Going into freshman year, I was always unsure if I wanted to study abroad. It was always a topic of conversation at home when people would talk about the cool experiences and trips that their siblings had gone on, or the Instagram posts that displayed amazing views of different cultures. Being abroad for a full semester has turned into a norm that people expect you to do when mentioning the study abroad experience. However, that really is not the best bet for everyone. Luckily, my mom encouraged me to look into short-term trips. The trips vary from a few days to weeks and are a unique experience that I wish were given more attention.
The short-term trips are created with a perfect balance of business and pleasure: my specific trip consisted of a 60% business-focus and 40% tourism. By establishing these particular plans, the trips are designed to encompass a full semester period into the short period. In addition, you’re not responsible to create your own itinerary, alleviating much of the stress associated with travelling in foregin countries. All that’s needed to attend these trips is a quick application and a deposit. The entire trip is planned for you! What could be better than that?
In total, there are a plethora of trips that are created specifically for different students and their individual interests. This consists of trips geared towards different majors and colleges, generic trips for people looking to meet new people, or even trips just for fun and for the sake of getting out of town. In addition, there are trips located all over the globe; the limits are endless. Whether it be Israel and studying innovation, like the trip I went on, studying chocolate in Ecuador, learning the coral reefs in the Bahamas, or doing service work in Puerto Rico, there’s a trip and opportunity for everyone.
