The School of Communication and Journalism took its first-ever faculty-led study abroad trip this past May.
Twenty-two students and two faculty members participated in the two-week trip to Amsterdam, Paris and London.
The students spent time in each city exploring communication and culture across the cities. This included visiting art museums, historical monuments and iconic sights in each of the cities.
Before the trip started, students participated in a monthly class meeting, where they learned about what they would be doing on the trip and got to know the other students who would be on it. This allowed them to recognize their peers before they spent two weeks with them.
Once on the trip, a typical day started with a morning meeting to give a rundown of the day’s agenda. Then, a tour guide would take them to their destination for the morning by public transportation or foot.
They would break for lunch and then move on to the next destination. Group activities ended in the early evening, allowing for free time for the rest of the night.
Eleanor Wehseler, a junior agriculture communications and public relations major from Spicer, Minnesota, said the highlight of the trip was visiting the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which included many paintings by Rembrandt.
“Seeing The Night Watch by Rembrandt was awesome,” Wehseler said. “It was painted in the mid-1600s and even has its own trap door in case someone tries to steal it.”
Paige Figland, a senior advertising and communication studies major from Alexandria, South Dakota, said her favorite part was a riverboat cruise in Paris, down the Seine River outside of the Eiffel Tower.
“Being on the river cruise and seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle made it look larger than it really is,” Figland said.
Associate professor of Practice Heather Solberg was one of the faculty members on the trip. Her favorite part was seeing King Charles III and Queen Camilla and meeting London’s city planner to learn about how they market and advertise.
“Everyone’s reactions to seeing the King and Queen was fun,” Solberg said. “It was unexpected that we even had the opportunity to see them… they were out the day before at a garden party.”
The trip’s theme was learning about Culture and Communication. Other major parts of the trip were self-growth and connecting with classmates.
The trip was life-changing for Wehseler and Figland. They both encourage any students who are thinking about it, to take the opportunity because they will not regret it.
“The connections are deeper than you would make in a classroom,” Wehseler said. “It’s just so fun to see the lifelong friends I made on the trip in class and around campus,” added Figland.
To learn more about SDSU’s study abroad programs, visit the Terra Dotta website, talk to your adviser and look for flyers. You do not need to hold a major in that department to participate in the study abroad trip.
Featured study abroad trips at SDSU in 2025
- South Africa – Animal Science
- Costa Rica – Honors
- New Zealand – Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Paris and Barcelona – The School of Design
- Vietnam – Animal Science
