As Demarcus Luckett looked into the crowd of thousands of people from all different parts of the world carrying mugs of beers, he knew he made the right choice to travel abroad. It was going to be a day he would remember for the rest of his life.

Luckett had many more highlights from his trip to Germany than just Oktoberfest. He made life-long memories with people he would have never met otherwise. “Oktoberfest was only one of my acmes of traveling abroad,” said Luckett. “I think the best feature that came from it was the lifelong friends I have accumulated and the experiences we have had together. I have also gained an outside perspective on what it is to be American, and also how the rest of the world views us in a mixture of awe and disappointment. I was able to expand my personal perspective of how the world works through distinctive lenses, particularly of the differentiating educational systems globally.”

Luckett describes how hard it is to be away from everything he has ever known, but he assures that it’s a great way to get out of your comfort zone. “As with anything, studying abroad has its ups and downs,” said Luckett. A couple of the downs are very obvious, such as homesickness or not being able to see your friends and family for that allotted time, and missing a sense of familiarity where you know all of the social norms. It was an exciting challenge to live somewhere that I did not have any hands on experience about, and the only form of knowledge that was apparent to me was what I have learned through the readings of the history books.”

Luckett explained how studying abroad opened his eyes to new views of other people and countries. He got to see first hand how people in different cultures interact on a daily basis. 

“I know I have certain stereotypes about many different countries and Germany is no different. Now that I have actually been there, I am gaining a sense of understanding and getting to know the people who are originated citizens that live in the country of Germany,” Luckett said. “This particularly was very eye opening and it really expanded my horizons. I unable to speak for the other people who studied abroad, but I know that I had an amazing time and I cannot wait to go back for another adventure in a different province.”

Luckett explains how studying abroad is not what students typically view it as. During his first semester he was involved in rigorous courses with material that required he spend five days a week in the classroom. 

Despite the toughness of academia, every adventurous students dreams to study aboard. For most, the first thing that comes to mind is money and how these expenses will be settled during travel to a specified foreign region. 

This too was the case for Luckett and to account for these expenses, he worked at an elementary school in Germany and taught students to speak, read and write in English. Along with being a student, he was also an employee who was paid ten Euros per hour to incorporate his teaching skills. 

There is also an alternative method of income as an option for students studying abroad. They are given the right to voluntarily speak at local high schools and colleges in regards to current events such as gun control, human rights, human trafficking and anything that may be of interest to that specified class. For this the student speaker is also paid, as they would be if they were to take up a traditional job.

From seeing the true culture of Germany through a pint of beer at Oktoberfest to learning how to speak German and teaching children how to speak english, studying abroad opened Luckett’s mind to the world. 

For more information on studying abroad, visit International Hall or go to a study abroad information meeting which will be happening throughout the month of September. For meeting dates and times visit seawolfliving.com.