Whether it’s spending a semester integrating themselves into the Italian culture or a summer perusing the romance-filled streets of Paris, students are taking advantage of SMU’s diverse study abroad programs.
Although SMU has offered study abroad programs for many years, there has been an obvious rise in student interest in recent years, with approximately 600 students who participated in SMU Abroad during the 2009-10 academic year.
Kelli Anderson, assistant director for SMU Abroad, believes that the increase in the number of students taking advantage of the opportunity to study and live abroad is largely due to SMU’s launch of 100 new semester programs in Fall 2009.
“For academic year 2010-11, we anticipate between 600 to 650 students will participate in SMU Abroad programs,” Anderson said.
In addition to its new programs,which offer students a wider selection of locations to study around the world, SMU Abroad inspires students through its various events and fairs. For current students, SMU abroad has Abroad 101 daily information sessions, the annual SMU Abroad Fair in the fall and the summer programs fair in the spring.
“We encourage students by making them aware of the possibilities and opportunities abroad,” Anderson said.
A majority of students choose the summer to study abroad in order to broaden their horizons without cutting short their college experience. However, for some students there is not always an option.
Junior Blair Sullivan did not experience the luxury of studying abroad for an entire semester.
“I studied abroad for just the summer because that is all my schedule would allow. I am a double major and I could not find a study abroad program that would not put me behind in classes and in graduating on time,” Sullivan said.
SMU Abroad realizes the constraints many students face due to their demanding academic majors.
“We work closely with the academic advisors and departments so that students are aware of which programs are appropriate for their major,” Anderson said.
Junior Clare Viglione is one of the fortunate students who was able to experience an entire semester living and learning in a foreign country, spending the first semester of her junior year in Rome, Italy.
“I chose to study abroad for a semester because I didn’t want to feel like it was a vacation. I wanted to become familiar enough with the surroundings, the language, and the people so that I could call another country my home,” Viglione said.
Although Viglione was fortunate enough to spend several months in Rome, at times she faced difficulties with expenses.
“Europe is very expensive so I needed to manage my money very carefully in order to make it last. Thankfully, my school in Rome offered discounted pricing for several restaurants and grocery stores around the city,” Viglione said.
SMU Abroad understands that various aspects of living are more costly in other parts of the world, and that students and their families cannot always afford to fund an entire semester abroad on their own.
“Students who participate in SMU Abroad programs are able to use their federal and institutional financial aid/scholarships, and there are additional study abroad scholarships that students can apply for,” Anderson said.
In addition to living and becoming fully immersed in the culture of another country, Sullivan attributes some of her greatest experiences from her six weeks aborad in Paris to the opportunities she had to travel.
“The great thing about Europe is that everything is so close, so we were able to travel somewhere new every weekend. Being able to see so many amazing places in such a short amount of time was one of the best parts of studying abroad,” Sullivan said.
Viglione shares Sullivan’s enthusiasm for travelling, describing her journey as the ultimate backpacking experience.
“We went to 13 cities in eight different countries, travelling with backpacks and staying in hostels. We had a few travel mishaps, but it made it even more of an adventure,” Viglione said.
Whether it is a short six weeks in Paris or an extended four months in Rome, it is clear that these students have greatly benefitted from their time living and studying abroad.
“I feel as though I gained a new appreciation for other cultures and have realized how much I want to make travel apart of my future,” Viglione said.
