When students begin to consider going abroad, they typically think of SMU’s most well known programs in countries such as England, Spain, Italy or France. But what many students don’t realize is that SMU is host to a large assemblage of exotic and unfamiliar places like Morocco, Brazil, China, Switzerland, and even Egypt. In addition to gaining school credit or internship experience, going abroad gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in an entirely different culture. While in your parents minds the words, “immersing yourself in a new culture” generates images of you eating gelato while peacefully reading books in the Italian country-side, the abroad experience is far more exciting than that…The reality of it is that new countries means new cities, lower drinking ages, foreign boys, bars that aren’t Homebar or Barley House, and probably a good list of drinks that you’ve never even heard of. Whether you’re going to a rave on the Great Wall of China, hitting up the London pub crawl scene, taking weekend trips to Paris, having a beach day in Barcelona, or just getting wasted midday at the local bar, the abroad experience offers you the opportunity to go crazy (but not too crazy) and experience the world with a group of SMU students who share the same excitement as you.
Students always come back with the most ridiculous stories after going abroad and while it’s probably not a good idea to wake up with two Spanish men in your bed, blackout buy a dog from a strange man in China, or drunkenly call your mom when it’s 5am in the US because, “you miss her hugs”, if you do plan to go abroad take advantage of it to the fullest because there is honestly no other experience quite like it.