The Psychology of Study Abroad: Identity, Learning, and Transformation

Catalog description

Have you ever wondered what happens to your mind when you are fully immersed in a foreign environment? How does navigating an unfamiliar city change the way your brain processes information, or what happens to your sense of self when you begin to express your identity in a new language? This course invites you to look beyond the surface of your time in Spain and treat Madrid as a living laboratory for psychological analysis. Rather than simply experiencing the city, you will use research-based frameworks to examine how cultural immersion reshapes the way you think, learn, and relate to others. The course explores the science of neuroplasticity in unfamiliar settings and why the "cognitive disequilibrium" of culture shock can be a necessary step for meaningful growth. Over the semester, you will move from sightseeing toward deep immersion by examining the psychological dynamics of belonging and solitude, identity development across cultures, and the ways privilege and positionality shape engagement in global spaces. You will use accessible analytical tools - experiential learning, reflection on how you learn, and strategies for transferring learning across contexts - to make sense of real-world situations. Assignments are analytically structured and research-informed, building skills you can apply in Madrid and beyond. Open to students from all disciplines; no prerequisites. While reflective, the course centers on academic analysis and theory-driven inquiry.