“A Day in the life of a Sociology Student” will showcase Sociology majors who are doing great things, like interning, studying abroad and more!
Hopefully the stories of these students will let you know what kind of opportunities are available, and what your fellow students are accomplishing.

UMass Sociology student (and Peer Advisor) Allie Jones is currently studying in Leiden, the Netherlands.

The following is a letter that Allie wrote to explain how studying abroad has been an amazing experience.

Writing to recommend all sociology students to study abroad would not quite say enough about my experience thus far. I am here to beg students. Being abroad has been the most exciting, strange, and beautiful experiences of my life. I have been pulled out of my comfort zone and have encountered piles of problems but I have been enjoying myself the whole ride. Through leaving the country and moving halfway across the globe I thought I would grow as a person by becoming more cultured and aware. In reality I started to grow the second I decided to apply. Through the application process I became more detail-oriented, organized, and motivated to advocate for myself. Since applying I have learned all sorts of lessons but of the most importance I have learned patience. In America we are programmed to expect instant satisfaction and in Europe they seem to be on a slightly different timetable. Even the fast food could be nicknamed “not-so-fast (but still fried) food.”

This has been a trip full of discovery. I have found bliss in Barcelona, inspiration in Prague, and absolute joy in my “home” country, the Netherlands. I have discovered so much about myself including my newfound passion for traveling. Studying at Leiden University I have been fortunate enough to be living in international housing. While I have met a new best friend here that attends UMass Amherst, I also have friends from Hungary, Chile, Poland, Spain, Brazil, England, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Siberia, Mexico, Sweden, Australia, you name it! My eyes have opened to the joys of international friendships. As a sociology major, I am so intrigued by group interaction and human behavior. This has been a constant field study for me. My only complaint would have to be that I have to leave all my friends at the end of the program not quite knowing when I will see these great people again. On the other hand, that list is quite a handful of future traveling destinations where I have a friendly face and a tour guide.

I could not be happier to pass on a recommendation to study abroad. It will take years, or my whole life, to really understand how much I have absorbed. Aspiring students, please, please take advantage of this opportunity. Believe in it’s ability to change you as a person and change your outlook on the world. Sociology is everywhere and this has been a hands-on learning experience. If you are interested in my travels, have a look at my blog: sconesjones.wordpress.com

“A Day in the life of a Sociology Student” will showcase Sociology majors who are doing great things, like interning, studying abroad and more!
Hopefully the stories of these students will let you know what kind of opportunities are available, and what your fellow students are accomplishing.

UMass Sociology student (and Peer Advisor) Nicole Rosenberg is currently studying in Roma, Italy.

The following is a letter that Nicole wrote to explain what her life in Rome is like!

     Hey soc majors this is Nicole,one of your peer advisors writing all the way from Rome, Italy! If you have never considered going abroad before hopefully this post will get you to start thinking about it. I absolutely love being abroad. Everything about Italy is amazing, the food, the people, the culture, and the clothing all blend together to create a unique experience as a study abroad student.  The food itself is unlike anything you can find in America. The homemade pizza, pasta, gelato, and pastries are delicious and you never get sick of them because there is always something new to try. A very common way that Italians eat a meal is in four courses. They start with an antipasto or appetizer, then a pasta dish, a meat dish, and finally they finish with dessert and course a glass of wine or two!  It is a ton of food, but every dish is always amazing. I have not had a bad meal yet.

     School has also been a very positive experience for me here. I attend an American university so all of my classes are taught in English. I am taking five classes, two of them being sociology classes and I can personally say they are nothing that I would ever be able to take at UMass. One of my sociology classes is all about the Italian South. We cover topics ranging from the mafia to Italian Unification to stereotypes portrayed in the south.  My other sociology class is an on-site class. We get to travel around Rome and discuss many issues in the city today. I have been to low-income housing projects, the working class district of Rome, and we are even going to travel to a gypsy camp. These classes have completely changed my views sociologically because I get to analyze another culture from a different point of view. I also get to travel a lot on weekends. So far I’ve been to Milan, Florence and Tuscany. In the next two months I plan to go to Paris, Greece, Venice, Barcelona, Calabria, Pompeii, and Capri. Traveling is also eye-opening because you get to see different parts of Europe and Italy and compare them to Rome and America. Overall I have been having an amazing time here and I’ve been trying to learn more Italian. It is easy to pick up the language when you are completely immersed in the culture. Coming abroad was one of the best decisions I made and hopefully this will inspire you guys to go the IPO office as soon as possible!

See you in the fall, Nicole