Some of us simply will never have the chance to study abroad. I spent countless hours trying to make it work for me. Her Campus had showed me the benefits of studying abroad with a non Notre Dame program and I finally found one with dates that allowed me to keep my summer internship. Unfortunately the study abroad gods were working against me and I found out the program was canceled just a week after I had been accepted. Thankfully though, there are some alternatives that I can choose from!
1. Go it alone or with friends
You don’t necessarily need to go with a program to have an abroad experience. Spend a week or two of your break exploring a new place. Obviously you won’t be able to stay as long as if you had studied abroad, but since you’re technically on a vacation you will have way more free time to explore!
2. Volunteer abroad
Many programs that allow people to volunteer abroad are not necessarily restricted to college students only. After graduation spend your summer somewhere new and make a difference while you’re at it.
3. Intern abroad
A lot of us can’t go abroad in the summers because we need to get some work experience. If this is true for you, combine the two experiences and find an internship in a foreign country. CISAbroad has a lot of these opportunities in a wide variety of countries, from Europe to Latin America to Asia.
4. Travel in the US
Going abroad can be insanely expensive. If it’s money that’s holding you back try to find an adventure a little closer to home. I highly doubt many of you have been to every state in the US. Spend a week exploring a place you have never been to before. We often forget about some of the great destinations we have right here at home like San Diego, Denver, or Memphis.
Follow HCND on Twitter and like us on Facebook!