By Nicole Cavender
nec22@txstate.edu
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Many students at Texas State University are
either ill-informed about the study abroad programs offered in their
particular field of study or believe that the programs are too expensive.
 |
| Giulia Gasponi, Photo by Justus Stafford |
Giulia Gasponi, a 20-year-old junior studying finance, hasn’t
participated in the study abroad programs because she thinks that she’d be
missing out on a lot of what may happen back home.
“I feel like I want to use that time during the breaks to spend
with my friends,” said Gasponi. “I would get severe [Fear Of Missing Out] if I
see my friends hanging out while I’m somewhere else for the summer.”
Gasponi believes the programs could be more accessible for students
if informational sessions during classes were a regular occurrence. That would
allow the programs to be beneficial to students through the experiences of a
different country.
“They can even practice a foreign language,” said Gasponi. “You
grow a lot from the experience, being so far away from home.”
 |
| Matthew Christnacht, Photo by Cruz Rojas |
In accordance with Gasponi, other students don’t think the
programs are marketed enough to Texas State students. Matthew Christnacht, a freshman
studying radiation therapy, expressed his thoughts on the lack of information about
the study abroad programs.
“I haven’t had time and don’t know about any opportunities,” said
Christnacht. “I feel like it would take a big time commitment to learn about
them.”
He thinks the downside of the programs were costly as well.
“Unless you have scholarships to do it, it’s pretty expensive,”
said Christnacht.
 |
| Lauren Reese, Photo by Cruz Rojas |
Other students wouldn’t want to pay for something that is more
expensive than one semester at Texas State. Lauren Reese, a senior studying early
development, falls into said category.
“I guess if it cost about the same amount as a semester here, then
I could really think about doing it,” said Reese. “I don’t want to be spending
more money than I already am.”
As far as the benefits of the program, Reese commented on the
experiences her fellow classmates encountered.
“I know some people that went to Spain, and they said that they
learned Spanish really well because they were immersed in the environment,”
said Reese. “You can pick up things there that you can’t pick up in the
classroom.”
 |
| Henry "Tres" Allen, Photo by Justus Stafford |
Henry “Tres” Allen III, a 20-year-old business finance major, doesn’t
have any knowledge of the programs offered in the business school.
“This is my sophomore year so I just haven’t gotten around to it
yet,” said Allen. “I don’t think there are many study abroad programs for
finance students.”
When told about the Study Abroad in America program, Allen expressed interest. He had no idea there was such a program and wanted
to know more about the benefits.
“When they talk about study abroad they should talk about Study
Abroad in America, too,” said Allen.
Along with Gasponi and Christnacht, Jenna Huff, a communication
disorders student, believes that these programs are too expensive.
 |
| Jenna Huff, Photo by Justus Stafford |
“There is one study abroad program that you can do over the summer
but it’s pretty expensive and a place that I don’t really want to go to,” said
Huff.
She's positive that the size of her major, accounting for
student population, is so small that they don’t have many options for study
abroad locations.
Tony Place, a junior studying manufacturing engineering, doesn’t
think there are any programs offered to students that have completed most of
their courses. He's unaware of the opportunities offered to students with his
major.
“I don’t even think they have my classes in study abroad,” said
Place. “I don’t really have any classes left that I think I could take in a
program.”
 |
| Tony Place, Photo by Sawyer Click |
The issue of money plays into the setbacks of studying abroad for
Place as well.
“I understand that it’s going to be expensive if you’re going
overseas for a bit, so $4,500 for everything is probably doable,” said Place. “At
the same time though, if you have tuition, bills and rent, it becomes really
hard.”
No comments:
Post a Comment