Spring Break
The World Is At Your Fingertips
John Bailey
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: Focus
Opportunity isn't going to come looking for you. Opportunity is too busy standing behind tables with welcoming smiles, poster boards and stacks of explanatory pamphlets.
The 2007 Study Abroad Fair filled the Rome Ballroom with dozens of colorful booths and hundreds of students, offering a tantalizing array of study abroad options. Cheerful, knowledgeable representatives promoted locations as diverse as New Zealand, the Netherlands, Ecuador and the oceans that separate them. They were as eager to talk as students were to listen, and each booth was loaded with promotional information.
Many of the opportunities presented were options for the upcoming Spring semester. The UConn-run programs include art history in Florence, drama in London, French in Paris and more; a wealth of more diverse options included the London College of Fashion, an exchange with the National University of Singapore and communication sciences in Australia, and that's just a bite-sized hors d'oeuvre. The main course includes programs numbering in the hundreds, all viewable on UConn's Study Abroad Web site.
First, Study Abroad includes every area of study, every UConn major and even some that don't officially exist. The expected fields, like English and other languages, are well-represented, with choices far beyond the obvious Paris and London. Even a brief time at the Fair, though, revealed so many more options: field studies in public health in Kenya, rainforest management in Australia, or maritime studies throughout the Atlantic Ocean.
"Studying abroad isn't just for language majors any more," Theresa Leary said, who was showcasing the internship opportunities available with Boston University's study abroad program.
Secondly, concerns that studying abroad may impact tightly-wound course requirements appear to be largely unfounded.
"It will enhance your education significantly without increasing the number of semesters it takes you to graduate," according to the Study Abroad Web site. Also according to the Study Abroad Web site, students should plan to take specific, required courses, particularly in math and the sciences."
The 2007 Study Abroad Fair filled the Rome Ballroom with dozens of colorful booths and hundreds of students, offering a tantalizing array of study abroad options. Cheerful, knowledgeable representatives promoted locations as diverse as New Zealand, the Netherlands, Ecuador and the oceans that separate them. They were as eager to talk as students were to listen, and each booth was loaded with promotional information.
Many of the opportunities presented were options for the upcoming Spring semester. The UConn-run programs include art history in Florence, drama in London, French in Paris and more; a wealth of more diverse options included the London College of Fashion, an exchange with the National University of Singapore and communication sciences in Australia, and that's just a bite-sized hors d'oeuvre. The main course includes programs numbering in the hundreds, all viewable on UConn's Study Abroad Web site.
First, Study Abroad includes every area of study, every UConn major and even some that don't officially exist. The expected fields, like English and other languages, are well-represented, with choices far beyond the obvious Paris and London. Even a brief time at the Fair, though, revealed so many more options: field studies in public health in Kenya, rainforest management in Australia, or maritime studies throughout the Atlantic Ocean.
"Studying abroad isn't just for language majors any more," Theresa Leary said, who was showcasing the internship opportunities available with Boston University's study abroad program.
Secondly, concerns that studying abroad may impact tightly-wound course requirements appear to be largely unfounded.
"It will enhance your education significantly without increasing the number of semesters it takes you to graduate," according to the Study Abroad Web site. Also according to the Study Abroad Web site, students should plan to take specific, required courses, particularly in math and the sciences."
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