As if choosing where to attend college isn’t hard enough, once the decision is made and nearly two years go by, students are faced with the choice to study abroad. Not only do they choose where, but also they can choose fall, winter or spring semester. Some choose to travel to the opposite side of the globe to Sydney or New Zealand, while others choose Italy or even their beloved College Park. With positive and negative aspects of each, current seniors offer the best insight for students grappling with this very decision.
Flying across the globe to Australia has become and increasingly popular destination for college students. Despite Australia being a tropical location, the weather gets colder as towards the end of your stay.
Taylor Teichman, a senior from New York, studied at the University of New South Wales.
“It [Australia] was just such a different experience,” Teichman said, “I would’ve never seen so many places if I didn’t choose to study abroad there.”
Visiting New Zealand, Fiji and Thailand, Teichman claims that her experience was profoundly different than the experiences her friends had while in Europe.
“The adventure and the outdoor life is really a huge part of the trip,” Teichman said, “I
tried so many new things.”
If the prospect of travelling so far is a scary thought, there are a multitude of options in Europe. The upside? Eurail is an inexpensive way to travel the continent by train.
Meredith Prescott, a senior from New York, traveled to Prague in the Czech Republic and studied at the Anglo-American University. Located in central Europe, Prescott said, Prague is a great location for those who want to travel on the weekends.
“I stayed in Prague during the week and almost every weekend I was in a different country,” said Prescott, who visited Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dublin and many more.
Rochelle Partman, a senior from New York, decided to spend her semester in College Park. While all of her friends studied in Europe, Partman used this time wisely.
“It was a really good time for me to focus on my grades and boost my GPA,” said Partman.
While some students choose to study abroad through different universities, their credits transfer, but not their grades. Utilizing this time to study in College Park allows you to receive both credit and grades in order to help maintain and potentially increase your GPA.
Choosing whether to spend the semester in College Park or travel out of the country is a matter of personal preference. For some, the thought of spending up to five months in a foreign country is frightening, while for others this though is exciting.
Explore your options and make the choice that’s best for you!
Photo Credits: Jamie White