The Collegio Pittsburg's student voice since 1916
Related Articles
By studying abroad, a student not only can continue their college education, but they can also experience a whole new part of the world.
On Wednesday Nov. 20, the study abroad office, continued “International Education Week” and hosted an ‘Study Abroad Expo”. This event took place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Gorilla Crossing, located in the Overman Student Center. During this event, students got the opportunity to visit with various booths and speak with the hosts about information regarding studying abroad.
“(The purpose of the Expo) it is to let you know what study abroad is, and the options that you have for the different places to travel to” said Korenne Bryant, coordinator at the expo.
At the Expo, there were many booths set up, eager to answer any questions students may had. Some of the booths were, Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA), CIS Abroad, International Student Association (ISA), and various hosts from the study abroad office, with designated information to give students.
“My job is to travel the universities and create awareness with students about international opportunities available,” said Alexis Jones, regional director at CEA.
Deciding which study abroad program to pursue can be a difficult process, but PSU offers a variety of programs to choose from. There is a faculty led program, which a PSU faculty member leads a group of students. There are also exchange programs that students can study for one semester, a summer, or a complete academic year. Lastly, there are affiliate programs which includes housing accommodations and other cultural opportunities.
“Our focus it to make sure that you’re having an international experience, but also maintaining progress towards your degree,” Jones said.
There are misconceptions that people have when it comes to studying abroad. One of them is that studying abroad is solely for students majoring or minoring in a second language.
“I did not major or minor in another language,” Bryant said. “I found the experience to be a very exciting, very wonderful experience.”
PSU partners with many countries, making it a wide range for students to choose from. The countries apart of the exchange programs include, Brazil, Chile, China, Finland, France, Malta, Paraguay, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and Thailand.
“It has been so nice here, the culture is so different” said Riina Siivola, senior in chemistry.
Siivola is originally from Finland and decided to study abroad at PSU.
There are steps that students should take if they decide that they want to study abroad. Students must fill out an application and have other credentials, including a passport. Students should visit the PSU website for more information regarding the process on how to apply.
“First you have to decide that studying abroad is right for you,” Siivola said.
Being in a whole new country can take some time to adjust, because there it is a completely different atmosphere from what someone was once used to.
“(Studying abroad) is something that I highly recommend to anyone that can, and that wants to do it” said Bryant.
