Marcus Coyle
About My Study Abroad Program
Major/Minor: Music/Pre-Business
Program: Carolina Spring Forward - University of Stirling
Location: Stirling, Scotland
Email: marcus5@unc.edu
Term: Spring 2024
Why did you choose to study abroad and how did you select your program?
A group of friends and I decided we wanted to study abroad spring semester of freshman year and decided Scotland was the best program for its location, its course offerings, and the language spoken (English). I wanted to study abroad so I could travel the world and gain a new experience I'd never had before and I did it super early because of the scholarships and extra financial assistance.
What did you learn about yourself?
I learned that I can be a lot more independent and confident by myself. I was anxious to do anything alone at UNC, even eat at the dining hall or join extracurriculars on my own but at Stirling I went all the way to other countries by myself and did so many things alone. I also learned to appreciate history, museums, nature/just walking around: all things I was mostly indifferent about before.
What is one of your favorite memories from your program?
My program, API, took us on a trip to the Battle of Bannockburn site, in which we could see for ourselves the site in which Robert the Bruce and the Scots defended their land from the British. We got to dress up in chainmail and other old-timey clothing and learn about the battle from experts.
What advice do you have for future study abroad students?
I'd say it's totally understandable to be uncertain but it really is okay to do things alone and independently. If you're afraid to travel to another country or even just explore a small town by yourself you just need to trust yourself and the fact that you can still enjoy things alone. If one's nervous about not making friends there, most abroad programs do have flats/multi-person apartments and befriending housemates there is an easy step to develop traveling buddies, friends, and even life-long buds.
How do you identify?
LGBTQ+
Could you share any experiences where your identity played a role in your time abroad?
Being gay opened a whole new dimension to my abroad experience: LGBTQ culture is abundant in Europe with gay bars and art/museums often depicting gay people or gay culture. So being a gay person I was able to utilize gay meeting spaces sometimes or even meet other gay people in a way that'd be rarer in the United States.
Is there any advice you would give to other students who share your identity?
I'd tell them to actually go to gay bars and clubs because they're super fun and honestly they'll probably be your first time being surrounded by gay people and not being in a crowded room where most people are straight. Telling people to just "go to the bar" is probably not very school-friendly advice but it provided a critical space for me to embrace my identity. I'd also say to not be bummed if other people in your abroad groups are finding boyfriends/quickly finding relationships: it's just generally easier when you're straight. I'd still say to utilize gay spaces or just meeting other gay people online or in-person because it's a very different pool of people than the United States.
Memories




