Study Abroad students discuss values of study abroad

Taylor Chalker believes everyone should take a semester abroad noting that it is worth the added expense to see the world outside of the United States.

Chalker studied abroad in London with Point Park University's program for musical theater the spring semester of 2009 as a junior.

"It opened up my eyes," she said."To be able to experience those things is really beneficial in your professional life, especially if you are going to be working with someone who is from a different culture. It helps you gain cultural sensitivity in dealing with people of different cultures." 

Point Park's study abroad program still remains an open door of opportunity for those who plan ahead of time. The university also offers three credit, three-week overseas experiences as an alternative to semester long studies.

The maximum amount of students Point Park allows to study abroad is 15 overall.

"We have never maxed out in the past seven years I've been here," Paylo said.

According to him, this is because studying abroad is not required, funds tend to be an issue and many times students fail to plan early enough.

In Fall 2010, 12 students had signed up for study abroad. Four attended Regent's College, six attended Wells College and two attended the American University of Rome (AUR). The number decreased in Spring and Fall 2011 from eight to seven, but for the upcoming semester of Spring 2012, 10 students have been accepted. Six are signed up for Regent's, two for Wells and two for AUR. Both Regents and Wells have received about the same amount of students overall in the past four years.

Regent's College offers spring, summer and fall semester programs and is located in the heart of London, England. Classes are taught by British instructors focusing mainly in the areas of the arts and sciences and business. Students stay on campus in residence halls and pay room and board charges.

Chalker now performs for Disney Cruise Line and is applying for graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh. She remembers how London became her favorite city in the world.

"The theater was phenomenal. I saw things you would never see [in the United States]," Chalker said in a phone interview. "Most theater in the States are fully dependent on private producers and they will only fund shows they know will sell. In the [United Kingdom] theater is funded by government, so the plays push boundaries." 

Regent's College sets up four day trips and three weekend trips in which students must pay for during the semester. Locations include Stonehenge, Leeds Castle, Canterbury, Salisbury, Wales, Paris and Edinburgh, Scotland.

For senior broadcast major Mary Beth Reid's 10 day fall break, she visited Rome, Lawrence, Venice and Barcelona.

"I see a lot of people from all over the world every day," Reid said over Skype.

Senior Zoe Hughes, an intelligence and national security major at Point Park, is currently studying abroad in London and among many interesting experiences, recently ran into a huge outside reggae festival in Notting Hill.

"There were thousands of people. It was crazy, but it was a lot of fun," she said over a Skype phone call.

Hughes also noted that getting used to England's bland tasting food and busy London lifestyle was challenging, but she loved exploring Amsterdam's Red Light District and Holland's old scenic cheese and clog making village of Zaan Schans.

Wells College offers spring and fall semester programs for the Arts in Paris, France. It is specifically designed for students interested in dance, music, painting, photography, sculpture or theater. It also offers language training. Students can choose a home stay or residence hall accommodation. Students must also pay Wells' room and board charges with tuition, and no meal plan is included.

While in Paris, Leah Fiore, a senior dance major, began to feel so at home that natives approached her mistaking her as French.

"I think a lot of it was learning how the French dress and their body language and just giving away totally to the culture," Fiore said over a Skype phone call. "Just consciously trying to blend in and soak up as much of France as I could."

Her favorite thing to do in France is visiting the contemporary art museums.

Through the university's membership in the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education (PCHE) consortium, students can study at AUR during the spring, summer and fall. Its urban campus is located on top of Janiculum, which is Rome's highest hill. Students share apartments with other AUR students and pay AUR room and board charges without a meal plan.

Those interested in studying abroad are encouraged to visit the Student Affairs office on the seventh floor of the Student and Convocation Center for information packets and to be put on the study abroad mailing list. The next step is to attend a meeting where application packets are handed out. Obtaining passports, visas and other details will be discussed.

The deadline for turning in the application for the fall semester next year is March 1.

As an alternative to studying abroad for an entire semester, Point Park faculty arranges other three credit course trips available to students over the summer. Past destinations have been Greece, Hungary, England, Scotland and France. These trips last two and a half weeks and costs vary due to location and participation. This year, the School of Communications is offering a trip to Rome for the International Media class priced currently for students at $3,200.