Foreign education opportunities represented at fair
HPU provides a variety of options for students to study abroad. Photo by HPU Study Abroad Program
By Faith Foushee
Digital Media Editor
Every year, students from around the world exchange places with High Point University students. They get to experience the culture of another country and university while international students see what being a Panther is all about. HPU offers many programs for students to study abroad. The Maymester program allows students to take a global studies course throughout the semester before going to the place they learned about for a few weeks in May. Students also have the option of studying abroad for an entire semester through an exchange program with a student from another college or university.
When picking where to go abroad, students are often overwhelmed with their multitude of options. Dr. Jeffrey Palis, director of Global Education at HPU, recommends that students first make an account on the Study Abroad Portal to help them figure out which program best meets their needs. To make an account, students answer a series of questions about themselves, their interests in going abroad and the kinds of programs to which they want to apply. After setting up an account and navigating the portal, students are encouraged to visit the Global Education events and meet with an advisor to take the next steps.
At the study abroad fair, there were representatives from each of the programs who were there to inform students about the benefits of studying abroad.
“Studying abroad helps you broaden your knowledge because you are so focused on your location,” said Aniek Bär, an exchange student from the Netherlands. ”You think there is not a big difference between cul- tures, but there is. It truly helps you get out of your comfort zone.”
Studying abroad also means that stu-
dents get to travel and see parts of the world they may not otherwise see.
When asked his reasoning for wanting to study abroad, sophmore Ben Miller said, “I want a sense of how other countries live and about all of the things that are similar or different to our culture and way of living in the United States.”
In some cases, students learn a great deal about themselves while studying abroad, es- pecially if they leave for an entire semester.
“It is scary to leave everything you know and all of your friends behind, but you cannot put a price on this kind of experience,” said Brooke West, an exchange student from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom.
West realizes that when she returns home, all of her friends will have graduated be- cause she is in a different program. While this concerns her, she is glad to be in America to gain this experience.
“Get started on things early to reduce stress,” West recommended. “Being ahead makes it a lot easier when it comes to picking classes and housing.”
At HPU, most students begin planning and applying eight months to a year in ad- vance to prepare efficiently.
Cana Hill, a financial advisor at HPU, shared various payment options for students.
“A Maymester program is an additional cost to students from their normal tuition and fees, but if you are a Presi-
dential Scholar, you received
a stipend to go towards that
experience,” said Hill. “An exchange program would be the same cost as if you were at HPU, and all of your scholar- ships you have would go to- wards that semester. Unaffili- ated programs do not include your HPU scholarships.”
These financial options give students more varieties to consider.
The deadline for students to apply for a Maymester is Nov. 15. Anyone who wants to go abroad for the fall semester of 2020 must sign up by March 15. The Spring 2021 deadline is May 15. If students want to learn more about global edu- cation, International Educa- tion Week will take place the week of Nov. 18-22.
“Just go for it, and do not let anything hold you back from this experience,” advised West.