CSULB
offers many study abroad opportunities
By
David Whisler
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
There
is no doubt that college is an enriching
and rewarding experience, but the experience
can be made even richer by studying abroad.
Study abroad offers students the opportunity
to not only learn about different cultures,
but to experience them first hand.
The
Center for International Education for
Study Abroad Services helps students to
make this opportunity a reality.
"Students
grow unbelievably," Assistant Director
Cecilia Fidora said. "It is only
by leaving your familiar surroundings
that you can get to know yourself."
Students
are offered two basic programs of study
abroad. Semester at Sea, or a semester,
or longer in another country.
Semester
at Sea provides students with a snapshot
of many different cultures. The program,
sponsored in coordination with the University
of Pittsburgh, offers attendees the chance
to earn college credit while exploring
the world. The "shipboard campus"
travels to ports of call as students learn
about each new destination. Once in port,
they can choose to take structured trips,
or explore on their own. The ship docks
for five to seven days in each port. Typically,
students will visit between 10 and 12
countries per semester. Destinations vary
depending on the semester, and include
Korea, South Africa, Iceland, England,
India and Japan.
"It's
a voyage of discovery," Semester
at Sea alumnus Kyle Hayes said. "It
will change your life in a lot of ways."
Semester
at Sea can be costly; fall and spring
can run $15,000 for tuition and living
accommodations while summer and winter
are just over $9,000. Financial aid assistance
is available, and students are urged to
apply early.
If
students want to learn more about a specific
culture, they can choose to spend an entire
semester, or even an entire academic year
overseas. Semesters are offered in London,
Spain and Japan, among others. Australia
and New Zealand are popular destinations
for the yearlong program.
Geography
major Heather Kokesch has participated
in both the Semester at Sea and the New
Zealand study abroad program.
The
major difference between study abroad
and Semester at Sea is the amount of time
spent at each destination. During the
yearlong programs "you have to do
everything that you do here, but you do
it in a foreign country," Kokesch
said.
While
in New Zealand, Kokesch bought and registered
a car and set up telephone service. Students
have the option to stay in dorm-style
housing, or live with a host family.
Often
times, the study abroad program is the
first experience that students have away
from their friends and family. Program
coordinators take this into consideration,
and structure social activities to foster
relationships with peers or host families.
The Semester at Sea program even employs
a shipboard psychologist to help with
depression or homesickness.
The
study abroad programs are geared toward
students with a sense of adventure. The
application process includes an essay
and interview session, and GPA requirements
are enforced. The Center for International
Education conducts application workshops
weekly for students wishing to apply.
There
is a wide array of study abroad opportunities
available from the Cal State Long Beach
campus and interested students are encouraged
to drop by the department office located
in Brotman Hall, room 201, for more information.
