Just because you’re studying abroad during the holiday season, doesn’t mean you won’t get to celebrate. We know spending the holidays away from home is hard, but there are things you can do to make it easier.
- Look at the holidays as an opportunity to create new traditions
- Spend time with friends
- Participate in USAC and university offered events
- Take tips from alumni who have studied abroad
To help get you started, we asked our alumni network how they celebrated Thanksgiving during their study abroad. From organizing potlucks with new friends to traveling, they had some great ways to celebrate the holidays while overseas.
Take Advantage of USAC and University Opportunities
If you’re studying abroad with USAC, there’s a good chance your program will coordinate an event for the holidays. Since we just passed Thanksgiving, we asked some of our programs to share how they helped students celebrate the holiday.
From potlucks and traditional Thanksgiving dinners to dancing, eating with a host family, and starting new traditions, here’s what a holiday abroad can look like during your study abroad with USAC.
Bengaluru, India
Students in Bengaluru celebrated together with a potluck style dinner of traditional and local foods.
Bilbao, Spain
Students in Bilbao, Spain created Thanksgiving crafts with staff and professors
Chengdu, China
Students in Chengdu, China organized a friendsgiving to celebrate
Heredia, Costa Rica
Students in Heredia, Costa Rica shared a dance with other students during a potluck dinner\
London, England
Students in London, England celebrate with a group dinner and sharing what they’re thankful for
Pau, France
Students in Pau, France celebrated Thanksgiving with friends and their host family
Prague, Czech Republic
Students in Prague, Czech Republic helped prepare their Thanksgiving meal that they shared as a group
Reggio Emilia, Italy
Students in Reggio Emilia gather for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner mixed with some Italian local foods
Shanghai, China
Students in Shanghai, China helped cook a Thanksgiving dinner that they then shared with the USAC group
Torino, Italy
Students in Torino, Italy celebrate with USAC staff and students
Valencia, Spain
The USAC staff in Valencia, Spain entertained university visitors from Michigan Tech during Thanksgiving
Viterbo, Italy
Students in Viterbo, Italy celebrated with a group dinner of traditional Thanksgiving food
Embracing new friends and traditions while you’re abroad is a great way to get through the holidays when you’re away from home. If you’ve celebrated overseas and have tips for future students, let us know in the comments.
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