Shreya Gupta

Major: Finance
Minors: Math & BA 
Pathway: Sustainability
Study Abroad Program Location: Barcelona, Spain
Study Abroad Term: Fall 2024

Student Testimony

What motivated you to pursue a global education experience?

I took Spanish in high school and wanted to travel through Europe. I also wanted to live in a big city with accessible public transit.

Describe your initial thoughts and feelings as you prepared to study or intern abroad.

Expectations: Everyone was open to being friendly within the program, some SCU people

Fears: Language barrier I really didn't prepare much; I asked people for recommendations on where to visit and what food to eat, but other than that, I went in with an open mind.

Share a memorable experience or encounter that immersed you in the local culture.

After classes, a friend and I would always go to their "Menu Del Día," which was their full menu of the day, which allowed me to explore Spanish cuisine and lifestyle much more.

Taking the time in the day to just walk around and window shop throughout the city allowed me to explore so much more of Barcelona than I anticipated.

I learned the big differences between living near an accessible public transit system and how interconnected many of the countries are, especially with knowledge of language and political systems.

Discuss your academic or professional experiences abroad. 

I took Marketing Principles abroad and I had a great professor that really made sure to showcase the different marketing strategies between US and EU markets. The classes were pretty similar to SCU where most of your grade relied on a midterm and final, which made finals week very hectic.

Reflect on the personal growth and development you experienced during your time abroad.

I was able to learn my traveling preferences and my day-to-day preferences on how much I want to study, be around people, and have social interaction. I was able to push myself almost every day to discover a new part of town or even a new bakery, which allowed me to cut through the mundane lifestyle.

Describe the friendships and connections you formed with both local residents and fellow students.

I built most of my relationships with my roommates because it was hard to make friends in class. Honestly, it was a great group of girls, and we all got along pretty well and were able to travel to 3 different countries all together. 

Share a story about a challenge or obstacle you faced while studying or interning abroad and how you overcame it.

The main challenge I had to overcome was the language barrier because my Spanish class and my previous knowledge weren't good enough, especially living in Catalunya.

I really just had to listen to my surroundings and pick up what was being said around me, as well as ask my roommates how to say and order certain things from a menu or how to ask for directions.

How has studying or interning abroad influenced your career goals, worldview, or future aspirations?

It impacted my worldview and how important it is to learn other languages and really pushed my focus within my career goals to look for companies that are also in the EU to be able to experience this with a new light and a new mindset.