Study Abroad: Slovenia

Study Abroad in Slovenia

By: Tommy Smith

Slovenia is a country rich with culture and diverse landscapes. It is a considered a hidden gem in Europe with a charming capital, the rugged Alps, and the Mediterranean coast. Two of the students from the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Department had the opportunity to study in this incredible country. Ashley Casperson and Tommy Smith shared a few of their insights of their four-month visit.

“My favorite part of studying in Slovenia was meeting people from all over the world. I was able to become friends with individuals from Germany, Belgium, China, Poland, Serbia and many more. It was amazing to compare similarities and differences in our cultures and languages. Being able to travel with these friends and experience the big tourist cities (with giant skyscrapers and narrow streets) to the rugged mountain ranges and open valleys showed me how diverse the people and the landscape really are,“ said Tommy.

Lucas Otto, Ashley Casperson, Tommy Smith, and Maja Merz

Ashley said, “Going to Slovenia was a life changing experience for me. I loved being able to travel to so many incredible cities, and to learn about the people through the architecture, history, food, and by simply talking to the locals. Of all the places I went, Ljubljana always felt like home though. It was definitely challenging at times, but the incredible relationships that I made with people from all over the world, made it all worth it.”

Though Ashley’s and Tommy’s experiences were fun and interactive, they studied while being in the country. Taking three classes from the local university in Slovenia. They drew landscapes, analyzed architecture, studied the history and culture, they analyzed urban and rural places and compared differences and similarities between the different continents.

Going to Slovenia was a life changing experience for me.

When asking Ashley and Tommy if they would suggest a study abroad to other students you get a resounding yes from both. Both expressed they would never be able to convey how much they truly learned from the experience or be able to share how they have changed because of it. They hope that by studying in Europe they have become more adapt to change, more open to new ideas, and overall better landscape architects.

Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning | InSites 2018