Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / Sept. 9, 2009, edition 1 / Page 21
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Wednesday, September 9, 2009 {The Blue Banner} Page 21 College Is the opportune time to travel Everyone enjoys a good trip. However, the time and money harder to find. For students who will soon search for a job in a declining economy, a better opportunity to travel is not in the near future. But thanks to UNC Asheville’s Mudy Abroad options and the hiternational Student Exchange Program, students looking for a change of scenery can travel the World with relative ease. . , ‘With the ISEP, students pay tu ition, fees and housing to UNCA. 1 hey pay exactly the same in their country of choice as they would “Ore,” said Diane Royer, a univer sity programs specialist working to send and receive students inter nationally. While around 150 UNCA stu dents a year take off to other coun tries, Royer encourages everyone to take advantage of the often life ■^hanging experience. It just gets narder for people to travel once ney get wrapped up in the world dt jobs and mortgages, she said. After graduation people don’t ttave the assistance, financial aid dr tuition rates of the school. They Should have to pay all of the costs l^dre, get approved for a visa and that sort of thing. Here we set that up for students,” Royer said. Participating in study abroad Programs such as ISEP greatly re- htices the high costs of traveling tdr six months or a year. Students '''ho meet the requirements gener- ^.hy only have to produce a plane icket and pocket cash, if univer- ^hy-housing and meal plans are acceptable. ‘My semester abroad in Aus- ralia was ridiculously tight,” said cott Szymanski, a senior who pent the spring of his sophomore par on the Gold Coast. “I lived h a dorm, but it was more of an apartment. I didn’t have to share Mth anyone,” he said. While knocking out course- .drk toward his major, Szymank- 1 Said he spent his free time trav- .hng around the country surfing, Jhinping off waterfalls and hiking By Jacob Yancey Staff Writer JAYANCEY@UNCA.EDU in rainforests with friends he met along the way. “It was one of the best cultural experiences I’ve had. Anyone who can go somewhere while in school should do so,” Szymanski said. “All it takes for most stu dents is gathering the extra funds for a flight, paperwork and plan ning ahead,” he said. Since UNCA requires that stu dents maintain a 2.0 GPA to remain in good standing, the 2.5 required by most university exchange pro grams should not be out of reach. However, in a foreign university, achieving less than a C transfers home as a zero, yet a C or better will fulfill requirements without affecting a student’s GPA. For those already proud of their GPA, studying abroad can be a good way to keep it where it is while still fulfilling requirements for their major. “Studying in another country should not extend students’ grad uation time at all; it just makes students’ time that much richer,” Royer said. She also recommends 12 credit hours while abroad so students have time for travel and recreation. Choosing Australia, one of the English-speaking options through ISEP, allowed Szymanski to by pass the foreign language require ments common to some other countries and universities within the program. Some students like experienc ing the culture without the stress of having to study in a different language. There are nice options for these students,” Royer said However, fully experiencing a culture is easier with a firm grip on the language of the locals, she • c ^ Photo Courtesy of Scott Szymanski Senior Scott Szymanski spent a semester studying in Austraiia. emphasized. Of the 39 countries offered through ISEP, 29 have schools accepting English-speaking stu dents. New Zealand, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Thailand and Sweden are all among the coun tries offering English-speaking curricula. Countries lacking pre requisites enable students to travel as soon as their freshman year. “To study in a foreign language, four semesters of the language are required,” Royer said. For these exchanges, students must be at least a sophomore or take a pro ficiency test available for students who already know a second lan guage. “The most difficult thing for me was the first two weeks. The language, getting used to the courses and everything was kind of overwhelming,” said Christina Zopf, an exchange student from Austria attending UNCA this se mester. Zopf met the English re quirements of her school at home, Salzburg University, and said she was placed at her first college of choice. “It helps a lot that we came with an international group. We eat, hang out and study together, which gives us support,” said Pauline Lopez, an exchange stu dent from France and friend of Zopf’s. Since their initial hectic period, both said they are settling in well and meeting lots of inter esting people. Two of the main differences Zopf and Lopez notice here are the same things many UNCA stu dents find frustrating. “It’s easier in Europe to get fresher, healthier food around campus,” said Zopf and Lopez, agreeing with UNCA students who struggle with the available dining options. The other difference the two exchange students point out is the ability to drink alcohol legally. “In Europe and most other countries, the drinking age is usu ally 18. A lot of students like to drink when they go to these plac es. Wejust ask them to be respon sible in what they do, as they are representing both UNCA and the USA,” Royer said. Stop by the Study Abroad office in University Hall, room 248, for more information.
University of North Carolina at Asheville Student Newspaper
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Sept. 9, 2009, edition 1
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