At UVA we have tons of amazing experiences, perhaps my biggest life changing experience was my choice to study abroad. I decided in the Fall of 2009 that I wanted to go abroad at the beginning of my third year. I actually live 30 minutes from UVA so going abroad was a big deal to me. I chose University College Dublin in Ireland, because I wanted someplace where my classes would be in English and to have an interesting culture. When you are studying abroad you are not only learning in the class, but in everyday life by experiencing another culture. The study abroad opportunities at UVA are endless. There are exchange programs set up with UVA where the tuition you pay here including your financial aid is all you pay for studying in another university abroad. This would be a financially smart choice plus you would be thrown into the culture as you will be taking classes with the local students and sometimes living with them. My program is an outside program that allows me to take classes with local students, but I live with study abroad students and have outside activities setup with them (I am the only UVA student though). It's a good choice for someone like me, who needs some familiarity to things back home.
If you are interested in studying abroad but have FOMO (fear of missing out), there are also trips in the Summer and even two week trips in January for a 3 credit J-Term. I have friends that have done Summer trips and feel this way they are doing something interesting with their spare time, yet they do not feel overwhelmed with missing people back home. The J-term trips are very unique. UVA normally has a professor or two go with only UVA students to another country, where they normally learn about one subject and have many culture events setup for students. I have heard that it is basically a vacation that you can receive credit for!
A final option is Semester at Sea (also offered in the summer). This is setup through UVA, but students from other schools are allowed to join the program. You would be on ship and have your classes on that ship as you travel to many different countries. It is a little pricey, but I have heard it's worth it (they have Desmond Tutu sailing with them on the ship this semester). I could go on and on about all the different experiences you could have with study abroad, but I suggest that you research them yourself based on your interests at http://www.studyabroad.virginia.edu/
Good luck finding your international adventure!
Laura Hyson
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