ESS 1005: Can Engineers Study Abroad? (Yes—Here’s How)

[upbeat music] When you’re planning your time at Berkeley, it’s easy to focus on the classes you need to take and the milestones you need to graduate, but what if the most valuable part of your engineering education happened somewhere else in the world? In this episode of The Not So Secret Guide to Being a Berkeley Engineer, we’re talking about study abroad. Whether you’ve dreamed of living in another country or you have assumed an engineering schedule makes it impossible, you might be surprised by just how many options there are available. First, we’ll hear from Michelle Ayazi from Berkeley Study Abroad, who explains how engineering students can plan ahead, stay on track for graduation, and make studying abroad affordable. Then we’ll hear from Berkeley civil engineering student, Skye Morton, about what it was actually like to spend a summer interning and living in Barcelona. 

[Laura Vogt]

First, Michelle. Thank you so much for being here today. I’m excited to have you tell us about the study abroad and the process of what it takes to, for our students to be able to study abroad, and especially engineering students, how to work it in. But let’s start off a little bit about yourself. Why don’t you introduce yourself and tell us more about your role at UC Berkeley? 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Thank you. Yeah, my name is Michelle Ayazi. I use she/her pronouns, and I’m an advisor in the Berkeley Study Abroad office. Been with Berkeley Study Abroad for 13 years, and I love working with the College of Engineering and with engineering students, so thanks for inviting me on. 

[Laura Vogt]

Well, thank you so much for being here. And let’s talk like off the top, what does study abroad look like for students? 

[Michelle Ayazi]

It looks different for lots of different students. One reason is because we have a lot of programs. Like, we have almost 200 programs in around 45 countries. So a lot of different program types, like we’ve got summer programs, fall semester, spring semester programs, and then academic year-long programs. And then within our programs as I mentioned, there’s like different program types. So we have faculty-led programs, we have internship programs, we have immersion programs, what one would think of when they think of being an exchange student, for instance. So lots of different types of programs. And then what the experience looks like for a student, you know, really depends on the student. So students can go abroad to fulfill major requirements if they want to, or if they need to, they can fulfill minor requirements if they want to or need to. They can take classes completely outside of their major, like explore a completely different field of study when they study abroad. They can choose to take classes in their field of study that aren’t available at UC Berkeley. They can do a practical experience, like doing an internship for academic credit or research for academic credit, so that’s possible through study abroad. And we have language and culture programs, so if a student is interested in learning a new language or improving upon a language which they have some background, they could do that. Sometimes students study abroad to, in places where they have ancestral roots, cultural roots, so we refer to that as heritage-seeking. So, you know, that looks a certain way for certain students. So yeah, just a lot of different types of opportunities that can look all sorts of ways for engineering students. 

[Laura Vogt]

What’s the best way for a student to decide when to go study abroad, then? If there’s all these different reasons why you’re going, how do you know when you should go? 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Yeah. Oftentimes, when a student studies abroad is determined in close collaboration with their academic advisors. That, in addition to their own personal preferences and needs and vision. So we recommend that students reach out to their academic advisors as early as possible to let the academic advisors know that they are interested in studying abroad and staying on track for graduation, and then to see in which term or in which terms would be best for them to be abroad and stay on track, and whether they would need to fulfill any major requirements in that term in order to stay on track. Regardless of when a student wants to study abroad, they should start planning early. Really, like early planning is really important, especially for students in the College of Engineering that may have really packed schedules or a lot of technical requirements that they might be concerned about fulfilling abroad. 

[Laura Vogt]

When you’re saying that they need to start planning early for it, is that something like when you first come in, kind of make the decision off the top so that when you start a four-year plan with your advisor, if you’re a transfer student, a two-year plan, and make it part of that original plan? 

[Michelle Ayazi]

If possible. Like, if a student enters Berkeley and study abroad is already on their mind, it’s in their imagination, they’re thinking of it, they should absolutely bring it up the first instance. For some students, like, it’s such a big deal to get to Berkeley that even thinking about studying abroad doesn’t even cross their mind until, you know, perhaps they might learn about it through, uh, another student or from somewhere else, and they might be deep into their academic program. Um, so whenever it crosses a student’s mind that they might be interested in studying abroad, we recommend that they bring it up with their academic advisors. The earliest that a student can study abroad, so a first-year student entering UC Berkeley just needs to complete one year before they’re eligible to study abroad. So the soonest an incoming first-year student can study abroad would be summer after their first year. So this new cohort of fall ’26 admits can study abroad as early as summer ’27. And then an incoming transfer student, so a fall ’26 incoming transfer student needs to have completed just one semester in residence before they can study abroad. So the earliest that they can go would be spring ’27. So that’s the earliest a student can study abroad. The latest a student can study abroad, generally speaking, could be their last semester at UC Berkeley. It could be the summer-… after their last semester, so they could work with their college to extend their expected graduation term from spring to summer so that they could do a summer study abroad program. They could even work with the College of Engineering to extend their expected graduation by an additional semester beyond so that they can study abroad if they need to or if they want to. So those are sort of the, the two bookends, like, the earliest that a student can go and the latest a student can go, and then they can go anytime in between. So there’s lots of different options, again, semester, academic year, summer. So really, when is the best time to go is, it really depends on their academic plan, when they would have the most flexibility to do so, if there’s certain requirements that they might wanna save for their term abroad, like if they wanna save their college breadth, or to work with their academic advisors to work, you know, work their academic plan to even free up a semester, like if, you know, to be as flexible as possible in that term. Like, if a student, let’s say, could study abroad in spring ’27 and their academic advisor said that they didn’t have to fulfill any major requirements in order to stay on track, it means they have the maximum amount of flexibility. They can go on any program they want to, and they can take any classes they want to. But if their academic advisor says, “Well, in order to stay on track for graduation, you need to fulfill this one requirement or these two requirements,” then that will help us determine which program or programs to guide the student to. 

[Laura Vogt]

When you’re planning for the engineering studying abroad, if they wanna do a specific engineering program, do you have s- those programs that are specific to engineering, or is it more of just a general see what’s available at the school that you’re going to? 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Yeah, so if a student wants to take engineering courses when they study abroad, then their best option would be to do a UCEAP program. And UCEAP is the University of California Education Abroad Program. UCEAP is the UC system-wide study abroad program provider for students across the UC system, and within UCEAP, there’s about 170 programs, fall, spring, and summer programs. About 90 of those programs offer courses in engineering from Egypt to Spain to Germany to Hong Kong to Sweden to the United Kingdom to Chile, Brazil, Ireland, Japan. Students can find courses in engineering. Regardless of whatever program a student chooses, all the courses that they take on their program will automatically transfer back to Berkeley and will post to their UC transcript, every single course the student takes abroad. All of their courses, their units, their grades, the grades will factor into their UC GPA, the units will factor into their UC unit count. Like, it’s very seamless. But the question of whether a course abroad would fulfill a major requirement would be up to the major department, and every department on campus, including every department within the College of Engineering, has their own policies, their own process, their own criteria for reviewing and approving courses from abroad towards the major. So right now, we have about 90 programs in the UCEAP portfolio that offer courses in engineering, but they’re all different engineering courses, right? So it’s about, you know, helping the student find, of the available programs, which one is the best fit for them depending on what courses they want and they need to stay on track. So those are if they wanna do engineering courses, but if they wanted to do hands-on, like engineering internship placement, so we have, like, a summer global internships program. So this is, like, a Berkeley-based program. It’s called Berkeley Global Internships, and we have domestic locations that offer STEM placements in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, and also the San Francisco Bay Area, and then we’ve got international locations that offer STEM-related placements in Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Singapore, Stockholm, Tokyo, and Toronto. And again, it really depends on what type of internship, what type of engineering the student wants to get experience in, and then we can direct them to the most appropriate program or programs. 

[Laura Vogt]

I think one concern that a lot of students that wanna do study abroad that makes them hesitate is the finances. Can you tell us about the financial options that might be available? 

[Michelle Ayazi]

In terms of program cost, so sometimes, like, the way that students a- like, ask about study abroad is, like, they might ask, like, how much does study abroad cost, or like, is study abroad expensive? Sometimes students, like, think that study abroad is inherently expensive or that they have to pay for study abroad, like, in addition to, you know, that term at Berkeley. And so in terms of, like, program cost, every single program costs something different. They’re paying UC tuition and fees, so that number stays static, but the length of the program matters. You know, we have some semester programs that are 13 weeks and some that are 20 weeks. We have some summer programs that are four weeks and some that are eight weeks, right? So that, um, affects the cost of a program, and then there’s also the cost of living in the location where the student will be living. So all this to say, every study abroad program, like, has its own unique program budget, and the program budget, meaning what’s included in the total cost, is comprehensive. So, um, we let the students know, like, every single program has a, a page, a website dedicated to that program where it’s got all the information on the program. There’s always a section on cost, and it breaks down, like, what the total cost of the program is, and it includes everything. This is what it is for tuition and fees, for housing, for books and supplies, for food, for pre-departure expenses, visas, passports, phone plans, round-trip airfare, insurance, right? So it includes everything, and then when you take into account the total cost of attendance for a study abroad program, there are some programs that cost about the same as the equivalent term at Berkeley. There are programs that cost less than the equivalent term at Berkeley, and there are some programs that cost more. And the student would not be paying for, like, on-campus classes and their study abroad program. They’re just paying for their study abroad program when they study abroad. So that’s talking about just program cost. So when you’re a financial aid student, your financial aid package is matched to your total cost of attendance. When we say financial aid, we mean grants, scholarships, and loans from the federal government, the state government, and from our institution. That’s what’s included in a student’s financial aid package, and their financial aid package travels with them, all of it. 

[Laura Vogt]

Oh, okay. 

[Michelle Ayazi]

And their financial aid package is matched to their cost of attendance. So if their cost of attendance is more than their typical term at Berkeley, then their financial aid package is, is expanded to match that. If it’s less, then it’s contracted to match that. So everything automatically travels with them. Um, and then by virtue of being a study abroad student, you open yourself up to the whole wide world of study abroad scholarships. So there’s a lot, right? There’s academic scholarships. There’s country-specific scholarships. Our office offers scholarships, so Berkeley Study Abroad, the UCEAP system-wide office offers scholarships. There’s independent and national scholarships. So this is for all students, right? So for students who are financial aid, then they should definitely apply for both need and merit-based scholarships. For non-financial aid students, they should and can still apply for scholarships, and this includes international students as well, right? So even though international students may not qualify for financial aid through Berkeley, they may still apply for outside scholarships and have it apply towards their study abroad program costs. 

[Laura Vogt]

Oh, that’s great. If students haven’t traveled internationally before and going study abroad is part of- … what they wanna do to be able to experience different parts of the world. What advice do you have for them when they’re getting ready for that travel and for living someplace new? 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Yeah, we got you. There’s a lot of firsts that are gonna happen for all students when they study abroad. In my experience, I’ve met students, and I have students every semester, every term, for whom it’s, you know, their first time leaving the country. For some, it’s their first time leaving, you know, the state. For some, it’s their first time on a plane. For some, it’s their first time traveling without their family. So it’s a big step for a lot of students, even though those who do have international travel experience, many of them have done so, like, with a group or with their family, right? So a lot of firsts for a lot of students, so they’re definitely not alone in the experience. We have a wonderful team of peer advisors, like on the Berkeley Study Abroad team. These are Berkeley students who, you know, have studied abroad, and then now they’re trained to work as advisors in our office, and they’re a really good resource for outbound students, so that’s really nice for students to hear from students, to hear about their personal experiences. And we always have first generation college students as part of our peer advisor cohort, many for whom it was their first time traveling abroad. There is a lot of support for students. During pre-departure, we have lots of workshops. We even have a first time abroad workshop. We have a budgeting workshop, mental health workshop, and we have on-site staff, and then we also have, like, a really wonderful insurance plan for students to utilize during their program if they need any support. We work with, uh, Lyra Mental Health, so students have access to 20 counseling sessions when they’re abroad. Yeah, they have the support of UC Berkeley and the UC system-wide office, so there’s a lot of support for students during pre-departure and then also when they’re on site. 

[Laura Vogt]

I- I’m glad to know that there’s support for getting there and then while you’re there and the… I can’t imagine. Just, you can have culture shock, you can have, um, just time changes, language. I can’t imagine all the different things that might affect a student when they decide to study abroad. 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Absolutely. Normally, we have, like, a pre-departure workshop where we talk about culture shock and cultural adjustment and resilience and being a good guest. There’s usually comprehensive on-site orientations as well. But absolutely. 

[Laura Vogt]

What’s the benefit of studying abroad? I, when I was in college, I didn’t do it because I was really worried about the financial aspect of it, and now that I’m working in a university setting, I’m always like, “Oh my gosh, I, it’s the one thing that I really should have done. I’m so bummed that I didn’t do it.” The experience that you have of living on your own in a different place, cultural things that you’re learning, and the different style of learning, I’m sure that there is, but what are the other benefits that are for students when they study abroad? 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Yeah, this is where it’s really lovely to hear from some of the alums to talk about what they’ve noticed and what they’ve picked up on. Yeah, I mean, study abroad is a really unique opportunity to live and grow in a completely different environment, all the while making academic progress and being able to use your financial aid to do so. It’s, it’s a really unique opportunity. Like, once we graduate, we really, once we’re working adults, don’t have that time or that flexibility or the funding to be able to have this type of experience, right? Even if we travel on vacation, there’s really nothing like, you know, going to school in another country or doing an internship in another country. I mean, they have the opportunity to, you know, live in another part of the world for an extended period of time, to meet different people, to have new experiences, to learn and adapt to new cultures, overcome challenges, learn new languages or become familiar with new languages, explore their heritage, like, do an internship, get work experience, learn about themselves. For me, it was like a profoundly transformative experience to study abroad. For me, it was like, a, like a spiritual experience. Like, I learned about myself in a way that I don’t think I ever would’ve uncovered if I had stayed, um, on my home campus. But for every student is completely different. Yeah, I mean, and we had talked about, earlier in the, in our conversation about how they can fulfill major requirements, they can fulfill minor requirements, they can fulfill college buff requirements, they can do research, they can do an internship. These are all spaces on a resume that could be filled up, right? Like, under education, under institution, under coursework, under skills, under awards, they can put all of their scholarships on there, languages that they’ve learned. They can do networking, right? So, like, they’ll be meeting with people all over the world, and some folks meet people that they continue to stay in touch with for many, many years to come, right? These are people that you can develop deep friendships, and then also professional networking opportunities, you know, later going back and, and working in those areas. And then you, you have a home base from which to continue to be able to travel and see other places. 

[Laura Vogt]

I like the idea that study abroad can, is there for you, for your academics, also for your professional networking and professional development, but also for you as a person to develop. I mean, that’s what college is all about, and this is just sounds like it’s another way that you’re gonna be able to do that. 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Absolutely. And, like, if a student is, like, concerned about missing, like, like, campus activities, like, they can continue many of those, like, on their program. They can join, like, sports teams. They can join clubs and organizations on their campus. Pick-up games or, like, actually being, like, part of, like, campus athletics, theater, drama, music, consulting, like, whatever is their thing, they can also pick that up where they’re at. It’ll be really lovely opportunity. 

[Laura Vogt]

Oh, that’s awesome. I hadn’t even thought about, like, what extracurriculars you could get involved in outside. I’m just thinking that you’re going there to, like, explore a new city and take a couple classes, but it sounds like it’s just so much more encompassing than that. 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Absolutely. Like, when you think of, like, being a student, like, at Berkeley, right? Like, your time outside of your classes is your own, and- Just in the same way, like, you will have that opportunity when you’re abroad, and so it’s totally up to you how you’d like to fill it. Like, if you want to explore your city or town, or if you want to join clubs and organizations, if you love nature and camping and hiking and biodiversity. And, you know, there’s so much that, you know, you can do to fill your time, just like how you do here. 

[Laura Vogt]

So if a student is listening to this podcast and thinking, “This sounds like something I wanna do and wanna learn more about,” what’s the very first step that you want them to take? 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Check out our website. Check out the Berkeley Study Abroad website. It’s studyabroad.berkeley.edu. You know, the planning process is so non-linear. The idea comes to you, and you have a, an appointment coming up with your college or your major advisor. Bring it up. If you came to us first, which is a- also a wonderful first stop, we would recommend that you meet with your college and major advisor next. So just wherever you’re at, like, meet with an advisor. Let them know that you’re interested in studying abroad, and, and then come see us for advising. So we offer… The Berkeley Study Abroad office offers in-person advising by appointment during the fall and spring semesters, and then virtual appointments via Zoom throughout the entire academic year, so that includes summer. So please make an appointment with us. We offer peer advising, so this is UC Berkeley students who’ve studied abroad who work with our office. They’re a great first touch. Like, they work with students who are coming to our office for the first time, who want general advising, who just kind of wanna learn generally how study abroad works, how to pick a program, and to talk to other students who’ve studied abroad, just to get their input and advice. So we recommend making an appointment with a peer advisor in our office. And then we also have a wonderful team of professional advisors, so I’m part of that team, where, you know, each of us is responsible for a portfolio of programs and countries. So once you have more program-specific questions or country-specific questions or case-specific questions, right? Like you are interested in learning more about how DSP accommodations work, or need more sort of help navigating the academic planning process for study abroad, or wanna talk through financial aid. By the way, students can request an estimate of their financial aid package for study abroad, so that is a service that we provide. So even before a student submits an application to a program or is just considering programs, they can request an estimate so that they know, like, out the gates what they’ll be eligible for in financial aid. So before they make any assumptions about the affordability or lack of affordability of a particular program, they have that information up front and can make an informed decision. And so we’re really proud to also offer financial aid advising for study abroad. So for a student who’s just coming to this, check out our website, make an appointment for a peer advisor in the Berkeley Study Abroad office. Otherwise, yeah, also talk to your college and your major advisors. Like, we’re all part of your support network to help you, like, make this idea into a reality, help you plan it so that you can study abroad and stay on track for graduation and make it affordable. 

[Laura Vogt]

And if you had someone who was, um, wavering on whether or not they wanna put in the time and energy to figure this out, what would you advise them? 

[Michelle Ayazi]

I mean, the application process takes less than an hour. So the application process for study abroad is actually quite simple, not complex at all. We really try and reduce the barriers to students submitting an application. And once they submit an application, there’s usually a deadline by which they need to confirm their participation, or a deadline by which they should withdraw. So if they’re on the fence, I’d say go ahead and apply for a program while you continue to think about whether or not it would work. So rather than not apply and then potentially miss out on an opportunity that you later found out would’ve been a good one for you. Yeah, and our application process, I mentioned, is pretty simple. Most of our applications can take all qualified participants, like all the students that meet the minimum eligibility, that submit a complete application, usually get a spot on our programs, though we do have programs that have limited space. And for those programs, you know, we accept applications on a first-come, first-served basis. 

[Laura Vogt]

When are the application windows? Which kind of dates should they be looking for? 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Yeah, so, um, it depends on the program. Every program is different. So for UCEAP programs, if a student is interested in studying abroad in summer ’27 or fall ’27, then our applications will open in November. If a student is interested in studying abroad in spring ’28, then our applications will open in April. So that’s UCEAP, the University of California Education Abroad Program. In addition to UCEAP, our office, Berkeley Study Abroad, we offer our own homegrown summer programs. So we have Berkeley Summer Abroad. This is Berkeley faculty-led programs, so these are Berkeley faculty leading Berkeley courses, deep dive, amazing courses. But instead of the courses being taught on campus, they’re taught abroad, and the applications for these programs typically opens in February and closes in March. And this is gonna be for summer ’27. And then we have Berkeley Global Internships, where students are doing a full-time internship in their field of study or in a field or sector of their interest for academic credit, and those programs usually open in, uh, December, and they close in January. So regardless of when a student wants to study abroad, which program, uh, we usually recommend that they be ready to submit their application anywhere from six to 10 months in advance. So really planning a year in advance is the way to go, but, um, we are really happy to receive students just whenever they come to us. 

[Laura Vogt]

Is there any final comments or thoughts that you wanna leave us with?

[Michelle Ayazi]

Sometimes students think that they might not be able to study abroad and stay on track for graduation. It’s just not possible or, yeah, it might not fit into their plan or they have to take extra time. But just want students to know that studying abroad and staying on track for graduation is definitely possible. Um, it just, yeah, takes advance planning. And- 

[Laura Vogt]

Like, you want to help them. Like, you’re here. You’re… What you wanna do is, your goal is to help more students study abroad. 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Yeah, we’d love to help more students studying abroad, especially in the College of Engineering. We love working with engineering students. We really wanna make sure that studying abroad becomes a reality for them if this is something that they’re interested in doing. Study abroad, like, is possible. It, it, it can be affordable. They can do it and stay on track for graduation and build their resume at the same time. And so, yeah, we look forward to working with students in the College of Engineering. And when a student is planning to study abroad, they should definitely check in with their ESS advisor. So for students in the College of Engineering, they do need the permission of their ESS advisor when submitting an application. And, um, if they have any questions or concerns about the process, please have them reach out to us for advising, ’cause, yeah, we’d love to, um, walk them through, um, any questions or concerns that they might have. 

[Laura Vogt]

Well, thank you so much. It was lovely meeting you today, and it was awesome having you here talking about the programs. 

[Michelle Ayazi]

Thank you so much, Laura. Thanks so much for inviting us to join you. 

[Laura Vogt]

Michelle shared a lot of helpful information about planning, finances, internships, and the many different ways engineering students can study abroad. But what does that experience actually look like once you arrive? To answer that question, I sat down with civil engineering student Skye Morton. Skye participated in Berkeley’s Global Internship Program in Barcelona, where she balanced an engineering internship, coursework, and life in a new country. She shares what surprised her, what challenged her, and why she believes studying abroad was one of the most rewarding parts of her Berkeley experience. And so I’m so excited to have Skye here today to talk about her experiences. So Skye, why don’t you take a moment to introduce yourself. Tell us about your major and your time at Berkeley, and anything else that you wanna highlight. 

[Skye Morton]

Okay. Hi, I’m Skye Morton. I’m a junior right now studying civil engineering, and then I’m minoring in city and regional planning. I love Berkeley College of Engineering. I love the resources and the great counseling, and I’m happy to talk about my study abroad experience. 

[Laura Vogt]

What made you decide to do the study abroad program? 

[Skye Morton]

I had a strong desire going into college to make sure that I studied abroad at some point. I didn’t really know how it was gonna work out, but I really wanted to be immersed in a different culture and try to learn more of a language. And I know, like, a lot of different countries have beautiful architecture and just environments that I was really, really hoping to be able to live in for a little bit. I think that’s such a unique experience that you don’t really get outside of, like, college. Studying abroad is just fully living in a whole new place. I definitely just wanted to do that going into college. 

[Laura Vogt]

How early on in your process of being a college student did you decide to do study abroad? Like, how long was the planning process? 

[Skye Morton]

I think I had the idea that I wanted to do it freshman year pretty strongly. I remember going to the, like, panel for, uh, College of Engineering studying abroad freshman year also, but then I didn’t figure out specifically what program I wanted to do until early sophomore year. And then I found my program and applied, I think, fall of sophomore year, and then I studied abroad right before my junior year. 

[Laura Vogt]

And what program is it that you ended up doing? 

[Skye Morton]

I did the Global Internship Program during the summer between sophomore and junior year. 

[Laura Vogt]

And where did you go? 

[Skye Morton]

I went to Barcelona, Spain. 

[Laura Vogt]

What was the biggest surprise that you found when you got there? 

[Skye Morton]

Well, I loved Barcelona so much. I think the biggest surprise that I still talk about pretty often is just the timing with meals and the whole culture around eating and things like that. They have a really small, like, breakfast that they just take to go. It can be, like, bread or fruit or something, and then a large lunch around 2:00 PM, and that gap was always a, a struggle for me. And then late dinners at around, like, 8:00 or 9:00 PM. And I feel like I have a pretty average eating schedule, but that was definitely an adjustment in the beginning. But I kinda like it. It was fun. 

[Laura Vogt]

Eating at 8:00 or 9:00 just sounds so late. [laughs] 

[Skye Morton]

I know. I got to my home stay on the first day after, like, a full day of flying, and my home stay mom was like, “Yeah, we’ll have dinner around 9:00. Is that okay?” And [laughs] I was like, “Oh my gosh.” 

[Laura Vogt]

So were you worried when you started planning for study abroad of how you were gonna make it fit into your academic schedule and make time to go? 

[Skye Morton]

I definitely was. I know that’s, like, a common concern, and I felt 100% the same way. I remember looking, I think, freshman year at the transferable course list that we have in College of Engineering, and there just weren’t a lot of options. I knew I wanted to go to, like, Spain or Italy. I was hoping to s- be able to work in Spanish. For Spain and Italy, there weren’t very many transferable courses that were gonna satisfy my upper divs, and that was… I was really nervous about that. But then, um… And I also knew that extending my s- amount of semesters really just wasn’t an option for me, and so I was kind of discouraged for a while. But then looking back at the options, I started to think more about the summer programs, and that was still, like, iffy for me because I was like, I really think I want summer internship experience. There were just so many factors, but then I found out about the complete package that was the Global Internship Program, and it kind of just checked off all the, the worries on my list. And I was there for two months, and I worked 20 hours a week at an internship that they matched me with for my career goals, and then we took two classes. It was with, like, all Berkeley students, but they still had a lot of, like, organized cultural immersion events and tours and things. 

[Laura Vogt]

What kind of classes did you end up getting to take? 

[Skye Morton]

So the two classes, there was one in person, and it was one day a week, I think, for maybe six hours, and it was with a local instructor on food and culture in the Mediterranean Basin. Um- 

[Laura Vogt]

Ooh, that sounds like fun to do. 

[Skye Morton]

It was so much fun. [laughs] Um, and then the second class was online, and it was through Berkeley. It was, like, an experiential learning class, but overall, it was kind of, like, professional development across culture. So it just worked out really well to align with, like, our internship that we were doing But yeah, that food and culture classes was beautiful, and we got to eat a lot of, like, traditional Spanish food. We had a lot of food and, like, treats in class pretty often, and it was a good way to get, like, a good understanding of the culture around food and the history of the Mediterranean and things like that. So I loved that. 

[Laura Vogt]

I can imagine that they brought a lot of stuff that you wouldn’t necessarily go search out to find and try. 

[Skye Morton]

Yeah. There was a lot of, like, traditional holiday sweets and things like that, that, you know, oftentimes weren’t, like… I was there for the summer, so sometimes it was, like, things that they would have in the winter that I was definitely not seeking out, and I loved it. 

[Laura Vogt]

One of the great things about going to Europe and studying abroad, I know, is that you get to travel to a lot of other places. Did you get to do that? 

[Skye Morton]

Yes. Our weekends were completely free, and Fridays was, were the days that I had classes, and so we would get out around 2:00 PM, and I was able to travel for that Friday to Sunday night time period, and I went on three different trips. I went to Amsterdam, Oslo, and Menorca. 

[Laura Vogt]

That’s so cool. Did you feel like you had a lot of challenges while you w- were studying abroad, or was there things that you missed out on? 

[Skye Morton]

I don’t think I really felt like I missed out on a lot, especially because I wasn’t quite gone for, like, a normal academic semester. I definitely was really homesick for a good amount of the time. I think I- that’s, you know, the furthest I’ve ever been from home for that amount of time, and even in Berkeley, I’m pretty close to home right now. I missed, like, my brother’s graduation from high school, and that was devastating for me, and I think that’s where I, like, really [laughs] felt the homesickness. But, you know, I adjusted to it, and I had some people there that I knew in the same program, which was really nice. And I was also in a home stay, so it kind of helped feel a little bit more homey, and I was able to be- get into, like, a nice little routine with that family. I do think another challenge was the language barrier in the home stay. When you sign up for where you wanna live, you get to choose between home stay and apartment, and I wanted to choose home stay, mainly because it was a m- a cheaper option, but also I really wanted that sort of, like, immersion, and I really wanted to practice my Spanish. [laughs] But that language barrier was really hard in the beginning, and m- I was super lucky and the family I was with was very patient, and they talked very slowly, and they, they knew a little bit of English too, so we kind of all worked together. And I definitely, like, grew in my Spanish, but, um, that was, like, I think kind of made the first week and a half, like, a little bit extra uncomfortable when it was, like, hard to communicate with them. But I think getting over that learning curve made it, like, extra rewarding to where, like, we got into a really good routine, and they gave me so many great recommendations and things like that. And then I also, I categorize myself as, like, an extroverted introvert, and being abroad and living with a new s- like, family and meeting all these new people in this cohort really, really stretched my social battery. And so that was something that I was, like, battling with towards the tail end of the abroad experience, was like, how can I still do all these fun things and interact with these new people while maintaining my sanity [laughs] and, like, you know, still practicing self-care and things like that. 

[Laura Vogt]

And when you say at the home stay, is it like you’re just renting a room in someone’s home? 

[Skye Morton]

Um, I was… Yeah, I was in their home, and they fed me dinner every day, and I had breakfast there too, which was, you know, like toast or something. And we would have dinners together, and, um, yeah, it was basically just me living with them. The mo- it w- I was with this mom and her daughter, and they were very, very sweet. Uh, the daughter was, like, 16, so she was a little bit younger, but she was r- she was really nice, and both of them gave us a lot of great recommendations and things like that. I did have a roommate in that home stay who was also from Berkeley, and she coincidentally happened to be one of my really close friends. We just got so lucky. But yeah, it was, it’s just, like, fully living with them, as opposed to the apartment option. You are with only Berkeley students and you, like, cook for yourself, and live just separate from anyone else, I guess. 

[Laura Vogt]

When you were planning on doing your study abroad, did you discuss with your friends which one you wanted to go on, and then found one that kind of worked in your friend’s schedule too so that you could have people that you knew? 

[Skye Morton]

I knew my friends were doing the exact same program as me, and we kind of talked a lot about whether we should do apartment or home stay. There was never any point where you get to, like, choose your roommates. 

[Laura Vogt]

Oh, okay. 

[Skye Morton]

Um, we just all, like, came to the conclusion that, like, home stay would be a really great immersion, immersion option, and it was cheaper, so we were all kind of, like, going down that line. And then l- you kind of get to list your preferences on, like, your dietary options and your, like, what level of Spanish you speak. Um, and it could be completely nothing, but I had, like, a bit of elementary Spanish from, like, high school. And, and then they match you with a home stay family. Me and my friend completely just got so lucky. We opened our, like, home stay family description emails, and we were like, “Wait, that’s the same person. That was crazy.” 

[Laura Vogt]

[laughs] 

[Skye Morton]

And so we just ended up being roommates coincidentally. Um, but it’s a small group of people, so if you know someone that you’re, like, going, or if you know someone that’s in the exact same program as you, it’s likely that, you know, you’ll be maybe in the same apartment building or something like that. 

[Laura Vogt]

And do you think going on the study abroad has affected your confidence or your independence? 

[Skye Morton]

Yeah. That’s, um, a really good reflection question that I was thinking about, and being in study abroad definitely pushes you out of your comfort zone in so many ways. Obviously, you’re living in an entirely new place. You’re surrounded by new people that are speaking a different language that you may not know. But honestly, I really loved the independence, and I loved exploring a new city and being in a new country, and that’s something that I, like, I, I think going into it I was really excited about already. I think in terms of confidence, like, I got a lot more comfortable doing things alone and going on little excursions alone. I was also, because of the internship program, in a new workplace, and I think that in itself, like, forces you, you know, out of your comfort zone even more, and you’re forced to talk to a bunch of new people in- … professional way and learn about their, like, customs and things like that. So it was ov- like, a massive learning experience that I think, um, I definitely grew in, for sure, in my confidence and independence. 

[Laura Vogt]

Looking back at what you think you gained personally or professionally from this experience, what are the highlights? And could you share, like, what you… Personally, what was your highlight, and what professionally was your highlight? 

[Skye Morton]

I think personally, my highlight, just in general, is, like, I got to experience so many new things, and I got to see places that were always on my bucket list. And Spain especially has beautiful architecture, and I got to learn a bit, like, about their city design. And the public transportation in Barcelona was top tier, and I got to commute every day to work and to my classes, and all the little sightseeing places on the public transportation system. And I think that just satisfied so much of what I wanted out of the experience. And then professionally, I think the global internship experience was so awesome, and it just worked really well for all the things that I wanted to accomplish. And n- even now, like, that I’ve been back in school and I’ve just recently went through the whole, like, internship a- application cycle, um, for this upcoming summer, that Barcelona internship is the first thing that’s questioned in any interview. People are really curious about how I got that, why I was there, like, what I got to do when I was there. And I think just that alone is, like, such a good icebreaker in an interview. And I’m obviously really excited to talk about it, so I think it just kind of, like, makes the whole conversation feel more natural just from the beginning. And everyone’s like, “Whoa, that’s crazy.” Like, “I wish I had that kind of opportunity.” So I’m so grateful for that, and I think it really did, like, help me grow professionally. And while I was there, 

[Skye Morton]

I got to really explicitly, like, say what I wanted or what my career goals were, and list things that I was hoping to get out of the experience. And I got to work directly with, like, the owner of the company I was working at, and they helped me get into specific, like, transportation engineering modeling, which was one of my goals. And so I think it was just a really good, like, customizable experience, and they worked just one-on-one with you. ‘Cause I was the only intern there, and it was a very small company. But yeah, I definitely grew both professionally and personally while I was there. 

[Laura Vogt]

That sounds like a great experience, especially if you’re minoring in city planning. 

[Skye Morton]

Yeah. 

[Laura Vogt]

And I know that transportation has so much to do with planning out cities and things. So- 

[Skye Morton]

Yeah 

[Laura Vogt]

… being able to specifically work on that transportation engineering and modeling, that’s pretty awesome. 

[Skye Morton]

It was quite the gold mine, yeah. [laughs] 

[Laura Vogt]

If you could relive one day from your experience, what would it be? 

[Skye Morton]

Oh, there were so many beautiful days. Um, I think one… The first one that comes to mind is… It was this one weekend where the two f- like, close friends that I was there with, they both happened to be, uh, going on different trips that weekend to, 

[Skye Morton]

like, visit family members in other countries. And so I was in Barcelona by myself, and I got to just do a lot of good exploring. I woke up, and I had a really calm morning, and did all… You know, just checked all the things off my little, my morning list. And then I walked around a lot, and I went to this bookstore that I’d been meaning to visit. I saw, like, a video about it on TikTok, and I… It just had been on my list, but neither of my friends wanted to go. So I got to go check that off, and then I just walked around a new area, did some shopping at little boutiques. And then I ended up taking the train. Through the program we got a Metro card, and it, like, worked for all the trains in the local area. And so I took one of the trains to this kind of city on the outskirts of Barcelona, and it was a recommendation from my home stay mom. And it was a very quiet, beautiful beach, and I just laid there with some sna- snacks that I had packed, and my lunch. And I just soaked up the sun and swam, and it was such a beautiful, refreshing day. And I did a lot of reading. And then it was just a nice, slow-paced day, and it was, like, a good example for myself that I had, like, really grown in doing things by myself. You know, that was just kind of like a whole new thing. And it was also nice to recover my social battery a little bit. I think overall it was just a 10 out of 10 day, and I got to just do all the things I wanted to do. 

[Laura Vogt]

Oh, that sounds amazing. 

[Skye Morton]

Yeah. 

[Laura Vogt]

I wanna do that now. [laughs] 

[Skye Morton]

[laughs] I know. 

[Laura Vogt]

If you had… Uh, or do you have any final thoughts about studying abroad that you wanna share with folks before we end? 

[Skye Morton]

Um, I think 

[Skye Morton]

I just wanna say, like, I really sympathize with the, the stress of it all, and the feeling that, you know, it’s not gonna work because we’re engineering majors. And because that is 100% the outlook I had on it, and that was really, really sad for me at first, ’cause I thought that was just, like, the door was closing, and I wasn’t gonna be able to study abroad. And that’s okay, it’s not the end of the world, but like, you know, that was one of the things I really wanted to do. But there are just options out there. Even the UCEAP program offers, like, summer. I think if that’s, like, a genuine concern for you, and you don’t want to, you know, take the time out of a semester, then really look into the summer option. And you, you know, financial aid fully covers it, ’cause you’re taking six units still. Or I should say your financial aid, like, pa- package transfers because it’s… You know, you’re taking your six units. There are just opportunities out there. And the global internship program kind of just was the perfect way to get all the things I wanted out of it, and I got work experience, and I got cultural immersion experience and practice in a new language, and I got to explore so much. I think just keep doing the digging until, you know, something’s working for you. 

[Laura Vogt]

That’s awesome. Thank you so much for spending time with me today and sharing about your study abroad experience. 

[Skye Morton]

Absolutely. Thank you for having me. 

[Laura Vogt]

A huge thank you to both Michelle and Skye for joining us today and sharing their experiences and their expertise. If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this episode, it’s that studying abroad is possible, even for engineering students. It doesn’t happen by accident, but with a little planning and the support of your ESS advisor, your major advisor, and the Berkeley Study Abroad team, it can become part of your Berkeley journey. If you’d like to learn more, visit the Study Abroad website, schedule an appointment with a study abroad advisor, and don’t forget to talk with your ESS advisor early on so you can create a plan that works for you. Thank you for listening to The Not So Secret Guide to Being a Berkeley Engineer. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and we’ll see you next time. [upbeat music]