Students gathered at the study abroad open house in McFarlin Auditorium to learn more about the 25 different summer, semester and academic year-long programs held in 13 countries around the world Wednesday evening.
SMU students who have studied abroad, and faculty members who traveled with students on the study abroad programs, were at the open house talking to interested students about their experiences.
Caroline Sullivan studied in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, last spring.
“It’s really hard to explain to someone who hadn’t been,” Sullivan said. “But when you talk to someone who has or has [studied abroad] somewhere else, you have this immediate connection because you know how life altering it is.”
Sullivan took courses through Denmark’s International Study Program, a school specifically for students who are studying abroad. SMU-In-Copenhagen offers a wide variety of courses and is available for students who wish to study for a semester or an entire academic year.
While studying in Copenhagen, Sullivan chose to live in a kollegium, Danish-style university housing. She had a roommate and each housing unit had either a kitchenette or had access to a full kitchen located on each floor. Unlike, SMU’s residence halls, the kollegium featured a bar on the top floor and a restaurant on the ground floor.
Students may also choose to stay with a Danish family, which three-fourths of students opt for, according to the SMU-In-Copenhagen brochure.
“You go abroad and you have no idea what to expect,” Sullivan said. “You meet people and do things you had no idea existed.”
Students experience a different culture and way of life while studying abroad. For instance, Copenhagen is very pedestrian friendly. People walk or ride bikes to get around, Sullivan said.
Kim Hughes also studied in Copenhagen for the entire 2006-07 academic year.
“I really didn’t want to drive my car when I got back,” Hughes said.
SMU offers programs of varying lengths in Australia, Britain, Denmark, France, England, Germany, Italy, Mexico, People’s Republic of China, Russia and Spain. SMU also offers foreign exchange programs in Japan and Taipei.
