Union University will host a study abroad fair this Friday in the student union building from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Several booths will be set up throughout the hallway, giving students the chance to learn about the many exciting study abroad opportunities offered by the university. With programs on six continents, every student with a desire to travel can find a location and program that works for them.
“It really depends on what you want to get out of the experience,” said Victoria JS Malone, French professor and Union’s study abroad program coordinator. “We have programs for every major and minor you can think of.”
Studying abroad is more than a studious excuse for a vacation. There are many practical, real-life skills a student can learn while abroad, including, but not limited to:
- Cross-cultural communication.
- Flexibility.
- Analytical skills.
- Ability to adapt to new surroundings.
- Language proficiency.
- Intercultural competence.
- Hands-on learning.
- Self-reliance.
- Independence.
- Perseverance.
“While you can get these things out of a textbook, they certainly become a part of your toolbox if you experience them,” Malone said. “Imagine the much more hands-on, experiential learning students are getting by being there with the professors.”
The benefits don’t end when a student graduates, either.
“Employers are looking for people who can get tasks done with people who are different than them,” Malone said.
“It was overall an incredible experience,” said senior art major Ruth Duncan, who recently spent six months studying abroad in Japan. “It’s an incredible growing opportunity for your worldview and how you see other people. You have to adapt to a degree and be flexible, and there is never a time when you aren’t learning something.”
For more information, please visit our website or set up an appointment with Victoria JS Malone by emailing her at vmalone@uu.edu.
Photo courtesy of Lynn Tucker