Study Away Program Offers Opportunities

Noah Proffitt

Are you interested in expanding your cultural understanding of the world or getting to be a part of an environment completely different than yours? How about working toward your major and earning credits for it at the same time? Then you should look into the Study Away Program run by Professor Thelma Rohrer.

The Study Away Program offers plenty of opportunities to all kinds of students, with any kind of major. Even first-year students have the chance to take part in the program, during the January Sessions. Only a few programs require certain majors, but the rest are open to everyone.

The Study Away Program doesn’t only offer programs out of the country, there are opportunities to have in-state programs. States like Florida, California and Illinois are some of the in-state places that have sister colleges, so students can still get the study away experience.

On the MU website, the Study Away Program is broken up into three main links that you can find on the page, with each offering something different. Hokusei Gakuen University offers opportunities in Japan, where you will get to live with a host family while attending a Japanese school. You will have the chance to engage with Japanese students that are learning English, while you get the chance to learn Japanese.

Another option is the Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture, where you can live in the city of Chicago. They offer plenty of opportunities to work in theater, digital media, journalism and more. This is a chance for you to experience life in a big city urban environment.

The last link is Amizade, that also offers plenty of opportunities. They strive to bring in students to learn about social justice and international activist in abroad. Some of the places that they offer include Spain, New Zealand and England.

If you want to do Study Away but don’t really want to spend a full semester away from your loved ones, the program offers abroad opportunities during the January Session. Here you will only be gone for about 15 days but will still get to have the same experience as others.

What are the benefits of studying away from the main campus. Well of course just the opportunity to go to a new environment to learn. “Cultural understanding and global connection,” Rohrer says. “These are goals for Manchester students; study away helps that happen. ” She believes that that the Study Away Program can offer a lot for students’ overall perspective on the world and in their new environments.

It’s never too late to sign up for abroad. If you have any questions about the program, contact Professor Thelma Rohrer about it and she can help you set up the best semester for your journey. You can also visit the Manchester website and search for the Study Away Program.