Study Abroad? Me?
By: Mia Vitale
Studying abroad changed my life.
I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it. Why? We don’t always have the option to go away to a private school or live away from your hometown because for many of us it just doesn’t fit into the budget we have for our college education. What ultimately made me choose Salem State University when I was a senior in high school was knowing that by not paying a lot for all four years I would be able to do more. Around the end of my sophomore year in college I was fiddling around with the idea of studying abroad though had very little idea how to go about it.
If you go onto the Salem State website there is an Academic tab and on the very bottom of the drop down list there is a link entitled “Study Abroad”. When you click on that link you are given the information as to where the CIE or Center for International Education is located and the email you can use to contact if you have any quick questions.
In May of my sophomore year I made an appointment in which to go and talk to Lauri Parsons, the study abroad advisor and she provided me with a collection of pamphlets and booklets on different programs along with helping me decide the different countries that may work best for my major (English) and keeping me on track to graduate.
When I finally decided on studying in London I had to pick both a program and a school that would best fit my personal needs such as budget and accommodations. Salem State works with a great many programs because they have such a strong passion for making sure their students have a lot of options. After weighing both the pros and cons I had chosen to study with SAI, a program based out of Sebastopol, California which had everything I wanted and more. When I decided on both my program and my school I knew that the rest of the decision I had to make would be easy.
After you fill out the forms required from the CIE, they then ushered me into both the financial aid office and into the office of my department head. Most programs will accept the financial aid that you would be receiving for that semester and any other loans you plan to take out to cover the cost of the program. What many people don’t remember when it comes to these types of situations is that you are still responsible for yourself in terms of making sure you are as accountable as possible for each piece information they need, these departments have to deal with tons of students every day and your particular case may not be the only thing on their mind.
The same type of responsibility is required making sure you can obtain credit for the classes you take while abroad. On SAI’s website they show the possible classes that you can take with your chosen school along with the descriptions so that you can compare them to similar classes you need for your major. I was fortunate in this process, the head of my department was flexible and helped me in determining which classes would be best for me to take abroad.
By the time it had come down to start really preparing to leave I had to make sure I had everything I would need. This didn’t mean packing certain t-shirts or shoes, instead it meant that I needed to make sure I had all the paperwork required for the next six months of my life. Salem State along with SAI provided me with a list of different documents that I would need, including but not limited to a copy of my birth certificate, acceptance letter, passport and copy of your passport, all important numbers and the address to where you will be living, along with the visa that some countries may require. To make my life easier I found myself including all of this information in one neat folder so that I would be ready with the information at any point once I got off the plane and had to go through border control.
The week before my flight I found myself in a daze, knowing that no matter what I did I would soon be leaving. Work to me went by without thinking and each day seemed to move quickly on slowly trying to finish my laundry and put together lists of things I absolutely needed to have. The best piece of advice I was given when I spoke to those who had previously studied abroad was to pack both an outfit and basic toiletries in your carry on so that when you land you are able to take a shower or change and feel a little better than since traveling doesn’t always make you feel the best.
People tend to over pack, while you may think wherever you are traveling may not have what you use every day, that’s not true. One of the things that make a more indepth experience have to do with diving right into your environment and not allowing things that may seem scary hold you back.
Never be afraid to study abroad, the experience changes your life in ways that you never would expect. This experience opened my mind and I made me able to do things differently. Even since coming home I still have stayed active in both the CIE and stayed in contact with those from SAI, studying abroad stays with you beyond your semester and there is nothing that impacts you in such a strong way.
If you have any questions about studying abroad or in the process you can visit the CIE in the Sullivan building on North Campus, Room 114 or email Lauri Parsons at lparsons@salemstate.edu.