MSU students interested in running with bulls in Pamplona, watching the change of the guard in London or riding giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands have another chance this semester to learn about it from people who already have.
The second MSU Study Abroad Fair of the year will be held Wednesday. It will feature almost all of MSU’s 175 study abroad programs.
Kathleen Fairfax, director of the Office of Study Abroad, said although fall fairs usually bring in larger crowds, she expects Wednesday’s fair to attract many students interested in summer programs.
“The fall crowd is usually between two and three times as big as the spring,” she said. “But it’s a chance to learn about all the programs at once with a lot of firsthand information from faculty who lead the programs and students who have been on them.”
But this semester’s fair will feature new programs in countries such as Cuba, Panama, Belize, Ecuador and China.
Fairfax said attending the fair to gain information about programs is more interesting than picking up a brochure.
“The catalog is a whole bunch of words that can get overwhelming, but when you have a chance to see the students who have gone on the study abroad, you get so much more from the fair than from reading the literature,” Fairfax said.
The fair held in September had a record attendance of about 2,300 students.
Fairfax said there is still a huge interest among students despite the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“People recognize now more than before that studying abroad is valuable and they realize the need for global understanding,” she said. “But many more parents and students are concerned and interested in safety, so it’s hard to say.”
Inge Steglitz, assistant director of the Office of Study Abroad, said although the rate of applications coming in declined after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, things are looking up again.
“Our experience is that applications are coming in at the approximate rate of last year,” Steglitz said. “We seem to be back to normal. I really don’t think attendance at this fair will be affected negatively.
“It’s really a one-stop study abroad shopping experience. About 97 percent of our programs will be represented.”
Steglitz said the fair is one of the highlights of the office’s calendar, and she is looking forward to talking to students, faculty members and all others who wish to attend.
“It’s always a good way for us to engage in the atmosphere among students,” she said.
“Everyone is excited and hopeful for a good experience when they study abroad and it makes it a fun time.”
English sophomore Jordan Magidson already is preparing for her six-week summer study in the British Isles.
Magidson chose Photo Communication in the United Kingdom because of her interest in photojournalism and previous visits to England. This will be Magidson’s first study abroad experience and she will be the first one of her friends to study abroad as well. She has been interested in studying abroad since her Academic Orientation Program at MSU.
“I knew it would be a really good experience for me,” she said. “I thought it would be good to go and learn some new techniques and I thought it would be cool to do that in a place I like.”
