Students experience studying abroad through peers
While walking through the Student Center Oct. 7, students got a taste of Vienna, Hong Kong and Turkey at the second annual Study Abroad Fair, an event showcasing the different trips Oklahoma Christian University offers the student body.
Oklahoma Christian offers multiple study abroad programs including European Studies, Pacific Rim Studies, Turkey and HonduraServe.
Study Abroad Coordinator Mendy Kooi started the Study Abroad Fair last year as a recruiting effort.
The fair allows students to hear veteran participants talk about their own experiences as well as see what program would fit them best and what opportunities they would have on each trip.
“Another goal is to let the students that have been before have a venue to share their story of travel,” Kooi said. “Coming back and being able to share their experiences with others, share their pictures and share their memories and share some of their fun times is a good way for them to be able to help in that recruiting effort by letting others know what an awesome experience it is.”
Studying abroad gives students the opportunity to experience learning outside of the classroom, books and movies.
“Instead of just sitting in a classroom reading a book or having a lecture from a professor, you’re actually getting to visit the places you would be reading about,” Kooi said. “There’s more of an impact of actually being there and doing it than just reading about it.”
Coordinators intend for the Study Abroad Fair to answer students’ questions, whether inquiries delve into the trip itself or its affordability.
“As always, I think money is an issue,” Kooi said. “Paying for college is one thing, but adding a study abroad experience can be a little costly.”
Kooi encourages students to speak to their financial aid counselor. She said some of a student’s financial aid package might apply toward the program. Students can also raise money for the mission portion of the trip.
While planning the trips, Kooi tries making each one as cheap as possible.
For this year’s Pac Rim trip, Hawaii was cut due to the increase in travel costs. This may not be a permanent cut, and students on the trip currently have more days spent in Hong Kong, Tokyo and New Zealand.
Senior Ashley Weber helped with the Pacific Rim area at Thursday night’s fair. The Pac Rim group set up a miniature Snack Street for the perspective students. They also had Japanese students teaching origami lessons and a place where students could browse photos and memorabilia from the trip.
“Everything is going to have an Asian theme,” Weber said. “Snack Street is something you see in China. It’s like a long street of just nothing but bizarre foods lined up.”
Learning about others’ experiences helped Weber in her decision to go to Pac Rim in the fall of 2009.
“I was always interested in Pac Rim, but once I talked to people who had actually gone and saw their pictures and heard their experiences and heard how they were able to afford it, it made it seem a lot more realistic,” Weber said.
Weber said she hopes her stories and experiences influenced students, and she hopes the fair boosts the number of applicants for the Pac Rim trip.
“I know the numbers for study abroad trips have been down, so I’m hoping that, especially for Pac Rim, the fair will spark more interest in the trip,” Weber said. “[I hope] people will see it as more affordable and more doable and to realize how much fun they can have on the trip, as well as how they can learn and all the spiritual growth opportunities as well.”
The 2009 Fall European Studies group chose the theme of “These are a few of my favorite things” from the movie “The Sound Of Music.”
“We want to show everybody what we enjoyed, what we think they would enjoy and that it’s a fun time,” junior Alana Giesemann said. “You really get to learn and experience so many things.”
Giesemann said she would encourage students to go because of the multiple countries students visit.
“My favorite city was Rome… I remember the awe you feel walking around all these different places, and you’re seeing things you’ve seen in movies and you’re seeing things you’ve only read about,” Giesemann said. “There’s this feeling that comes over you that you’re experiencing history.”
Junior Lane West participated in the Summer European Studies trip this past summer. West chose the summer trip because he did not want to miss out on the fall activities on campus.
“Fall semester is so busy with rush and everything,” West said. “I knew I didn’t want to be gone for a semester, so getting the opportunity to still do it over the summer is great.”
The Summer European Studies group also set their area up with photos and memorabilia and served gelato to give students a taste of Zanoni’s, a popular gelato parlor in Vienna.
An additional perk to studying abroad is meeting a group of people and getting to travel and share experiences with them.
One thing Weber and West both agreed on was how close they both got to their groups.
“My favorite part of the trip, overall, was our group,” Weber said. “While it was great getting to see all the countries and experiencing all the culture, it wouldn’t have been as much fun if I hadn’t gotten to know so many great people I’m still great friends with on campus now.”
Whether a student studies abroad in Europe, the Pacific Rim or Turkey, they will receive a unique education outside the classroom and return to the U.S. with a different perspective of the world.
“I think it broadens the horizons of students,” Kooi said. “It helps them see the world in different lenses. It helps them realize there’s a bigger world out there than just OC.”
Students can also learn more about studying abroad by “liking” the OC Study Abroad Programs page on Facebook. The current study abroad groups update the page frequently with photos, videos and comments.
The early deadline for study abroad applications is Oct. 15. Students applying by the deadline receive a priority interview. The late deadline is Oct. 29, but students may be waitlisted if spots are already filled.
Photo by: Han Xiao
