, it’s equally important to learn about the world around us, so that we as engineers can work towards building a better future.
Please enjoy some of my favorite pics from my time abroad!
The Coliseum in Rome!
The Famous Fluffy Cows of Scotland
Skiing in the Alps
Victoria Street in Edinburgh
Turkish Views 😍
Riding Camels in the Sahara Desert
