Only four years to create experiences
As the time comes to register for spring semester classes, the planning of the remainder of our four years at this university becomes a little more crucial. For someone trying to graduate in four years with a major and a minor, preferring minimal summer school and, at the same time, obtaining a desire to study abroad for a semester. The scheduling can get pretty tight.
Everything is pretty easy to accomplish with a little dedication, even penciling in to study abroad. Now at SMU, we have the luxury of the beautifully built Laura Lee Blanton building to now house SMU’s study abroad office.
Every time I’ve set foot in the study abroad office, I receive nothing but support, information and every program brochure the university has to offer. They will sit you down and map out the rest of your college experience, while making sure you graduate within your desired amount of time, and with your desired degree.
They do a great job aiding students with their travel plans, unless your plans are not included in SMU’s choice of programs. Don’t get me wrong, we have a great array of countries to study in and partake in the amazing cultural experience. According to the SMU Study Abroad Web page, the university offers 20 programs ranging from Paris, to Japan, to Russia. The countries are divided up to where you have a choice of studying for a whole academic year, as an exchange student, for the summer or for an academic semester.
But what if the country you chose to study in, or the amount of time you wish to study does not match up to an SMU program? Well, you are kind of out of luck.
It’s not impossible though, senior Elizabeth Long did it. Long wanted to study abroad in Florence, Italy during the spring semester of her junior year. While she did find it challenging to get everything planned and situated, she felt rewarded after her adventure and would not take back a second of her experience.
Long described how she “went through a difficult and tedious process to get [her] courses approved.” She expressed how “frustrating” it was that “no one seemed to try to make anything easier.” Long wishes “that SMU would encourage students to study abroad even if they do not have a program where someone wants to go.”
Discouraged by the university to go through another program, SMU sends the determined students on a never ending maze to scurry from building to building getting classes approved by each department to get credit for the specific courses they wish to take.
The department heads are getting stricter and stricter about the hours they transfer. They’ve made it almost impossible to go abroad and study what you want to study and have it count towards your degree. It’s much easier for a history major or even an English major to go abroad and make progress that aids in the study of their major.
Ben Wallace, assistant provost and director for SMU study abroad activities, expresses that SMU “strongly recommend[s] that [their] students attend SMU’s Study Abroad programs rather than attend programs at other universities.” He goes on to mention that “there are very few reasons to look for study abroad opportunities elsewhere.”
I am one of the biggest advocates for SMU, my friends and I constantly sell the school to our friends looking around at colleges. I have had the most incredible experience these past two years, and I remain impressed by many of my professors and the interesting classes they’ve provided.
I just hate the fact that because of my desire to study abroad during the academic year to a country not included in SMU’s selection, it creates this battle. My enthusiasm for experiencing this cultural study decreased since I have not received the backing of SMU’s faculty and staff.
If SMU does not feel a demand for more programs, that’s fine, completely understandable. But make the system more adaptable to those students who strive to make the effort to create the experience they want.
The bottom line is most of us have four years to enjoy college, four years to soak it all in, four years to take a semester and study over seas if we choose. Four years, that’s it!
Whitney Wills is a sophomore marketing major. She may be contacted at [email protected].
