By Allison Seidel

With University of Maryland students  creating their four-year plan for their time here in College Park, one important question can arise: Should I study abroad? Can I study abroad?

The study abroad initiative at the University of Maryland offers a wide variety of programs for students to choose from. Some are semester-long experiences, while others are just for a few weeks. 

Studying abroad allows students to spend some time doing classes in a different country, whether that be in Europe, South America, or elsewhere. This provides students with the ability to see a different part of the world and experience cultures that are new to them. 

On Wednesday, Dec. 7, Education Abroad at UMD  held a “Study Abroad 101” general information meeting for students and parents to join. There was a discussion of how to register for classes with academic advisors, the different programs, lengths of trips, etc. 

According to the presentation, about 23% of students at UMD study abroad during their time here. There are over 400 programs in more than 70 countries in the world that students can choose from, with opportunities ranging from a week-long trip in Cuba to a semester in Perugia, Italy, and beyond. 

There are several different ways that students can choose to spend their time abroad as well, such as an exchange program, or a UMD living-learning community. With these living situations, students can live with a host family in the country they study in, or live in the same community as other UMD students who are in the same program. 

Bailey Maescher, a sophomore business management major, said that she is planning on studying abroad in either Florence, Italy or Barcelona, Spain in the spring of 2024. However, Maescher said that she is worried about not being able to go home. 

“While I do not go to school in-state and am not able to go home very often anyway, I know it will just be a lot harder when being abroad,” she said. Though Maescher has some hesitations, she explained that she is excited to be in a “new location” for school and is looking forward to “having the opportunity to travel to other countries, too, on the weekends.” 

Kate Ejk, a sophomore public health science major, is considering spending a semester in Spain, Italy, or France. “I’m super excited about getting to see different parts of the world and being able to explore other cultures and traditions outside of my own,” she said.  

Ejk mentioned that she is a little nervous about “not being fluent in the native language,” but is eager to experience something new. 

Lauren Ruszczyk, the senior associate director of Education Abroad at UMD, said that the study abroad team works hard to make sure students get where they want to go in terms of applying and ultimately being assigned a location of their choice. 

“We try to make it really easy for students to access the hundreds of learning opportunities we have through our study abroad program portfolio,” she said. Ruszczyk also mentioned that they try to make study abroad “accessible to students across the board,” even though there are certain requirements that have to be met, such as a GPA of 2.0 or higher. 

Ruszczyk said that although there are some locations where they tend to send more students, such as Western Europe (Italy, Spain, etc.), not everyone necessarily goes there. “There is really no typical journey that students tend to follow,” she said. 

Ruszczyk recommends that students use the study abroad course database search, which can help to find classes that work for their major and contribute to certain criteria for course requirements at UMD. 

Along with the database, the Terps Abroad Profile, which is on the Education Abroad website, gives different perspectives from students who have studied abroad in the past, so other students can get a gist of what the program would be like. 

Ruszczyk said that their advising team is “so excited and very well-equipped” to talk with students about studying abroad and any concerns they may have while making the decision. 

Featured Image: People enjoy a relaxing day at the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa in Grindavik, Iceland, on July 17, 2018. Photo by Allison Seidel.