Study abroad offers 'amazing
cultural adventures'
Students can earn course
credit abroad
By Morgan Conklin
Summer
Reporter
As Molly Butters boarded the plane, her parents
and friends began to cry. Butters’ eyes became teary, but she was
eager to spend the next three months in Montpelier, France, and sadness
could not overcome her excitement.
Students coming to Purdue in the fall are given
a variety of choices when it comes to taking courses. One option that
appeals to students is to earn course credit abroad.
There are more than 200 programs in over 40 countries
that students can choose from at Purdue, and call-outs for the various
programs are held in the early part of the fall and spring semesters.
Jeff Sampson, assistant director of student services,
recommends that students thinking about studying abroad should plan
early. "Be thinking about it as soon as you come to campus,"
he said. "You should go as soon as studying abroad will fit into
you academic schedule."
Students who want to go abroad are not required
to be overseas for the entire school year. Six-week programs, taken
during the summer, offer students a brief glimpse at the country, while
receiving six Purdue credits.
Sampson recommends that students go abroad for
six weeks if they don’t have the flexibility to go long term. "The
short-term programs give the students a taste of the country,"
he said. "It is a stepping stone for students to build on."
However, if a student would like to spend more
time overseas, there is the option to study abroad for a semester or
the entire year.
Being immersed in another culture for an extended
period of time is a really good experience for students, said Sampson.
Students who travel abroad come back with a different
outlook on life. "I value different things," said Butters,
a senior in the School of Liberal Arts. "I enjoy the small things
in life more. Pleasure can be gained from almost every aspect of life,
and that’s what I seek now."
The memories that students return with are also
very important to the overseas experience. Butters said it was the best
three months of her life. "I traveled, partied, spoke French, met
people, experienced amazing cultural adventures and challenged myself
in so many ways," she said. "I can’t imagine a more amazing
experience existing. I didn’t want to leave Europe behind."
There are different types of programs available
to students who wish to study overseas. One type is an exchange program
where the University sends students abroad to another university in
exchange for other students. The cost is the same as Purdue tuition.
Another type of program is a cosponsor program,
where students travel through an organization. Because they will have
to pay program fees, the cost is more than regular, in-state tuition.
Purdue faculty leads the third type of travel option.
Students will also be required to pay a program fee if they choose to
study abroad through this program.
While abroad, students are given the opportunity
to take a wide-range of classes. Most of the classes offered are Liberal
Arts courses, but every major can go abroad for course credit.
In order to apply for the study abroad program,
students can fill out an application from the in The Young Graduate
Office, Room 105. There, they can find materials on all the programs
available for study abroad.
Students will also have to write an essay for why
they should be given the opportunity to study abroad. They will have
to provide two letters of recommendation, preferably from professors
or teacher’s assistants.
When a student fills out an application, they will
select the top three places they would like to study; however, students
are not guaranteed to travel to their first choice.
A student must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to be
considered for the travel abroad program.
Sampson said if a student meets the qualifications,
and has thought about why they deserve to study abroad, they will be
strongly considered for a position in the program. He said they don’t
like to deny students the opportunity if they are eligible.
Butters suggests students take advantage of the
opportunity. "Don’t be afraid of anything," she said.
"If something seems scary, do it anyway, and when you’re done
you’ll have an incredible story to tell."
Butters said the three months she spent in Europe
has meant more to her emotionally than anything else in her life. She
said her trip abroad has caused her to change her prior dream of working
in New York.
"Now I plan on joining the Peace Corps and
going to Africa," she said. "I am chasing that emotional high
I got from being in a foreign country and the possibility of adventure
just around each corner."
To find out more information, or to apply online,
visit the study abroad Web site at: www.ippu.purdue.edu
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