Going on a safari in Africa, playing soccer with Brazilian tribes and perusing Bangkok's red-light district taught psychology junior Rob Flewelling that life's best lessons are not found in classrooms.
Last fall, Flewelling made the world his campus, as he and 600 other college students scaled the globe by ship, traveling to nine different countries. The University of Pittsburgh ran the "Semester at Sea" adventure.
In the program, students studied the cultures and people of each place for a few days before docking in that country.
"To actually go and see firsthand what we had been hearing about - not many people have that opportunity," Flewelling said. "Firsthand experience is the best teaching tool."
After stops in Japan, China and Vietnam, their boat docked in Bangkok, where Flewelling said the red-light district was nothing like he ever expected.
"The nightlife there is insane," Flewelling said. With his shipmates, he shuffled through the infamous district, walking past strippers and thieves while trying to avoid the blatant propositions along the way.
With neon lights striking their eyes and hearts racing as a result of the graphic sights they saw, Flewelling and his classmates slinked into the bars in the red-light district.
They walked into a bar called 'Super Pussy,' where women performed graphic sex shows with markers and fruit.
"It was like nothing I've ever seen in public," said Flewelling.
Full steam ahead: Six days later they docked in India. There, students touched the lives of some of its people when they went to the Bala Mandir Orphanage.
There, the students and the children put on plays for each other. After their performances, Flewelling and his classmates got a chance to interact with the children on a personal basis when they sat down with the children and gave them school supplies like pens, notebook paper and markers.
"My heart went out to them, and I ended giving them basically everything I had on me, Flewelling said. "They cried when we left, but it was amazing to get a chance to connect with them."
The next port was in South Africa. There, the Massai, an African tribe, guided the students through a safari while they experienced adventures that were akin to a day in the life of Steve Erwin, "The Crocodile Hunter."
While weaving in and out of the jungle and avoiding sand traps, the group still managed to nab a few crocodiles. The tribesmen showed Flewelling and the others how to hunt, catch and open the angry animals' mouths.
"The crocodile part was great, but I was also face-to-face with a lion, and a monkey chased me around for my camera," Flewelling said.
At their last port, students walked into one of the most infamous government buildings in the world - Cuba's Parliament Building. They listened to President Fidel Castro speak.
Denise Wright, a junior at the University of Colorado at Boulder, traveled with Flewelling. She said Castro's speech was a highlight.
"Seeing him was a privilege," she said. "It was my favorite part of a trip that was filled with a long list of new opportunities."
Paul Watson, University of Pittsburgh's "Semester at Sea" director on enrollment management, said the program is designed to give students a wide range of experiences.
"Our goal is to provide a global comparative of every country and to expose students to a wide range of cultures," said Watson.
Undergraduate students from any university can enroll in the program, which is offered year-round.
"I used to be one of those people who had tons of opinions about others that were not based on any facts," Flewelling said.
"Going on the trip changed my way of looking at others because I got to see other cultures firsthand, and that changed my predispositions about them. It definitely gave me a much wider worldview."
