Published 04/26/2011

Living in a foreign country, having a unique learning experience and college stories you will not find here at Shippensburg University.

However, studying abroad can help you achieve those things.

Not everyone has the opportunity to go abroad, whether it is on vacation with your family or with your friends.

But what could be better then using your education as an excuse to venture outside the borders of the U.S.?

College students today have such great opportunities, but many do not know enough about those opportunities to be able to take advantage of them.

Many may say, “Well in my major I do not have time to study abroad and graduate in four years.” But what students do not know is that most majors allow and can easily fit studying abroad into a four-year graduation plan.

Some students worry that the cost is too much. Studying abroad costs close enough to the amount you pay for tuition here at SU to make studying in a foreign country worth it.

Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and live in a world unlike the U.S., or live in a world quite similar to ours.

The diversity in the options of where you go, what you study and how long of a program you do are abundant.

Two out of my three sisters have studied abroad, and from doing that, they have gained experiences that their friends will never have. One sister studied in Bath, England, and the other in Granada, Spain.

Both had very different experiences but equal amount of adventure. My sisters made friends with people they would otherwise may never had met.

Not to mention, they added something to their resumes that would make them stand out among others.

I will be studying in Florence, Italy, next semester. I cannot express how excited and nervous I am to be able to do this. Five months exploring and learning in the beautiful country will definitely be worth missing a semester with my friends here at SU.

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