Studying abroad gives students new perspectives, opportunities

Third year neuroscience student Sonya Polson (third from left) spent two months in a rural Senegalese village.

"[Studying abroad] teaches you a certain way to look at the world... It lets you learn it for yourself."

Learning in the midst of a different culture is a great way to expand your horizons and fulfill class requirements at the same time. At the University of Minnesota, students can explore the world through the nation's largest study abroad program, with over 220 programs offered in over 60 countries.

Students studying abroad get the chance to be immersed in a new culture. The U of M offers a wide range of options, from animal health in Costa Rica to human interfaces in Norway. Students can choose from summer-, semester-, or year-long programs.

Sonya Polson, a neuroscience major in the class of 2007, says she became interested in study abroad as a way to travel and experience new cultures while young. "[Studying abroad] teaches you a certain way to look at the world," she says. "It lets you learn it for yourself."

Sonya studied in Senegal, a coastal country in West Africa, with the Minnesota Studies in International Development program (MSID). For two months, she stayed with a host family in a rural village and worked at a medical clinic, registering patients and delivering babies. She says she had life changing experiences, from learning day-to-day life to working in a new culture. "It makes you more sensitive to political and cultural issues," she says.

Heidi Soneson, program director at the U of M's Learning Abroad Center, says studying in a new environment can help students discover their goals. "Students can fulfill major or minor requirements abroad," she says. "It's a great way to see a completely different place and get credit."

Sonya says students should explore a wide range of study abroad options. "Be open to staying with a host family or learning a new language," she advises. "Take advantage of it. It will make you grow as a person."

Interested in studying abroad? Check out these options!