Study abroad a wise choice for students seeking big adventure on a small budget
With our first couple weeks of school behind us, it is time to start thinking about something very important… Spring break.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could go some place really cool and exotic this year like Greece, Spain or Italy? Unfortunately, most of us poor college students can’t afford the jet-set lifestyle, or can we? Last year I spent my Spring break backpacking around Italy and spent less than $600. How did I do it? I was already in Europe as an exchange student.
I spent my 2006 Spring semester in Rennes, France. In those five short months I learned more about European politics than I could have from reading a year’s worth of The New York Times, I traveled more on less money, and I learned important life skills such as how to live for two weeks out of a backpack and how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew.
Most importantly, I inspired myself.
After making my way through the Paris metro system with my weight in baggage, I know I can do anything. Now I would like to inspire the rest of you to study abroad.
For those of you who haven’t thought about studying abroad, or thought it would be too hard or too costly, I would like to invite you to visit the international office. You will be surprised to find it is easier and cheaper than you imagine. Plus, there is a program to fit anyone.
First, studying abroad is the cheapest way to travel the world. The school offers several different scholarships to help you fund your trip. For those who are interested in a semester or year program, you pay GCSU tuition and housing costs, and many scholarships, such as HOPE, apply. Plus, as a student, you qualify for discounts on anything from train tickets to youth hostels, to museums and restaurants.
If you’re worried about not being able to speak a foreign language, you have nothing to worry about. Many of the Maymester programs the school offers are in English, and many of the longer programs offer language classes. The school I attended did require some knowledge of French prior to attending, but it offered lower level French as a foreign language classes and many of the attendees had not taken French prior to attending. Plus, what better way to knock out those foreign language requirements than by sipping sangria in Madrid or coffee in Paris?
It might be sappy to tell you that my semester abroad was one of the best experiences I have ever had, but it is the truth. If you have a list of things to do before you graduate, study abroad should be number one. Besides, how jealous will your friends be when you send them pictures of you sun bathing on the Mediterranean or zipping through the streets of Rome on your Vespa?
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Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Jan 19 2007. Filed under Opinion.
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