As an undergraduate, I never had the chance to travel or study abroad, so when the university announced plans for a winter trip to Spain and Portugal, I jumped at the opportunity. Two friends from the MBA program spoke very highly of the Balkans trip over the summer, so I knew I couldn’t let this opportunity pass. Although neither country ever particularly interested me, I had never been to either one, and Dr. Lobo’s initial ideas for what he wanted to see and accomplish through the trip had me ready to pack my bags the next day.
During the semester, we had several simple assignments to prepare us for our trip. Some related to general travel behavior and concerns, such as exchange rates and cultural taboos, while others were meant to prepare us specifically for Spain and Portugal – a variety of video and research assignments helped us learn about the culture, food, economy, and language. The most daunting pre-trip assignment was our language speeches – part of our “general travel behavior” lessons discussed the importance of learning some useful phrases in the local language, so Dr. Lobo required us to present speeches in Spanish and/or Portuguese to native speakers during our last class meeting. While I have some background in Spanish, learning Portuguese was a challenge.
After that meeting, it was time to leave for Spain! It’s important to note that the whole group is not required to (and typically doesn’t) travel together. For instance, I left a day early to visit with a friend in Madrid, which meant I had to organize my own transportation to the hotel for orientation. However, once I connected with the rest of the group, we hit the ground running. Each morning and afternoon were planned by the travel company, with anything from local business visits to a guided city or museum tour, but the evenings were our free time to explore the city. We were lucky that both cities we visited had well-established and easily navigable metro systems – for a group of visiting college students, this gave us affordable access to virtually the whole city.
My two major takeaways from my study abroad experience were: 1) a greater appreciation for world cultures and businesses, and 2) a better ability to understand and work with others.
- The best way to learn about a new culture is immersion, and this trip was a wonderful opportunity to learn first-hand from local businesspeople about their economy and challenges specific to doing commerce in the Iberian Peninsula. Each of our hosts was incredibly charismatic, welcoming, and willing to engage in dialogue with us about anything from business practices to economic history to sustainable development. Additionally, our business visits covered a wide variety of industries, so there was something to appeal to everyone.
- I was the oldest student in the group by a decent margin, so I initially had some concerns about the wide age range of students and whether the younger undergraduate students would be mature enough for the business part of the trip. However, I was impressed by our group’s ability and willingness to include everyone – by the end of the trip, we had formed our own little “family” and could seamlessly switch groups in the evenings based on mutual plans and interests in exploring different areas of the city. Additionally, the undergraduate students came ready to participate and learn. I was very impressed by their maturity, planning, and engagement, especially during our business visits.
Overall, I would recommend the faculty-led study abroad trips to anyone who can go. Even as a graduate student, I felt challenged and learned far more on this trip than could be taught in any classroom. Dr. Lobo was the best professor we could have had – he showed genuine interest in every student and made a point to talk to each of us every day. I am so grateful to the university for this opportunity to expand my knowledge of international business and challenge myself personally.
Mary Teague (MBA) spent 2 weeks in December, 2023 studying abroad in Spain and Portugal with the Rollins College of Business (faculty led). Mary had the following to say about studying abroad, “Overall, I would recommend the faculty-led study abroad trips to anyone who can go. Even as a graduate student, I felt challenged and learned far more on this trip than could be
taught in any classroom. A great professor can GREATLY enhance your experience, and Dr. Lobo was a great professor. I am so grateful to the university for this opportunity to expand my knowledge of international business and challenge myself personally.”
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