Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The KU Office of Study Abroad offers a tremendous variety of programs in every discipline, from Spanish and Western civilization to business and engineering, and students at this university should seriously consider going abroad before they graduate. Not only can students study foreign language, history, art or architecture firsthand, but they can gain the invaluable experience of living in another country. And despite the recent economic turmoil, now is the perfect time to travel, as the dollar’s rate of exchange with foreign currencies becomes increasingly favorable. The application deadline for summer and fall study abroad programs is Monday, March 2, so there is still time to apply.
Robert Lopez, outreach coordinator for the Office of Study Abroad, said the University offered more than 100 programs in more than 60 countries around the world, 50 of which take place over the summer. He said studying abroad was not just for those studying foreign language or the humanities.
“We have something for students in every discipline,” he said. And there are plenty of programs are offered in English all over the world — the British Isles, Continental Europe, South Africa, Australia and Hong Kong.
The University ranks highly among public universities in terms of the percentage of students who study abroad, a testament to the enduring success of its program. According to the Open Doors Report by the Institute of International Education, nearly 242,000 students from the United States studied abroad from 2006-2007, the last available year on record, which represents an increase of 1.4 percent from the previous year. The University is the 11th-ranked research university in number of students who study abroad, and 27.5 percent of KU undergraduates have completed some sort of study abroad program.
Billie Brock, Dilworth, Minn., senior, studied in France as part of the Paris Summer Language Institute, which, she said, gave her insight into French History that she would never have found at home.
“Studying abroad opens the doors to acceptance of other cultures,” she said.
Indeed, at a time when much of the world’s opinion of the United States has reached low ebb, it is imperative that students make the effort to understand how the rest of the world lives. In our globalized world, this should be an essential part of any college education.
Many students count their time abroad as one of their most memorable and transforming experiences in college.
“It is exhilarating to discover that you are not the center of the world,” said Mary Klayder, a professor of English who has taught study abroad courses in Great Britain and Costa Rica.
And now is the time to go. Exchange rates, especially during the past six months, have been improving for Americans. A year ago today, a U.S. dollar could buy about 50 percent of a British pound. Today, it is worth nearly 70 percent of a pound’s value. Likewise, last year, the dollar was worth about two-thirds of a euro’s value. Today, it is worth nearly 80 percent. This means you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck.
The deadlines for summer and fall study abroad is swiftly approaching, so don’t hesitate to apply.
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