NANCY ROSSIGNOL
PRIDE STAFF WRITER
Many college students will list “traveling” as one of their life goals. At CSUSM, students can fulfill this desire through study abroad programs—opportunities to gain academic credits while living in the world’s most culturally rich destinations. Students considering studying abroad have several available options. Preparing students for leadership roles in the international community is part of the Office of Global Education’s main objective; its mission is to “internationalize the CSU San Marcos educational experience,” according to their website.
“The confidence that [students] gain navigating these different world systems, languages, people, and cultures [is] so personally enriching [it] makes you want more,” Study Abroad Coordinator Tiffany Gabbard said.
Summer study abroad programs, exchange programs, and international programs are the three main programs hosted yearly by CSUSM. Hundreds of other programs are also available outside the California State University (CSU) system through third party providers. Interested students can find all necessary information including applications, deadlines, fees, financial aid, and links to related resources by visiting www.csusm.edu/global or the Office of Global Education located in Craven 3200.
“Anytime you can open your eyes to new perspectives, it’s one of the most powerful things that you can do in your life,” Gabbard commented.
Summer study abroad programs are open to all class levels. Gabbard suggests applying early as deadlines loom ahead and space is limited. Participating students are responsible for their own airfare and personal expenses in addition to the initial cost of $2,995 for each of the three summer programs offered this year. Additional extended learning fees, prerequisites and minimum requirements may apply to some programs.
One program offered this summer is a travel study to Germany, Switzerland and Austria from May 22 to June 4. It is a Global Management Program focusing on networking and business.
Summer in Chile takes place in June. It is a “composite program,” Gabbard said, including a Spanish language and cultural immersion program, along with human development fieldwork experience. Its purpose is to engage students with Chilean youth and the educational system. The deadline for applications is April 1.
Summer in Spain is an intensive Spanish language and cultural immersion program from July 2-29. It is open to all levels of Spanish and limited to 40 students. The deadline for applications is April 22.
CSUSM’s exchange programs are the most affordable option for many students because financial aid transfers completely toward tuition costs, according to Gabbard. Students must provide their own housing and expenses, which vary depending upon the country. Interested students should remain “open to location,” Gabbard said, since we must maintain a balance between the international students CSUSM receives, and the students CSUSM sends in their place. Exchange programs last an entire semester or year, and students earn CSU resident credit.
International programs are CSU system-wide programs encompassing 23 campuses, and are yearlong programs only. Gabbard estimated 700-800 students participate each year. One of those students is political science major Brittany Varga. Varga studied abroad for a semester in spring 2010 at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, where she fulfilled her Global Studies minor requirements. Varga received a $4,000 Benjamin Gilman scholarship to help pay for her trip through the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS). Varga will graduate in May and has applied for a travel internship, hoping to continue her travels.
During her stay in South Africa, Varga attended the FIFA World Cup, which she declared was “totally awesome.” Varga revealed she felt “out of her comfort zone” during her initial exposure to varied viewpoints regarding America and apartheid (legal racial segregation in South Africa,) but her experience was “eye opening,” she added. Varga enjoyed most modern conveniences at the university and “flat” she rented, with the exception of air conditioning. Temperatures often exceed 100 degrees in summer months, which Varga described as “Africa hot.” When asked what she would say to a student who fears traveling abroad, Varga replied, “You’re going to gain so much more than you were potentially fearing,” and once you go, you will get the “travel bug.”
Photos courtesy of Brittany Varga