Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Spring Break Visit Shows Difference Between Short-term and Semester Programs

Returning to classes and homework is always rough after spring break. I went home and relaxed with my family. You would think that being caught up on sleep and school work would provide for a stress-free reentry – nope! For people that went on vacation for spring break, getting back into the swing of things must be even harder.
Over break, Allie Einsidler visited six friends studying abroad in Barcelona, the second largest city in Spain. Barcelona, a coastal city, was founded by Romans and has maintained its historic Gothic center. Many students choose to study abroad in Barcelona for its Mediterranean influences. According to the Open Doors 2010 Fast Fact sheet, Spain is the third most traveled to country of U.S. study abroad students.
Allie had the opportunity to study abroad in Paris over the summer and had a great time. While she misses her friends abroad this semester and is jealous of them, she said her short Spanish visit taught her about semester-long programs: “While visiting my friends abroad, I realized that being away for an entire semester is a huge commitment that takes a lot of courage. I was proud of my girlfriends for seeing how independent they were and how well they carried themselves.”
While studying abroad for an entire semester can seem scary, Allie advices, “Studying abroad is an incredible experience, and if you do have the opportunity to do it, then definitely take advantage of it!”

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