Tan Jezz traveled over 8,000 miles in order to participate in the University of Idaho”s study abroad program.
She said she transferred to the University of Idaho from Malaysia in hopes of studying abroad.
“It”s easier access to go through the states first,” Jezz said.
Jezz is a junior majoring in Spanish, and said she hopes that through the study abroad program she can study in Spain.
Yishan Chen | Argonaut
Sabrina Harris and Sara Nutsch (center) explain programs to Caila Zimmerman (left) at the Study Abroad Fair Wednesday.
Jezz, like many other UI students, went to the Study Abroad Fair held Wednesday in the Idaho Commons to learn more about her options.
Alison Scheide, Study Abroad and Exchange Student Specialist, helped organize the fair. Scheide said to help UI students find the best study abroad options, she encourages them to ask as many questions as they can.
“This is one of the few times a year where we have representatives from a lot of our organizations here to answer their questions,” Scheide said. “While we do know a lot about most of our programs, we do have over 600 opportunities to go abroad.”
All these options make studying abroad possible for most students, and Scheide said she is working to get more students from different colleges and departments to study abroad. She said she is taking into consideration what classes should be taken at the University of Idaho, as well as what classes are available abroad for students of different majors to take.
“We”ve been able to find at least one or two programs for every major we have here at UI,” Scheide said.
Sophomore management and human resources major Kirk Berensten took advantage of one of the study abroad options last semester in Ireland. Berensten said he enjoyed studying abroad so much that he intends to study abroad again as a senior.
“Having those personal experiences and making those friends just made it unbelievable,” Berensten said.
Berensten said that studying abroad helped him decide what he wanted to do with his majors and what field he wanted to go into. He said the people he met there opened his mind.
“I made some great friends from Belgium and France that were fluent in so many languages,” Berensten said. “Being over there, where everybody speaks more than one language, really opens your eyes.”
Berensten said the experience inspired him to further his French studies. He also said he took a marketing class that sparked his interest in that field in addition to his interests in business.
Scheide said studying abroad helps give students a better worldview and teaches them to accept differences. Scheide also said that it can also help students graduate early or add another major or minor.
“We”ve had some students who go abroad to do a program in Spain where they take enough Spanish classes where they are one or two classes away from having a minor, or if they”re there for a year they”ve taken enough classes where they are one or two classes away from having another major,” Scheide said.
She said this applies to any Spanish, French or German-speaking countries that have one of those equivalent majors or minors.
Jezz said she encourages as many students as possible to study abroad.
“It”s a great experience honestly,” Jezz said. “Going to a completely new country and experiencing everything for the first time.”
Marisa Casella can be reached at [email protected]