An Iowa City native’s journey through skateboarding and music led to a path in medicine and a Fulbright Grant.

A lot of students considering semester-long programs return, saying they wish they'd studied abroad for longer. However, for other students, a semester might be the perfect amount of time abroad, or even a summer. Here are some tips to help you decide which option is best for you. Keep in mind that every program and each student studying abroad is different.

Once abroad, you meet countless new friends, learn a completely new culture and time starts to fly. Soon you find yourself cherishing your last months and weeks abroad, wishing you would have had a better idea of what you were getting yourself into. Well, you’re in luck! Here are 5 goals that you should set for yourself during your time abroad!

University of Iowa International Relations major Alex Bare, a Walcott, Iowa native has been awarded a 2018 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS).

University of Iowa Political Science major Eli Bratsch-Prince, a native of Ames, Iowa, has been awarded a 2018 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS).

Today the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa Foundation announced the successful conclusion of For Iowa. Forever More: The Campaign for the University of Iowa. More than 272,000 UI alumni and friends—enough to fill Kinnick Stadium nearly four times—contributed more than $1.975 billion to help the UI remain at the forefront of education, research and health care.

Zwina is one of the most beautiful (ha) words in the Arabic language, in part because it can describe literally everything – the food is zwina, the weather’s zwina, this class is zwina. The idea of food being beautiful or tasting beautiful is a strange expression in English, but is common and complimentary in Darija. In Rabat, Morocco, the world is zwina – the people, the ancient city, the cafés on the corners and morning call to prayer. The weather is a sunny 75 degrees, and coastal breeze blows in each evening from the sea. The Kingdom of Morocco is zwina.

Gloria Wenman, of Iowa City, IA, has been awarded a 2015-16 Fulbright U.S. Student Award for an English Teaching Assistantship to Mongolia.

Sarah Mayer, of Johnston, IA, has received a 2015-16 Fulbright U.S. Student Award to Colombia where she will work as an English Teaching Assistant (ETA). Mayer will graduate this spring with a B.A./B.S. in Spanish and biochemistry from the University of Iowa.

Brett Burk, of Oskaloosa, IA, has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Award to pursue an English Teaching Assistantship in Taiwan for 2015-16. Burk graduated from the University of Iowa in December 2014 with a B.A. in linguistics and an emphasis in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language).

Julia Julstrom-Agoyo, of Chicago, Illinois, has received a 2015-16 Fulbright U.S. Student Award for an English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in Malaysia. Julia will graduate this spring with a B.A. in international studies with a focus in human rights, a certificate in sustainability, and minors in political science and Spanish.

Quinn Hejlik has been awarded a 2015-16 Fulbright U.S. Student Grant to Russia to work as an English Teaching Assistant where he hopes to develop a deeper understanding of the culture and language of Russia, and to extend the same understanding of English language and American culture to Russian students. A native of Omaha, NE, Quinn will graduate from the University of Iowa this spring with a B.A. in history and international studies.