Squeeze in a little studying while you travel
With several billion people sharing one planet full of 195 independent countries, it would be easy to live a life confined to one place. But for those who love to travel and explore, especially while getting an education, study abroad tries to help.
Utah State currently gives options to study abroad in more than 135 universities around the world. Students can participate in programs directly through USU or their partner program ISEP (International Student Exchange Program).
Kay Forsyth, director of USU’s office of study abroad, said she wants students to know the process of studying abroad is easier and more affordable than students may think.
“There are courses taught in English, that can help meet requirements for graduation – although we encourage meeting with an adviser, and can help you gain an enhanced perspective,” she said.
Forsyth said loans, grants and scholarships help about 350 USU students study abroad each year, many of them in short-term programs. There are even specific scholarships available for studying abroad. USU offers more than 30 short-term programs led by faculty.
Forsyth believes studying abroad can be energizing and “make you realize there is an interesting world out there.”
Student Laura Luke, a junior in marketing, just received her acceptance to a faculty-led short-term program offered through the Huntsman School of Business. Luke said being an employee of the school in a center that is internationally focused fueled her desire to travel.
“I decided that I wasn’t going to get out of the country by just sitting there, so I decided to try,” Luke said.
Luke said she found her program through the school, but chose it because she liked the business aspect without having the focus mainly on business visits. Luke also found it appealing that graphic design students would be mixed with the business students as well.
Luke said she liked that students from another program on campus would be going because it would give her “a good perspective on working with different types of people as well.”
“You get to sit and stay in Switzerland,” Luke said. “It’s one country and one hotel, which means I could get to know the culture more.”
After deciding on the Design Thinking for Innovation program, Luke said she contemplated cost. Luke then spoke with her family and found out her financial aid would help fund her trip.
“It looks good on a resume that you have been outside of a country and have seen how their businesses work in an academic setting,” Luke said. “It will be an experience that I don’t know I would have the opportunity to have later in life and I am sure I will learn a lot of lessons for my future life that I couldn’t buy.”
Luke filled out an online application and paid a refundable $300 down payment to go towards the estimated $4,675 program cost.
Luke said she feels her program is well worth its cost.
“I am excited for the educational side because I feel I am going to learn a lot while making some good friends and form relationships while seeing some great sites as well,” Luke said.
Melissa Brent, a senior in political science, paid $5,700 to spend a semester studying in Bulgaria. After browsing through many countries, Brent said she settled on Bulgaria as her top pick because she wanted to go somewhere nobody she knew had gone before. Brent was also able to fulfill all of her elective requirements toward graduation.
Brent participated in an ISEP exchange program and was able to use her multi-cultural student center scholarship as funding. Brent said she had also worked three jobs the previous summer.
Brent said her program allowed her to pay USU tuition because it was an exchange, meaning one student would come attend USU in her place. Her program fee also covered housing, a meal plan and flight. She said every penny was worth it. She also said everything she needed, including help along the way, ISEP provided.
While Brent said she did pick up some of the Bulgarian language, there was not much of a barrier at her school despite hosting students from over 40 countries.
“It was so easy to make friends and I’m still friends with them,” Brent said.
Brent said she will take aspects of her visit with her forever, the good and bad ones.
“I learned how self-reliant I can be,” she said.
Brent said she was confident about leaving the country and her first time flying because of the reassurance offered to her and her parents.
“There wasn’t much unknown, I knew what was expected thanks to working through USU,” she said.
Heading south for another program was junior and entrepreneurship major Megan Rhoads.
Rhoads attended the University of Western Sydney program in Australia. Rhoads said her program also enabled her to pay USU tuition, but she paid an addition $4,100 for housing. Rhoads said due to cost of living, this fee was standard for Australian housing.
Rhoads said she didn’t let the cost deter her and would call it an investment because she took classes that apply to her degree. Rhoads took out a loan for the tuition and had help from her family to cover remaining costs.
Rhoads said that the value of her trip included a new perspective of the world. She said her visit made her more independent and helped her see there is more to the world.
Rhoads also said she couldn’t believe her Australian friends when they said they wanted to visit the United States so badly, when all she had ever wanted to do was visit Australia.
Rhoads said while in college, “students become who they are going to be.”
“It was about growing into who I am,” Rhoads said.
Rhoads said she often felt homesick and challenged being so far away, but would relive the experience again.
“You definitely find out what you can handle,” she said.
Rhoads said after being completely immersed in the Australian culture and seeing their different outlook on life, she tells everyone that will listen to her that they need to go.
“It was the best experience of my life,” Rhoads said.
For more information about studying abroad, students can check out the Study Abroad Fair Wednesday, Feb. 2 from 10-2, on the second floor of the Taggart Student Center.
– jessie.a.sweat@aggiemail.usu.edu