Choose Your Adventure. This tagline for Iowa State University provides students the opportunity to decide exactly how their college career will pan out. Want to join 7 different clubs? Choose your adventure! Want to study 11 different majors and minors? Choose your adventure!
In my opinion, one of the greatest adventures a student can choose while in college is to study abroad, or do a National Student Exchange. Both of these programs provide a unique opportunity to travel to another location – whether it be another university in the United States, or another country entirely – and experience the different cultures firsthand. The programs are a little different, but they both give students a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Study Abroad
This might be the Great Wall, but it can’t stop you from pursuing your dreams of studying abroad!This is the big one. Travelling to another country like Australia, England, France, Egypt, China, and more, and diving head first into the rich culture. Study abroad opportunities can be as short as a week (like the Spring Break trips), or as long as an academic year. What’s great about Study Abroad is that there are a plethora of scholarships out there specifically for students who want to expand their horizons overseas! While study abroad may initially seem more expensive than a resident study in the US, by applying for scholarships through either the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Study Abroad Office or the University Study Abroad Office, the cost becomes comparable to (and sometimes cheaper than) Iowa State! Interested? Follow this link for more information about the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Study Abroad program, and THIS link for information about the University’s Study Abroad program!
National Student Exchange (NSE)
NSE is a really cool chance for you to go to one of 200 universities in 48 states, 3 US territories, or 6 Canadian provinces for either a semester or a year. I mean, wouldn’t it be awesome to study in Hawaii for a semester when we’re in one of our Iowa winters? One of the really nice things about NSE is something called tuition reciprocity. What this means is that you will either be paying the in-state tuition and fees to your host institution, or you will be paying your regular tuition and fees to Iowa State. Interested? Click here for more information about National Student Exchange.
College is a great time to get out there and make unforgettable memories. If you get the chance to study abroad or do a National Student Exchange, I strongly, strongly, STRONGLY recommend it. It will be an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
Posted by: Michael Cox