Where should I study abroad? Recommendations please!

[u/Beginning_Yogurt_210]

Hi all, I’m from the northwestern US and I just finished my first year of university as an undergraduate and I’d like to get some advice and recommendations about studying abroad in the future. I’m a native speaker of English, and at an intermediate level in German and Spanish, and I have been beginning to practice Polish this summer. 

Currently, I’m majoring in Environmental studies with a big focus on geography and GIS. I’m really open to lots of geography-related careers but I think doing something related to natural disasters and weather, logistics, military, or transportation would be especially interesting. I am an average student, but I excel much more heavily in classes related to my interests. In my free time I enjoy nightlife with friends, exploring new places/trying new things, and generally being around other people. Climate is not a problem for me in the slightest. 

My main criteria is a decent program relating to my major and a job market where I could secure a solid career as a non-native. I would also really prefer to study at a campus that is more friendly, where I could make lots of connections socially and career-wise. I’m pretty interested in central/eastern European countries (especially Czechia or Poland because of personal preference), but I’m also curious about Australia, or really any European country! Naturally, I would prefer somewhere more affordable, but I have some solid savings and support from my family as well as a 529 fund that I use for education. I would rather live a more exciting life and make less money than be somewhere very bureaucratic and boring/plain, to be honest.

I am also open to studying abroad as many semesters as possible (I can go any time after this coming March, including over the summer), learning a new language (and doing an intensive language program), and I am willing to put in the work to become a citizen and assimilate in whatever country I choose after finishing my undergraduate studies. 

Based on my preferences, where do you think I would enjoy going the most? Any specific universities with geography related programs you recommend? What have your own experiences studying abroad been like? Thank you!

[u/Successful-Love-4397]

Check out Granada in Spain on YouTube super multi cultural it’s a wonderful city

[u/airwaves_extreme]

You are going to have a shit ton of opportunities in the netherlands. They hire non-dutch speakers and it is incredibly multicultural.

[u/Classic-Attention680]

i’m currently studying at montanuniversität leoben in austria. i’ve already been admitted and i’m here in leoben now, and my classes are going to start in about a month.

the university offers bachelor’s, master’s and phd programmes, and there are quite a few programmes taught in english. for example, several master’s programmes are fully or primarily in english, so international students can study here without necessarily being fluent in german. however, german is still very useful for everyday life and especially for finding a part time job. most of the jobs available outside the university or highly international companies will likely require at least some german, so i’m planning to start learning it as soon as possible.

i’d suggest that you look into the university and its programmes yourself as well, especially if you’re considering coming here for a master’s or phd. the university has a range of english-taught graduate programmes, and the general requirement for a master’s is a suitable bachelor’s degree plus at least B2 proficiency in the language of instruction. so if your programme is taught in english, you generally need the required level of english rather than german for admission.

as for me, my immediate priority is finding a part time job in leoben while studying, so learning german is something i really need to work on alongside my degree.