The summer of 2012 was the BEST Summer yet!! Let me tell you why. In the fall of 2012 I received an email about the Business and Economics Summer Term a summer study abroad opportunity. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but reading the program agenda sold me. I applied and do you know what? I got in. I was accepted to study abroad at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Duisburg, Germany. Let me tell you if you have never gone out of the country you most definitely should. This is an experience that you can’t get in the classroom. Talking about globalization and international countries is different from being immersed in one. You learn so much about the culture and characteristics of the people. Above all you meet very diverse students from different areas and you see the coolest companies. We got to see the Deutsche Bank, the German Bundestag, logistics at ALDIs, behind the scenes of a plant that provided shipping through airplanes. We found out that people aren’t the only ones traveling in a plane there are things like motorcycles and other commodities! Wow if that wasn’t enough we traveled to Berlin where we saw the Brandenburg Gate and the pieces of the Berlin Wall as well as Check Point Charlie. If this wasn’t enough we still had time on the weekends to travel to local cities in Germany and three days to go to other countries. I’m talking London, Amsterdam, Italy, Spain, and more. The thing that made this really convenient for me is that my credits would count for the University of Illinois and it covered some of my international experience requirement for ACES.  In addition the College of ACES is very generous with scholarships for study abroad and there is plenty of funding available! I would definitely recommend that you join this College and take advantage of the study abroad opportunities that ACE provides. 

If you have any doubt in your mind feel free to contact me at willi153@illinois.edu