Students were given the opportunity to see what study abroad programs may appeal to them during the Study Abroad Fair on Oct. 1. The event was held in the GUC Atrium and allowed faculty members to advertise the study abroad trips they are leading so students will be aware of their options before the approaching registration deadlines pass, said Craig Christy, director for the center of global engagement.

“The concept of the study abroad fair is to pull (the different choices) all together so that students have a physical overview of all of the options,” Christy said.

The Office of International Affairs sponsored the fair, in hopes that students would see these options and find one that interested them, Christy said.

“Employers consistently say that study abroad is second only to internships in terms of things that they look for on a resume that make students stand above the crowd,” Christy said. “If you’ve grown up in an area that’s pretty homogenous like Lauderdale County, and all of the sudden you find yourself in a different culture with people from all over the world, it tweaks your thinking. There’s a lot of character traits that one associates with the braveness to get out of your bubble.”

Students interested in studying abroad have several options, including faculty-lead short trips and semester and year-long options through the Magellan Study Abroad Program. The deadline to register for a short term faculty-lead study abroad trip is Nov. 1 and the deadline for Magellan applications is Oct. 15, Christy said.

“We have the opportunity through our partnership to send students to other places to study for one or two semesters,” he said. “It costs about the same as enrolling in a semester here at UNA, though you do have to pay for air-fair. Although, UNA sets aside $6,000 a year, out of which they create 75 scholarships to help defray that cost.”

This school year, students can register for trips to Costa Rica, Peru and China and other places, as well as options provided by Magellan, all for class credit, Christy said.

“It was beneficial to get to experience a different culture,” said Abril Agnew, a senior, of her time studying about eastern medicine while in China. “The program was an internationally based program so I was able to interact with people from all over the world with the same interest as mine.”

 It’s always interesting to work with people who don’t think like you, but it definitely broadened my horizons.”

Students concerned about financing the trip should not let their fears stop them from trying to study abroad, Agnew said.

“I never thought that studying abroad would be an option for me and it happened,” Agnew said. “Don’t let finances stop you from pursuing something your passionate about. It makes you more competitive than other graduates who simply have a Bachelor’s degree.”

Lauren Esslinger, also a senior, said the hardest things about her trip to London were losing her luggage and dealing with the challenging course work, though she was able to earn two history class credits in the process.

“It was of a higher level that I had never done before and so I didn’t know what was expected or how to do everything I needed to,” Esslinger said. “But, the professors and other experienced older students were super helpful and so I was able to get it done.

Christy said that he is encouraged that 30 students attended the Magellan program interest meeting on Sept. 17, and hopes more students look into going abroad in the future.

“The single most frequent comment we get from students who are returning from study abroad is ‘this experience changed by life, I will never be the same’ and almost every single one of them is super eager to go somewhere again,” he said.