Feature Story

Madison Bryan Spring 2013 SC 3353 Section 003

Have Time, Will Travel

Few students know that an opportunity to travel the world is as easy as showing

up for class. Dreams of traveling the world are alive in many college students’ hearts.

Unfortunately, by the time they graduate, they dive into the life of full-time jobs, budgets and children that prevent them from ever living to see a different country.

What if students could pay their current tuition prices, receive the same academic credit and be able to travel the world? Oklahoma State University has created a program that does just that. OSU’s Study Abroad Office has created various programs, international and domestic, that aim to create a unique learning environment for every student.

Passports and plane tickets are nothing new to Julia Gowens, a strategic communications junior at OSU, who has taken more than three international trips in the past three years.

“I have dreamed of visiting a different country my entire life,” Gowens said.

“There was something so intriguing about the different languages, foods and fashions. I have wanted nothing more than to be able to experience that.”

After years of begging her parents to travel, Gowens packed her bags and left the country for the first time. She was only a 17-year-old senior in high school.

“I was able to travel to France after spending years learning the language,” Gowens said. “It was my senior trip that I took with my mom and a few other members of my high school French club.”

After spending seven days in Paris and then five days in Nice, Gowens loaded the plane and left for home. It has been three years since then, and Gowens is craving a new experience in Europe.

“France was wonderful,” Gowens said. “Luckily, the locals were able to understand my broken French and be able to reply. It was an amazing feeling to know that I could communicate in a foreign language. I really want to be able to experience this again.”

OSU’s Study Abroad Office offers different options, from a two-week program to a full-year abroad, to fit the schedules of any student. A reciprocal exchange is a full-year or semester option that is a common choice for students. The Study Abroad Office is located in Room 242, Student Union.

“I sent in my application this semester, and am waiting to finalize all of the details of my trip before we are out for summer break,” Gowens said. “I hope to be able to stay and study at a university in Italy and live just off the Amalfi coast.”

College freshman and sophomores are encouraged to apply early, since there is more flexibility for scheduling a trip with the appropriate class courses, according to OSU’s Study Abroad website.

“As long as you have a 3.0 GPA, you can start planning your trip with someone in the Study Abroad Office,” Gowens said. “I found three universities that I would be very happy at. I am still waiting to see which one I will be going to. I am excited to see the different learning techniques of schools in other countries.”

Because of the high cost of living in foreign countries, OSU understands the need for financial funding. Study abroad scholarships are available for any student who meets the minimum criteria.

“I found that I would not be spending too much to live in Italy,” Gowens said.

“The great part is that I will be able to pay the same OSU tuition that I do now. I also think the experience will pay for itself.”

Gowens is not the only one saying goodbye to America and flying across the ocean to Europe. More than 10 million Americans traveled to Europe in 2012, according to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries website.

Jacy Mercer, a strategic communications senior at OSU, has already experienced the life of studying abroad.

“I was able to study abroad in London during the spring semester of my junior year,” Mercer said. “I picked London because of the versatility. It allowed me to travel to other places like Austria and Berlin.”

According to The U.S. Department of State website, any citizens who are thinking of traveling internationally need to take the time to research travel safety. Wearing large amounts of jewelry or carrying mass amounts of money could cause you to be the target of a crime. The site also urges people to not travel alone.

“Studying abroad is not as glamorous as people think,” Mercer said. “I got food poisoning one night while we were visiting Austria. I was lying on the bathroom floor of a hostel the entire night, and no one knew where I was. It was very scary, but I am still alive!”

Students may also customize the amount of hours taken while studying abroad to fit their travel plans. The OSU Study Abroad Office also encourages students to take the time to plan and explore the countries that they have chosen.

“I was able to take 15 credit hours while studying in London,” Mercer said. “OSU recommended I take at least 12 credit hours. This was so I could keep any academic scholarships that had been awarded to me.”

Gowens and Mercer can both agree that the cultures in other countries make people appreciate their home countries. However, both said they are not finished seeing the world.

“As long as I can afford it, I will be traveling until I die,” Gowens said.

Thanks to OSU’s study abroad program, traveling is no longer just for the rich and retired. Many students each year experience the lives they have only seen in movies or magazines. Like Gowens, students may apply for the program by visiting the OSU Study Abroad Office. Experiencing life in a different country is open to anyone. Starting the process is as easy as picking a country and filling out an application.

Reference Page

Gowens, J. (personal communication, 2013) Marsh, C., Guth, D.W., & Poovey Short, B. (2012). Strategic writing: Multimedia writing for public relations, advertising and more (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Mercer, J. (personal communication, 2013) Oklahoma State University. (2013). Study Abroad Office. Retrieved February 21, 2013, from http://ieo.okstate.edu/ieo.aspx?page=130 U.S. Department of State. (2013). Tips for Traveling Abroad. Retrieved February 12, 2013, from http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/tips_1232.html#safe_trip U.S. Department of Commerce. (2012). Travel To International Regions. Retrieved February 12, 2013, from http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2012-O-001/index.html