College – four short years – is supposed to be the best days of our lives. There is a multitude of ways to make college a time to remember.
Some students choose to spend their college careers being active in campus organizations and in their communities. Some go Greek, some live on campus and some live off campus. Other students choose to spend a portion of their college experience far away from campus – out of the country, in fact.
There are plenty of opportunities for students to study abroad while they work toward their degree. Whether it”s by spending spring break in Peru, taking a whole semester to explore Spain or completing an internship in the Czech Republic, studying abroad is a unique opportunity for students to enhance their education.
Time spent in a different part of the world is an enriching experience for anyone, regardless of their age, but traveling as a student offers an added bonus.
Students can learn about subjects related to their chosen field of study while in new and beautiful locations. But, they also take in extra knowledge just by being in a foreign place and enlarge their worldview in ways they may not have expected. Many students who study abroad return to the U.S. more well-rounded than when they left.
Not to mention, the best way to learn a culture is to experience it firsthand.
The number of students who choose to study abroad during their college career is growing. By this point, there are so many specific areas of study offered in so many different locations it can be hard for one student to keep track of all of them. It would be a shame for a student to miss out on the opportunity to visit one of 69 countries UI partners with because they didn”t know there was an opportunity in the first place.
It may be hard to imagine that there are opportunities for aspiring mathematicians or English majors in such exotic locations, but the market for study abroad trips is larger than it has ever been before.
If students are interested in traveling while they”re in college, they should do a bit of research to find out what opportunities best fit their personal aspirations. The Study Abroad Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Clearwater room of the Idaho Commons is a good place to start.
Then again, studying abroad isn”t the best fit for every student. Those students shouldn”t feel pressure to study internationally just because their friends are. Plenty of students choose to stay near campus and complete their education and feel completely fulfilled doing so.
If studying abroad is something a student has always dreamed of or has an interest in, it”s worth putting the effort into looking at the opportunities available. Too many college graduates regret failing to take time to see the world while they were younger, so no student should be reluctant if they feel the urge to travel now.
– EB