Day-in and day-out routines and gloomy weather can put any student into a rut, so why not do something about it? Murray State offers a cornucopia of courses in other countries.
The Office of Study Abroad offers programs across the world for week-long, month-long or semester-long trips.
For some students, studying abroad is fulfilling a graduation requirement – students in the Honors Program are required to do so at least once. For others, it can be a fun, educational trip or even a way to meet classmates before their first semester.
For Ray Hecht, junior from Jackson, Mo., his trip to Quito, Ecuador, was the latter.
“The program gave me the opportunity to meet other incoming freshmen before school actually started, as well as coming into college with credit hours,” he said.
In July of 2012, Hecht went on the trip as a part of the Abroad 101 program for incoming freshmen and completed the HUM 205 class, Humanistic Study Abroad, for credit hours.
“My time in Ecuador was unforgettable,” he said. “I was exposed to another culture and frequently pushed out of my comfort zone. It helped me grow as a person and I learned a lot from my experiences.”
Hecht was notified prior to the trip about an available scholarship by the Office of Recruitment, so he applied and was awarded it, he said. Students who wish to apply for study abroad scholarships may do so through a variety of departments and programs on campus, which are detailed on Murray State’s website.
“I would definitely recommend it to other students, especially the Abroad 101 course for incoming freshman,” Hecht said. “It gave me a chance to get to experience another culture and learn about how other people in the world live.”
While the deadlines for trips through the fall of this year have passed for signature programs designed by Murray State faculty, students can still apply for summer programs through the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad until Feb. 27.
Melanie McCallon Seib, director of Education Abroad, said that the Study Abroad page on the University website is the place to go for students who have any questions.
“Our website is a one-stop shop, so they can start their application on our site and anything they need to do with CCSA would be linked out from our application,” she said.
For students who are planning further into the future, McCallon Seib said that the deadline for winter trips is set for mid-September and that the deadline for spring and summer trips is at the end of January.
Story by Kayla MacAllister, Staff writer