Studying abroad provides opportunities for students to evolve and connect on a global level.

Farhan Aziz, study abroad coordinator, said one of the most important reasons to study abroad is to boost your resume.

“It is a big way to show international experience because employers these days really look for that kind of experience to show that you can work with different people from different kinds of backgrounds, be sensitive to different cultures, understand different cultures, and communicate with people,” Aziz said.

Kelly Kawa, a College of Student Affairs graduate student, said many students think that they can travel right after college but the truth of the matter is that they will probably be too busy with finding a job and paying off student loans.

“If you want to travel then now is definitely the time to go abroad and do it and really submerse yourself in a culture,” Kawa said.

Kristen Schaibly, a senior English and Spanish major, studied abroad at Universidad Veritas in Costa Rica.

“I would say that the thing I gained the most from Study Abroad was finding out more about myself through self growth and you learn a lot more about your abilities and your interests,” Schaibly said.

There are several different programs available for studying abroad.

There are faculty led programs where an Eastern faculty member leads a group of students, which usually take place in the spring or summer.

“There is also a one-way program which is when a student independently goes to an institution and takes classes there for a semester or a summer type program,” Aziz said.

Similar to the one-way program is the student exchange program, where a student goes to a foreign institution but pays Eastern tuition while housing and personal expenses are paid to the foreign institution.

Liz Surbeck, a junior English and French major, participated in two Study Abroad programs; one in Angers, France for a semester and a faculty led program in England for six weeks.

Surbeck said the programs were almost opposites with how she was essentially on her own with planning everything in France whereas the faculty-led program was completely planned out and would be a great opportunity for those who are hesitant about going outside of the country.

“I went to France to get practical experience in French, and I think the practice is absolutely essential for studying another language,” Surbeck said. “The forced everyday practice with the language for intense prolonged periods really helped.”

Emily Van Ostran, a sophomore geography major, plans to study abroad in Spain next semester.

“I wanted to go to Spain because my minor is Spanish, and I feel like the experience will be very useful,” Van Ostran said. “I’m going to be attending an international university which will have study abroad students from all over the world so I’ll be able to learn about other cultures through different people which is so cool.”

The college experience is all about expanding one’s horizons and growing through various diverse opportunities.

Study abroad opportunities are available for various different countries and different durations of time.

Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-7942 or rjrodgers@eiu.edu.