Curious what studying abroad is really like? Hear directly from Gamecocks who have explored the world, found their favorite
places, and made memories they will never forget.
✈️ Explore student stories, advice, and inspiration on our #FreerangeGamecocks blog!
Looking for even more stories? Visit our archived blogs. Thinking about a specific destination? Reach out to us, and we can connect you with a student who has been there!
"I mean the opportunity to go to another country is just a really awesome experience and you get to meet really cool people. Studying abroad definitely makes you think differently as you learn in a different style, but non academically it allows you to travel and see the world outside the us and get introduced to ideas and thoughts and cultures that you might not otherwise experience.”
"I was in Florence, Italy for about a month before we were asked to leave and it was the best month of my life. I think my biggest thing to realize about the whole situation is that I might not have gotten the entire time abroad, but I got one month, and that’s more than most people could imagine so for that I’m thankful. Italy and its people are what I’ll miss the most, in just one month the people of Florence made it feel like a second home."
"I would encourage any STEM major to study abroad if you can! Whether you’re studying to be a geoscientist (as I am) or a doctor or an engineer, it is illuminating to put your studies and potential career in a global perspective. I happened to be the first UofSC student studying with the School for Field Studies, in its Chile program that was itself in its first year. There were certainly challenges to being among this first group of U.S. students in Puerto Natales, but I’m grateful for the opportunities I had to interact with the culture and landscape of Patagonia as both a student and a traveler.”
"Studying abroad in Australia is something that I have been planning on doing for years, and it was a dream come true to be able to spend 2 months in Melbourne this semester. It was really incredible having this opportunity to travel to a country that I otherwise probably would have never made it to! I loved getting to make friends from all around the world, immerse myself in a new culture and environment, and have the chance to learn so much about myself, in just this short amount of time. Australia was truly the adventure of a lifetime, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the time I spent there! "
"I’m glad I did research on my destination and program because Valencia was everything I could have asked for. Between the beach and gorgeous weather, my amazing host family, the abundance of international students in the city, and the incredibly vibrant Spanish lifestyle, I couldn’t have picked a better place to study abroad. In addition to that, the Health Sciences program gave me an inside look on Spain‘s healthcare system and challenged me to understand health from multiple perspectives.”