Jack LaMaina, The College of New Jersey

My study abroad experience at the European Study Center has been the adventure of my lifetime. Studying abroad in a foreign country for an extended period of time has helped me grow as an individual, learn key elements about myself, and has provided me with life lessons and a new and important perspective towards life that I could not have received inside a standard classroom environment.

The program is culturally enriching, socially valuable, and an overall fantastic educational experience. I have always known that I would learn in a different way while abroad, but I had no idea exactly how much that would prove to be true. I have learned to be a better me simply by being a part of this program. I value the friendships I have made that will last long past this experience, and the connections I have made with the faculty and staff in Germany are some of the most comfortable and worthwhile connections I could have made while abroad. The experience I received just from living in such a marvelous place for 4 months has been the most stimulating and effective program for learning I have taken part in. I know that it will be difficult for me to leave the ESC and can definitely see myself coming back in the future.

I would recommend this program to anybody who has an interest in studying abroad. I feel as though I have gained so much as a person and I am already looking forward to using the skills I have established here back in my personal and professional life in New Jersey.

The world is a place full of opportunity and taking the time out of my four years at TCNJ and utilizing one here, I have learned that there are so many options in the world and because of the ESC my eyes and horizons have been opened exponentially. The ESC has proven to me that challenging myself and going for what I want is feasible and certainly worth any risk. The ESC is a fantastic place to study broad and one can gain more than they would even expect from this experience.

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