By Michael Templeton, Currier Times Staff///

Book that flight, pack your bags, and grab that passport because you are about to have the greatest experience of your life, immersing yourself in a foreign culture and university while yes, getting COLLEGE CREDIT to do it!

Studying abroad is one of the greatest (if not the greatest) part of your college experience, and it is something that everyone should do at some point in their college career.

The Office of Global and Career Services at Curry College is a key first point of contact for students looking for that perfect abroad experience, and will help you with every step of the process from that initial interest to arriving in your dream destination!

Learn a little bit about the Global section of the Office of Global and Career Services, and you will discover that there are short term and long term abroad opportunities for you, with an incredible amount of destinations to choose from as well. Many students have completed semester long programs overseas and many students have also completed short term programs through their major.

There are benefits to both types of programs, as the former option truly immerses you in the culture of a country and its customs while the latter is more of an introduction to a country and its culture, usually leaving you with a desire to go back and explore more later.

Over the years, Curry students have studied all over the world with England, France, Italy and Australia being top draws.

The Currier Times spoke with Mireille McLaughlin, Director of the Center for Global and Career Services about the process of setting up a student abroad experience and what the process entails.

“Often, if it is my first time meeting with a student I will usually start with the academic piece,” said McLaughlin. “If it’s a full semester and they want to go abroad we want to make sure that they’re getting credit so we will often start there.’’

McLaughlin admits however that the majority of students will come to the Global and Career Services office with a clear idea of where they want to study abroad for either a semester or short term.

“So then it becomes a discussion of what the current options are for that destination based on the providers that we work with, and then we see if they have the types of classes that you need, and then we consider housing options. What kind of housing are you comfortable with? Do you want to be in a dorm? Are you thinking of a homestay option with a host family? Are you okay with apartments?”

Clearly, there are many decisions a student has to consider when they are thinking about going abroad, but for many students, McLaughlin says that the prime consideration and the thing that may keep many students from taking that leap towards an abroad experience is related to monetary concerns about studying abroad.

“Our ongoing challenge is truly the cost and then the awareness so it’s kind of two fold,” said McLaughlin. “So making sure that students know it’s a possibility and then figuring out how to pay for it? So, we are hoping that with new leadership there seems to be more of an interest in figuring out how to make this more accessible for more students and thinking through some options whether it’s through financial aid, or outside scholarships or something like that.’’

Curry alumnus, Sami Gilbert, from the class of 2021, studied abroad in London in the winter of 2020 before having to depart prematurely due to the closing of the borders at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While this did put a wrench in the plan for a full semester abroad, she still had some amazing experiences from her time abroad and how it shaped her independence!

“Before my trip, I really relied on the people around me to help me out with different things,” said Gilbert. “During the trip though, it was just me, so I had to learn how to be more of my own advocate and to be more independent. This has really helped me gain the confidence to be more comfortable with doing things on my own or to be more independent in things.’’

When asked why she would recommend an experience abroad for somebody who had never done it before, Gilbert talked about why it is such an important leap to take.

‘’You meet so many people you wouldn’t normally meet and you see things you might not get the chance to see while staying home for all four years of college,” she said.

Senior Communication Major, Benjamin Gotoff ‘23, is soon to embark on a semester abroad experience at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy, and is very much looking forward to the experience and the independence that it will provide.

“Walking out of an apartment onto the streets of a city is something that I have never experienced before!” said Gotoff. “That is something I am really excited to see and I’ve always wanted to live in a city, so I think this is a great introduction to how that type of living operates.”

Unlike most students who may study abroad in the middle of their college years, Gotoff chose to study abroad after completing all of his degree requirements at Curry, which means he had a great deal of freedom when choosing the classes he would take in Rome.

“I am thankful that I have all my credits finished, so I can focus on and take ‘’fun’’ classes,” said Gotoff. “I am not required to take courses that I don’t enjoy. If I find I don’t like a particular course, I can change it and drop it, I have full freedom with it.’’

Gotoff concluded that while he has most of the details lined up for his January 2024 departure, there are still some things that he has trepidation about, but overall, he is ready to take that leap.

“I am also just very excited to experience the culture which is also what the nerve racking thing is because you are entering this new culture, ” said Gotoff. “It is something that is new to me but it is something I can use to become what I want to be. Coming out on the other end of it, I think I am going to become a very different person.’’