Roam If You Want To

By: Taylor Smithson

From England to Australia, Madrid to Greece, studying abroad has never been easier for college students.

Studying abroad is a huge decision in a college student’s life. Where to go, what to do, how to get there, how to pay for it, there are many things one must do before planning their big trip.

Kelly Norton, head of the study abroad program at High Point University, said “Students are encouraged more now than ever to study abroad. Not only is it a once in a lifetime experience but it looks amazing on a resume for either grad school or life in the real world when looking for a job. It shows the student has independence and bravery.”

She sat at her dark cherry desk, with a pen behind her ear, as she turned the computer screen around to show the different programs the school offered.

Thanks to websites such as studyabroad.com and the abroad section of the HPU Website, all of the information necessary to plan the big trip is easy to find and understand.

How Am I Going To Pay For All This?

First, one must concern themselves with their payment plan. At HPU and other colleges around the country, there are financial aid programs and student loans offered to help with any money troubles one might face that could possibly be holding them back.

There is the option of paying for the trip in installments, paying a little in the beginning and most toward the end, or paying for the entire trip in full if one is so lucky to do so.

“A student shouldn’t let their fears of paying for their trip hold them back. There is always a way around the payments so that most students find they are happy with their decision and feel confident with their loans,” Kelly said.

Where Should I Go?

Next, after the financial status is solved, one must chose where they want to go. HPU students are able to choose from over 20 different locations; not to mention the option of going away for just the month of May (referred to as a “Maymester”) or for a semester at sea.

Another thing to keep in mind when deciding on where to travel is in terms of focus. A student’s major and their future plans are taken into consideration on where to go. Generally, students travel to a destination that compliments their major and furthers their education in their desired field.

I’ve Picked My Place, Now Where Do I Stay?

Students who choose to study abroad are also faced with another decision: where to stay? At most colleges, the options are to stay on campus, off campus, or with a host family in that country.

There are mixed reviews when discussing the option of staying with a host family versus on a campus. It is all based on personal opinion. Some students say they would love to live with a family to get the full experience when others would rather live with kids in the same boat as them to feel less lonely.

Eric Fortin, scheduled to study abroad this coming spring semester, has chosen to stay with a host family during his time studying in Madrid.

“I am a little bit nervous about staying with a family versus staying on a campus but I feel like I am getting more of the experience on my own but isolating myself from the school. I major in Spanish so the language barrier is something I’m not nervous about,” Eric said.

He sat in his plastic chair as he nervously fumbled with his pen. He doodled stars around his desk calendar as he spoke. A suitcase already filled with clothes sat on the floor next to his bed. He glanced over and admitted shyly that he was already half packed.

Eric planned his trip outside of the school originally. “I planned to go to Barcelona, but it was too difficult to do it on my own. My parents refused to help out so I turned to HPU and they couldn’t have been more helpful,” he said.

Eric had trouble finding all the information needed to book his trip on his own. With help from Kelly Norton, he got much more completed than he ever thought he could before. They sat down in their meeting and in a half hour he had a travel guide, books on Madrid, and Websites that held all the information he could possibly need.

LeeAnne Smith, a junior at Emerson University in Boston, plans on going to the Netherlands in the spring. “It’s way easier if you plan your trip through your school, by planning it outside of the school, there’s a lot more pressure and things to do that you don’t have help with like transferring credits and finding a good apartment.”

She sat in her very pink dorm room as she spoke about her recent acceptance letter into the castle program in the Netherlands where she will be staying with a few other students going abroad as well.

Why Go Abroad?

There are various reasons why students should go abroad. Students each have different, preferential reasons as to why they want to go abroad. The general top 10 reasons were:

• To learn a new language
• Travel opportunity
• First-hand culture experience
• Outside the classroom skills
• Making friends around the world
• To learn about oneself
• Expand worldview
• Break out of academic routine
• Enhances employment opportunities
• Enhances degree value

Marshall McDonald's Experience

Sitting in a coffee shop, sipping on hot chocolate, Marshall McDonald sits at his computer and requests to video chat. The weather in London is cold and dreary and his Burberry umbrella is just what he needed. He puts the umbrella under the table as he begins.

“I’ve never felt more homesick in my life. It’s such a different feeling than being away at school. I’ll be fine and then it hits me that I’m half way around the world, it’s not like I can just get in my car and leave,” he said as he grabbed both sides of the computer and shook the screen as if he were shaking the shoulders of someone’s body.

Marshall had only been abroad at Oxford Brooks University, London, for about two weeks and the culture shock was getting to him.

“I don’t understand their money system, or the slang, and the time change is totally throwing me off,” he continued with continuous eye rolls.

But that was in the beginning, now Marshall is preparing to pack up and come home and is completely dreading it. His time abroad has been the best time of his life.

Marshall followed the High Point University program and got to travel with three other students from the school. Living in a house all together made it easier for him to feel at home.

“I definitely suggest traveling within the school’s program, that way you are guaranteed there are going to be kid’s in the same boat as you. It’s also comforting to know that you’ll know at least one person while you’re over there,” he said with smiling eyes.

“The best thing about going abroad is that you can pick where you want to study but then can travel just as much as you want so it’s not like you chose just one place,” Marshall said.

He has already been to Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Italy, and Paris when he has time off from classes in London. Luckily, he only has class two days a week and does most of his work online.

He nibbled on his muffin and talked about all the fabulous shopping and clothes London had to offer.

“I’ve also made a ton of friends over here, some I’ve already made plans to meet up in the states when they’re on break,” he said.

See Marshall's Trip Video here: CLICK HERE!

Other Links on studying abroad:

Study Abroad Facts!