Opportunities Abound for International Adventures
This post highlights study abroad experiences from Arcadia students I interviewed about their favorite memories from their trips. Arcadia has many opportunities for students to study abroad. For freshmen, there is Preview and FYSAE. Preview is a week-long trip to a foreign country accompanied by a semester-long course. For First Year Study Abroad Experience (FYSAE), freshmen have the opportunity to study abroad for a semester. Sophomores can utilize Second Year Study Abroad Experience (SYSAE), where students study abroad for a semester. For upperclassmen, there are internship opportunities abroad as well as the Global Field Studies (GFS). The GFS is where students take a four credit course throughout a semester and then go abroad for 10-28 days depending on the course. Each year, a list of the courses, dates and costs are made available for students.
My Trip
Hi, my name is Katelyn Baker and I am one of the four Arcadia recipients of the Vira Heinz Scholarship. I am a senior Biology major on the Pre-PA track. If you would like to read about my story, the link for the post is right here!
Sydney Howse in London
Sydney is another recipient of the Vira Heinz Scholarship at Arcadia and chose to utilize Arcadia’s Internship program abroad. She spent two months in London interning with a literary agency.
“One of my favorite things to do in London was going to this pub called Brendan the Navigator. I would go with this friend on Wednesday nights and listen to Whiskey Mike and Friends play. They did authentic Irish Folk music and afterward they would talk to us or play a song or two. It was really nice meeting the local people, hearing their stories and their songs.”
While tourist attractions are interesting, Sydney found that integrating herself in the everyday life and culture of the natives was comforting and enjoyable.
Michael Paznokas in Ireland
Michael is a junior Sports Management major on Arcadia University’s men’s soccer team. During his freshman year, he chose to take a course in Ireland for a week on Arcadia’s Preview program.
“My favorite part was experiencing a different culture for a week, being able to learn so much in such a short amount of time. I also appreciated the free time we were given to explore for ourselves and create our own experiences.”
It is truly incredible how someone can gain such knowledge in a short amount of time. This goes to show students how important it is to take advantage of the study abroad opportunities Arcadia has to offer. Preview is a program for freshmen where students take a course spanning the Spring semester. The course includes a week long trip to the country the course is centered around.
Michael will also be taking advantage of the semester abroad in Spring 2024 to go to London. He will be rooming with other students on his team, taking courses for his major.
Alexis Fischer in Ireland, England and Bali
Alexis is a Study Abroad Mentorship Program (STAMP) executive for the Civic and Global Engagement Office. She is a senior International Business major here at Arcadia as well as a member of the Equestrian team. She had the opportunity to study abroad in multiple countries. She studied abroad using Arcadia’s Second Year Study Abroad Experience (SYSAE), a semester abroad and a Global Field Studies (GFS). For SYSAE, she went to England. For her semester abroad, she chose Ireland. For her GFS, she took a four-credit course and went to Bali.
“The staff at the Arcadia Center were so nice and accommodating,” she shared. Having accommodating staff is the most important thing especially when it’s a student’s first time abroad for a long period of time.
I asked her what her favorite part about Ireland was.
“The people and the culture. It’s a very friendly country. It’s a country filled with beautiful nature, perfect for hiking.”
Alexis said she spent a lot of time outdoors in Ireland, hiking with her classmates and visiting farms. She was able to spend St. Patrick’s Day there as well, celebrating with the locals. She also climbed Croagh Patrick, the tallest climbable mountain in Ireland at 2,507 feet!
As for Bali, she said “The cooking class was my favorite part. It really gave me insight into the culture.” Alexis, among many others, had the unpleasant experience of “Bali Belly,”. but the community in Bali took her under their wing and gave her medicine that cleared it up in under 30 minutes! Aside from cooking, she and the other students in her class explored the community in Bali, hiked through the jungle and ate lots of local food from the markets.
Alexis is taking advantage of the GFS opportunities and will be traveling to Dominica during Spring break and then will go to Georgia in Summer 2024. She will also be going abroad with the freshmen on Spring break Preview as a STAMP executive.
As you can see, studying abroad is an invaluable education. You won’t find more opportunities anywhere than Arcadia. I encourage prospective and current students to make the most of them. It is truly the best time for us to travel and find ourselves, learning and making memories along the way.
