With over 275 different programs and over 60 countries to choose from, MSU’s study abroad program is the largest in the nation — but some programs are more popular than others.
According to the Office of Study Abroad, MSU students touched down in all seven continents of the world last year — including 15 students that went to Antarctica.mr
Europe, MSU’s most popular continent for study abroad travels, was flooded with 1,475 Spartans in 2012-2013.
In the 2014 summer semester, the top two most travelled to countries for MSU students were the United Kingdom and Italy.
Zoology senior and peer advisor for the Office of Study Abroad Devyn Porath spent a semester in Australia as an exchange student at La Trobe University, where she took classes and participated in different volunteer programs.
“(Studying abroad) made me so much more independent in every aspect of my life,” Porath said.
Porath said it was difficult to learn how to be human in a different country, with different cultural barriers to cross. She said the program was wonderful and the experience changed her as a person.
Unfortunately, not all programs are popular and go as smoothly.
Humanities-prelaw junior Zeria Cummings was planning on participating in the development and non-governmentalorganization internship in Malawi, Africa, this past summer when it was scrapped due to a lack of enrollment.
For this program they needed to have five students enrolled, but only two signed up.
“I had a feeling it wasn’t going to work out, so I had a backup plan,” Cummings said.
Instead of traveling to Africa, Cummings spent the summer in East Lansing an AOP counselor.
Summer is typically the most popular season according to the Office of Study Abroad. In the 2012-2013 school year there were 2,748 participants in the program. Of those, 1,974 students — about 72 percent — studied during the summer semester.
Communications Manager of the Office of Study Abroad Cheryl Benner said studying abroad can bring a deeper understanding of a student’s major.
“Each student who studies abroad gains different skills and has unique experiences,” Benner said. “(Students gain) things like resourcefulness, flexibility, self-confidence, and problem-solving skills.”
