So you’ve made the decision to study abroad. Congratulations! This is a big step for your global education and self-growth. It takes a lot of courage to wander off to parts unknown and immerse yourself in an unfamiliar culture. But are you still unsure about which culture you want that to be? Are you overwhelmed with all the possibilities? Well, for those of you who are bored with the idea of London, Paris, or Sydney, I have your back. Compiled here are several different dynamic cities that are cultural and educational hubs, guaranteed to satisfy your sense of adventure.
Hong Kong, China
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Hong Kong has the perfect combination of old versus new: modernization juxtaposed with traditional values, customs, and culture. This city marries Eastern history with Western influence, making the foreign seem familiar to any student who desires to study here. And if you think that Hong Kong boasts too much of a metropolitan, fast-paced lifestyle, think again. Seventy percent of the city’s area is actually covered in national parks, and the city’s top-notch transportation system makes it easy to escape bustling city life for hiking, biking, or exploring.
Montreal, Canada
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Montreal is the largest city in Quebec and the second-largest in Canada. It’s also a leading multimedia city as well as a dynamic business and design center. People often forget that Montreal is the second-highest French-speaking city, right behind Paris. It’s as European as you can get without leaving the continent.
Zurich, Switzerland
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Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and is considered the business capital of the country. Formerly an industrial town, its focus shifted to commerce and became a cultural hub, with numerous theaters, concert halls, museums, art galleries, libraries and bookshops. Not only is the city itself a thing of beauty, but it’s also located by Lake Zurich, surrounded by hills and is about an hour drive to the Alps. This makes it one of the most pleasant cities to live — just keep in mind that it was recently ranked as the most expensive city in the world, so you’ll need some hefty savings to enjoy its offerings.
Singapore, Southeast Asia
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Singapore is a clean, diverse city peppered with green spaces and modern buildings. It is also an economic giant crawling with opportunities. If the idea of a huge, bustling city sounds a little overwhelming to you, this may be a good place to get your feet wet. Singapore is also ranked number one worldwide as the most business-friendly city. It’s extremely safe, and is also a great hub for traveling throughout Southeast Asia.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Buenos Aires’s eclectic architecture was inspired by cities such as Paris and Madrid, giving it a very European feel. This city is the political, economic, and cultural capital of Argentina, and one-third of the country’s 40 million people reside here. Because it’s also relatively young, it makes for an ideal place to study the evolution of a developing city. Buenos Aires also has a booming art scene, home to many artists, writers, filmmakers, and musicians in Latin America.
Munich, Germany
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When you hear Munich, you probably think of Oktoberfest. If you still need a reason to study abroad here, it’s also home to a host of universities including Technical University of Munich and Ludwig Maximilians University. Munich schools are known for their high standards of excellence in teaching, with special attention to engineering, medicine, science, and economics. After you work hard by day, you can take full advantage of exploring this beautiful city by night at any one of its beer halls, museums, parks and cafes.
Prague, The Czech Republic
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Known as a “symphony in stone,” I can say from personal experience that this is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The city is essentially a living museum and its architecture is astounding. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Prague is an unaltered, hands-on museum, full of famous theaters, opera houses, parks, churches and temples. If architecture isn’t your thing, experience the thriving rock and roll and jazz music scene or indulge in the wonders of the carb-filled czech cuisine. And most definitely stop in an Absintherie while you’re there, but that’s our little secret.
Manchester, England
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If you’re looking for a quieter, smaller, more home-y city in England that isn’t London, Manchester should be at the top of your list. Without the risk of a language barrier, Manchester is home to a few universities with incredible study abroad programs such as University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the Royal Northern College of Music. Of course the music scene is thriving here, so if you’re an artsy type, you’ve certainly found your ideal study abroad city.
Budapest, Hungary
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Did you know that Budapest is one of the cheapest places to live? Need we say more? Well, if we must, Budapest is a beautiful city with a rich culture full of art and opera, with incredibly inexpensive tickets to museums and theaters. Also, chicken paprikash is a thing you must eat, all the time, forever, if nothing else. They also have these incredible public baths such as Gellert and Széchenyi that look like Gatsby parties, only better. But really, Budapest is an eclectic city, divided by the beauty of the Danube River, and connected by modern bridges, cafes, and markets amid a mix of architectural styles. It is not to be missed.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Marina is a student who finds most of her comfort in food and in cooking. She runs her own adventurous food blog, fondly called “Marinated” which you can explore at www.marinatedblog.com. While studying abroad in London, she realized that all she wants from life is to eat through all of the cities in the world and write about it. In between meals, Marina enjoys reading and writing poetry, playing her ukulele, and dreaming up the places she wants to travel to next. She’s currently finishing her degree in Writing, Literature, & Publishing at Emerson College and is pretending the future isn’t happening yet.
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