Seattle Study Abroad

Seattle Stories: Semester Abroad in Emerald City

My semester abroad in Seattle was one of the best times I've ever had. I flew to Seattle at the end of March to have a few days to settle in before the university started in mid-April. When I arrived, I was absolutely overwhelmed by the size and the typical "American city vibe" - exactly what I expected. In the first few days, we explored the city center with the typical tourist spots, especially the Seattle Peer was one of my highlights. We also moved into our Airbnb for the next coming months. The neighborhood I lived in was called Ballard and is known for its bar scene. It's a great area with everything you need: grocery stores, gym, walking options, bars and restaurants and great connections to downtown and therefore also to CityU.

The university has a modern design with small seminar rooms in which the modules are held. The study groups also consist of a maximum of 20 students, which creates a very pleasant learning atmosphere. You can't complain about the learning and workload, as you have enough time to complete all tasks. During the breaks or when the lessons are over, you can easily walk to the coffee shops downtown or go straight down to Peer and the famous Pike Place Market to get your lunch. Besides the university, Seattle has a lot to offer: The University District is full of shopping stores and offers, like the shopping outlet University Village. The Capitol Hill district, where the LGBTQ scene is particularly well represented, also has a huge selection of cool bars, parks and sports grounds.

If you love the beach (probably almost everyone), Seattle also has something for you: Golden Gardens Park with its panoramic view of the mountains is the perfect place to end the day after university. In general, there are lots of beautiful parks in Seattle, where events are often held, for example concerts by superstar Macklemore, who often performs in his hometown. (My personal advice: If you are in Seattle in the summer, go to Gas Works Park, from there you have a great view of downtown and on July 4th you can admire the National Day fireworks from there). When you spend a semester abroad, you naturally want to see more than just the area where you are studying. You'll have plenty of time to do this at CityU! For a semester abroad, you usually spend two quarters at CityU with a short lecture break in between. In my case, there was a two-week break between the spring and summer quarter.

During this time, I went on a road trip along the West Coast with a few friends I met at CityU. We flew from Seattle to San Diego and then drove back along the coast in a rental car. Our stops included San Diego, LA, San Francisco and Portland. Shorter trips are also possible during the semester, as you don't have university every day at CityU. There are usually about 3 days of seminars. Therefore, with a bit of luck, you have a long weekend, which is ideal for short trips. I once went to the Olympic National Park in Washington for a weekend with friends to get to know the beaches and nature of Seattle. As the border of Canada is also not far away, a trip to Vancouver for a few days was also a good idea to enjoy the city and, above all, nature.

Overall I can recommend a semester abroad in Seattle to everyone. Whether it’s the city vibe, the beach, or the nature - the "Emerald City" has so many facets and creates so many wonderful memories!