written by alex mcnulty
Into the
Wild
Do the winter blues and unbearably cold weather make you stir crazy? Or does sitting in the same old classroom day after day staring out the windows at another barren Oxford winter have you counting down the days until you jet off somewhere warm and fabulous for Spring Break? This season, instead of catching a cold, it’s time to catch the travel bug! Those dreary winter days can become significantly brighter by beginning to peruse study abroad locations and options. These programs will not only give a Miamian something to look forward to during the winter months of Oxford, but could be the opportunity of a lifetime. In addition to drastically altering your physical surroundings, this program could be a great
54 winter
addition to your resume. This experience could be the key factor that separates you from the graduating masses to your future employer. One drawback to the program is that you do, unfortunately, have to vacate the comfort of your dorm into the frigid winter air-- and yes, leave your Snuggie behind-- to attend one of the Study Abroad 101 information sessions. Following the sessions, students can set up an appointment with one of the advisors in the office to start making dreams become a reality. It’s critical to establish which semester or summer session you would like to participate in. Study abroad advisor Sarah McNitt
had some excellent suggestions for students who are looking for a more adventurous program. She recommended a variety of landscapes spanning from East Africa to China. 1. East Africa: In this alluring location, students work closely on directed field research with wild animals in Kenya and Tanzania. This East Africa program focuses on wildlife management studies and public health. This is an incredibly hands-on program. In fact, one of the projects students work on is the impact of land and water scarcity on humans and wildlife. If this strikes a chord for you, indulge your eyes at: www.fieldstudies.org/eastafrica 2. Australia: McNitt says that it is illegal for tourists to hold koalas in New South Wales, located in Australia. If this puts a damper on plans you had to study abroad in Australia, fear not, because there is another amazing program in Queensland that allows you to cuddle up with the koalas. If you have any desire to pick up an Aussie accent (or boyfriend) it’s worth further investigation! www.australearn.org 3. China: After seeing Kung Fu Panda did you have a desire to hang with some pandas? Well, even if you don’t share my strange desire, Chengdu, China offers a program where you can take a trip to a panda reserve while learning about the second most important global economy! This city is referenced as “the city in heaven” and the economic, cultural and political center of Southwest China. Students spend time at the Wolong Nature Reserve, roughly 40 km northwest of Chengdu. Hua Mei, the first giant panda born in the Western Hemisphere since 1990, lives at this reserve (like that isn’t reason enough to sign up for the trip)! For a chance to meet her and have an amazing experience in a place where the past is fused with the present check out: usac.unr.edu/programs/ Students in the hot seat: While the above options seem über appealing, we wanted to hear from people who actually participated in study abroad programs. We asked some