Study abroad options abound for willing students
South America, Europe top list for summer studies
By Rebecca Reynolds
Skiff Staff

The study abroad options available through TCU will allow students to stop watching the Discovery Channel and experience the wonders of the world firsthand.

While many students are aware of the major countries available through TCU’s international studies program, most are unaware of just how many travel options there actually are.

The International Education of Students (IES) and the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) has programs open to students in more than 35 countries including Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and Taiwan.

Tracy Williams, coordinator for TCU education abroad, is always one encourage students to take the road less traveled. As a student, she herself studied abroad with the exchange program TCU had set up with Peru. Her face lights up as she speaks of her experience hiking the Andes Mountains in the footsteps of the Incas.

Williams said when traveling in countries unfrequented by tourists, the locals make the trip all the more exciting and adventuresome.

“It’s great to be able to really immerse yourself in another culture,” she said. “You almost feel like a ground-breaking anthropologist. The rawness and the beauty of the landscape also add to the excitement.”

Additional TCU exchange programs connect with universities in Mexico, Japan, France and London. Summer programs are also available in London, Japan, Scotland, Belize, France, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Spain and Germany.

Williams said that many students are drawn to the European countries for study abroad destinations because they are the most well known. Also, Europe holds a lot of the history behind our country, she said, and so the fascination grows. To add to the appeal, she said these sites offer weekend field trips to countries all over Europe.

While many see the additional travel options as a selling point, some would rather go to only one country and take it all in.

Brenna Shackelford, a senior neuroscience major, studied in Mexico in summer 2002. She said she took field trips, but the trips never required departure from her country of choice.

“I had lots of opportunities to travel throughout Mexico,” she said. “It’s location gives you more reason to stay in the country as opposed to Europe where you’d want to travel all over.”

Shackelford said one of the reasons for choosing Mexico was the desire to immerse herself in the Spanish language. She said she knew a place like Spain would give her a break from the Spanish language on the frequent weekend trips to non-Spanish-speaking countries.

“Staying in Mexico the whole time forced me to use and improve my Spanish,” she said.

Shackelford also spoke highly of the Universidad de las Americas in Puebla, Mexico that TCU has close ties with.

“Like TCU, they take good care of its students and everything is very well organized,” she said.

Shackelford found the simplicity of the country very refreshing.

“I loved the experience of being in a less commercialized culture,” she said.

Shackelford’s experience in Mexico only wet her appetite for more international experiences. She said she is now thinking about attending the brand new program available in Chile.

Williams said she encourages students to take advantage of the international and intercultural opportunities available to them during their time at TCU.

Rebecca Reynolds