Preparing to Live Abroad

            Deciding if you want to study abroad, and then trying to decide which country fits you best, can be a challenge for most students. On this week's post Richard Mosall, a SUNY Cortland senior, gave his insight into how he made his decision to study abroad in Ireland.

Richard Mosall

SUNY Cortland, Senior

Biology Major

Originally from Troy, New York

How did you decide on the country you wanted to study abroad in?

I decided to study in Ireland because I have always wanted to travel all over Europe and Ireland was an english speaking country in Europe which was easy to travel to and from.

What steps did you take in order to find the right program for you?

To find the right program for me I went to the study abroad office and they gave me the website to explore SUNY programs that were available. I found one in Europe that worked with my biology major and taught in english.

Were there any particular advantages to the program you chose over others?

An advantage to the program I chose over others was that I was able to do an early start program. This gave me an extra three weeks abroad before the local students arrived and I was able to receive 6 credits in those 3 weeks, so I could take less classes during the actual semester and travel more.

What are you hoping to gain from your experience abroad?

From my experience abroad I hoped to gain a greater understanding of different European cultures in as many countries as possible. By the time I come home I would have visited 13 different countries, which is way more than I ever thought I would.