Studying in a foreign country...the possibilities are endless.

Last Tuesday, I attended a pre-departure workshop for study abroad students. It was an informative session conducted to prepare about 30 students for living abroad next semester. I am one of these students and I must admit...I'm not ready. I'll be studying at the University of Wales-Aberystwyth in Great Britain during Spring semester 2007. Although I am excited to spend a semester in Wales, I'm starting to realize how much I have yet to do. Granted, I have my passport and have selected a flight, but there are so many little things to think of like vaccinations, health insurance, housing, and whether or not I'll be able to plug my laptop in once I get there.

For those of you who are not familiar with UM's study abroad programs, there are many options. Think of it like this--if you have the mid-semester blues and all you do is dream of being able to just take a semester off and travel but you don't want to fall behind in your graduation plan there is hope. The perfect solution is studying abroad. I am going on a Partner Exchange, which means that while I am studying at Aberystwyth, a University of Wales student will be studying in Missoula. There are also opportunities through ISEP-Direct programs which you can learn more about through the Office of International Programs (OIP). Basically, next semester I will be living in the lush green Welsh countryside next to the Irish Sea and just a hop, skip and a jump away (or flight) from Paris, Madrid, Dublin and many other Western European travel destinations. After 3 1/2 years in Missoula, it will be a nice change of scenery and the best part is, I'll still be receiving credits and taking classes.

I chose Wales because I wanted a destination which would not require me to learn a second language, however, there are literally options to study all over the world. At the workshop alone, I heard from students who will be studying in Spain, Japan, France, Austria, Germany, Ireland, South Africa, Chile and even Ghana. That's right, we have an exchange program to Ghana. Who knew?

At this time last year, I hadn't even considered studying abroad. But after discussing the possibilities with some friends, I realized that this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Check out the OIP website, www.umt.edu/oip, or even go over to the office and get information about a country you might be interested in. Believe me, even though I haven't experienced it first hand yet, I'm quite certain it will be a highlight in your life should you choose to study abroad. Scout's honor.

Disclaimer: I was never actually a girl scout so technically 'scout's honor' is not a valid promise. Sorry.