2023 Vienna Study Abroad Recap

Last year, a group of students spent a semester studying abroad in Vienna, Austria, to experience the vastness of a different country. 

Sophomore Connor Hill said his inspiration for wanting to travel abroad stems from his parents’ similar experiences. 

“My parents studied abroad when they were my age and growing up; I always loved hearing their stories,” Hill said. “When the opportunity arose for me to study abroad, I knew it was the chance of a lifetime to travel the world and experience life through a brand-new lens.”

Being in a different country can often raise concerns or fears among students. Hill said his biggest lesson learned was getting out of his comfort zone. 

“A huge lesson that quickly presented itself is that life is much richer when you step out of your comfort zone and take a leap of faith. It’s okay to be nervous and to feel anxious; in fact, I went on this trip only knowing two people,” Hill said. “I was terrified, but because I took the first step, I was able to leap into an incredible journey I will never forget.”

Because he was somewhere unfamiliar, Hill said the biggest challenge of this trip was navigating the differences of life in Europe. 

“A challenging part of the trip was learning how to live life away from familiar territory. It pushed me to grow and mature in ways I wasn’t expecting,” Hill said. “Learning to navigate when you can’t read any signs, plan train tickets, hotels and activities within four days, and communicate with locals who do their best to understand Americans trying to speak German are all challenges I faced, but those moments are what made me grow the most.”

Not only does study abroad give students the opportunity to gain knowledge through academic classes, but Hill also said it offers a variety of scenery.

“I think the study abroad program truly is something every student should pursue. Who doesn’t want to go to Italy for ten days as a class trip, or go to Ireland, England and Norway for fall break?” Hill said.
“The opportunity to travel anywhere in Europe, basically every weekend, and have it count as school is too good to be true. There is so much beauty in God’s world, and the study abroad program opens the front door to it all.” 

Although study abroad may seem like an extended vacation to some, Hill said this opportunity is deeper than its initial impression. 

“To anyone interested in studying abroad, remember that it is not a vacation; life still happens, and there will be daunting challenges,” Hill said. “But those are the moments that made the trip so impactful to me. I learned so much about myself as a person, and I learned that even in those hard times, you can still find the joy of just being in another country and the pride that you embarked on such an incredible journey.”

Senior Rachael Pitsch said after seeing her peers post about their experiences studying abroad, it sparked her interest to try it for herself. 

“After seeing the fall 2022 Vienna group post on Instagram and hearing about some of their adventures, I knew I wanted to at least do the winter three-week study abroad session,” Pitsch said. “I didn’t think a whole semester abroad would be a possibility for me, but every little thing worked out, and it was the best decision ever.”

With many things to discover during studying abroad, Pitsch said the highlight of her experience was learning about how everyone is connected through individual stories. 

“Cultural sensitivity is something I learned and lived through while studying abroad. I learned to be aware that cultures have their differences, but they also have their similarities as well,” Pitsch said. “Every person is a unique individual with different experiences, beliefs and language, which is just so beautiful. Every person has a story and we can still connect even if we come from different cultural backgrounds.”

Pitsch said everyone should have the chance to experience the immersion of a different perspective. 

“Studying abroad is something I think every single person needs to experience. Yes, traveling to so many different countries is so amazing, but it is so much more than that.You will grow as a person in ways I can’t even explain,” Pitsch said. “You will learn to be independent, learn how to adapt and learn cultural communication skills. Being fully immersed into a completely different culture is something every single person on this earth should experience.”

Communications professor David Lowry accompanied the students on their trip and said he saw them grow immensely throughout their time there. 

“The students grow in a thousand ways. You see them go from helplessness to being able to function in a society they didn’t know much about,” Lowry said. “We Americans love our country, and it’s a great country, but there are other places in the world that love their nations, and we get to learn about what’s important to them.” 

Lowry said the learning that happens during study abroad is life-changing for the students who pursue the opportunity. 

“One of the bright stars at Oklahoma Christian is the study abroad program. I want everyone to know that it is the thing you need that you didn’t know you needed,” Lowry said. “It’ll be one of the most amazing growth experiences you could go through. You’ll learn as much about yourself and the world in one semester as you would in the rest of the three and a half years at college. Suddenly, it all makes sense once you go. You will never regret this experience.” 

To learn more about the opportunity to study abroad, you can follow this link.