Has anyone ever done the semester at Sea program?

Has anyone ever done semester at sea and a year abroad in college?

• I want to double major in secondary education and history and I really want to travel the world.Next year for my senior year if high school i will be an exchange student in ...show more

• Answer:

  I went to France for my entire junior year of college - France. I wanted to go just for a semester, but would have had to go through a private university's program, and it would have been twice as expensive - but it would have been in Paris and I'm upset I didn't just find a way to do that. Anyway, I think Switzerland especially is a great country for a year abroad; Germany also is very good. I know of someone who did the semester at sea and don't know how it turned out. Let me caution you that when you go abroad, you will miss out on all the American college stuff - football games, parties, drunken revelries, sororities, clubs, campus what-not - dorm life - as this is just not celebrated abroad - college for Europeans is much different - less social and more focused on career - many students live at home while attending college - so be careful. I missed a big part of my education by going abroad, as I was at an excellent university in the U.S., but in France, the college education is just not as good - most Europeans get their real academic education in high school. That said, if you know what you want, you should do it and travel while there and see as much as you can. Perhaps you can do the year abroad and the semester at sea even after you graduate - or postpone your graduation and do the semester at sea as your last act at college. I really wish I had taken an extra semester or two of college when I returned from Europe to make up for what I felt I missed out on academically while away. I encourage you to get the educational experiences you dream of now - it is difficult to do it later. Let me caution you though - I was nice to this foreign guy when abroad and he totally took advantage of it - and I have never been the same since. Don't get too involved with the foreigners - it sounds racist or prejudiced, but don't get involved with those who you wouldn't get involved with back home - there is a dark underbelly to the year abroad experience and it involves things like acquaintance rape and worse, so be very careful. But again, I think in Switzerland or Germany you should be o.k. Good luck.