When choosing where to go for college, some students pick based on their major or the academics offered at a choice school. For Mallory Holle, it was all about the opportunities offered and how she could take her education to the next level.

As a freshman foreign language and marketing major, the study abroad program at Eastern was the main attraction and a big part of her selection process.

Eastern offers different programs for students to participate and receive a cultural education, including study abroad, internships and the national student exchange.

Study abroad is a common way for students to go to school and still visit exotic areas. About 250 students participate in study abroad each year, with a 30-50 percent growth rate each year, said Wendy Williamson, director of study abroad. Students can travel to places such as Italy, France, India or even China.

Eastern is helping inform students of the benefits of the study abroad program with meetings for interested students, tables at all campus events and a study abroad fair.

“Study abroad is everywhere,” Williamson said. “Every avenue on campus promotes study abroad.”

However, even with the amount of students increasing, some members of the campus community think that there are many other ways to promote these life-changing experiences to learn outside the classroom. Some suggestions include putting study abroad on recruitment materials and offering scholarships.

“Money will get students abroad,” Williamson said.

For some students, it isn’t about the money, but instead how their parents will feel about having their son or daughter traveling abroad.

Letting their college student travel across the world is not exactly on the top of all parents’ to-do list, said Cathy Passananti, assistant resident director of Carmen Hall. “You have to present it to them and show them all the good things about the program,” she said.

An alternative to study abroad is a new program that allows students to gain experience of study abroad closer to home.

“The national student exchange program is a great opportunity for those whose parents aren’t comfortable with them going to another country, but still want to experience something to that effect,” said Margaret Messer of the honors college.

NSE offers 190 schools in the program that allow students to travel to 48 different states, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Canada for a semester.

Students from other schools are also allowed to come to Eastern, but Honors College Dean Bonnie Irwin doesn’t think that will be happening anytime soon.

“There are two reasons that it will take a couple of years,” Irwin said. “One is that students don’t generally choose the Midwest and two because we are so new to the program.”

“In many ways it is similar to the study abroad program,” Irwin said. “For some it is less expensive but students don’t get the same experience as with study abroad.”

Promotions for NSE include talking to freshman in University Foundations classes and talking to some of the newer honors students.

The main goal of trying to promote different study programs is by reaching students when they are freshman and letting them know of their opportunities.

“NSE seems like a unbelievable opportunity to travel and study somewhere else for not much more than Eastern students pay to go here,” said Chris Kromphardt, a sophomore political science and philosophy major. “Anyone who’s not at least researching more about NSE — the schools and programs available to them – are doing themselves a great disservice.”

In addition to studying at other schools, Eastern students also have the opportunity to learn off-campus through internships.

They are an excellent way for students to learn more about their major and to gain credits toward their degree.

“We need to have students engaged more than just in classrooms,” said Blair Lord, Provost and vice president for academic affairs.

The internships compensate for degree credit depending on how many hours a student is putting into the internship.

Some internships are paid, but they’re not necessarily the way to make money, Lord said.

“You won’t get rich off of an internship,” Lord said.

Many students can find their own internships through connections they have made on their own or with an advisor for their department, Lord said. They are usually done later in the degree cycle giving the students a chance to be able to develop the skills needed.

Whenever the opportunity is available for students to take an internship, they should, Lord said.

Internships can be done during the summer or school year depending on when a student can fit it into his or her schedule. And even though most students know about internships, Lord said that Eastern could do more to make sure the students feel well informed.

“I absolutely recommend internships,” Lord said. It is part of Eastern’s academic goals to get students engaged in learning.

There are many opportunities given to help students to develop their education, however, there is room for improvement in how these programs are presented

“We should show high-schoolers their different options,” Holle said.

Being able to utilize our resources and use our recruitment materials as an edge, there might be a better chance of us getting students interested in different programs.

“Eastern could start to market itself as study abroad and internships,” said Mark Woodsmall, of the ROTC enrollment office.

“It is important that we engage in conversation about these issues to provide students with the best education possible,” said Brenda Wilson, associate professor of communication disorders and sciences.

With more discussion on these topics, students can gain more interest and feel more informed about their opportunities on campus, Wilson said.