Tuesday’s student study abroad information session encouraged students to add an overseas experience into their schedules and educated them on their options.

“I realized it takes a lot more planning than I originally thought,” said Amanda Akers, a sophomore marketing major.

Akers attended the session, part of this week’s Study Abroad Summit, along with 26 other students and faculty members in the Moulton Hall Ballroom.

The Office of International Affairs, host of the summit, provided information on the programs the university offers, including short-term faculty-led programs all over the world, summer internships in Sydney and London and student exchange programs in addition to the large Florence and Geneva programs.

After hearing about all of the different overseas opportunities available to her, Akers changed her mind from what she had originally intended on doing.

“I still plan on studying abroad, but I may do an internship instead of a short-term study abroad,” she said.

Previous study abroad participants shared their experiences with interested students like Akers.

Emily Kloosterman, a senior international relations major, spent last semester in Geneva, where she had the opportunity to do something that can be difficult for students to do in the United States.

“I got to do an internship, which is a rare thing, especially for an undergrad in my field,” Kloosterman said. “Ever since I was a freshman, I’d been looking into internships and everything, but they were looking for master’s degrees.”

Senior psychology major Danielle Petscher spent last semester in Lester, England, and also got to do something she is not able to do in Kent.

“I took law classes, which was kind of hard ’cause I’m pre-law here, and you don’t really take real law classes here, but in England you do,” Petscher said.

Lara Mikoleit, a recreation, parks and tourism management major, said her fall semester in Uganda was a unique learning experience unlike anything she had ever done before.

“You didn’t feel like you were in a classroom because you weren’t,” she said. “The whole place was your classroom.”

Mikoleit was enthusiastic about sharing details of her trip with other students.

“Honestly, it was the best two weeks of my life hands down,” she said. “I didn’t get homesick once.”

For more information on study abroad opportunities, contact the Office of International Affairs at (330) 672-7980.

Contact international affairs reporter Marissa Mendel at [email protected].