What is one of the best options for spending your winter and summer vacations? Why not take the opportunity and study elsewhere. For college students, studying abroad is a great way to receive both the experience of an international setting, especially in our growing global world, and an essential addition to their college educational experience.

After traveling for a month and a half around China I've finally settled into my dorm at the Beijing Language and Culture University for a six week intensive mandarin studies session. The growing popularity of studying Chinese language was evident as I was registering for classes. I could hear a diverse number of languages from the various crowds surrounding the registration desk. The next morning every one signed up for the program was required to take a language placement test to see the level of Chinese you were currently at.

A year after the 2008 Olympic games, Beijing, China remains one of the leading cities in both China and Asia. Travel fare has not decreased that much since the 2008 games and remains a rather expensive city to live in. People continue to visit and live there because the city includes so many great must-see places: the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, and the list keeps going. Besides the sites, go along to the Guomao business district for shopping or to Silk Street or Ya Show to test your bargaining skills. The great thing about studying abroad is the vast number of opportunities to also travel abroad. Next weekend, I head over to Mongolia for the Nadaam festival to see the horse racing, archery, and wrestling.

Politics always remains a hot issue in China, as many minority ethnic conflicts still exist. With CNN international as the one English Channel we receive, reports of the Xinjiang riots on the west side of China are on all day. Also, traveling conditions to Tibet have improved since last year, which is popular for road trips to camp at the base of Mt. Everest and drive through the Himalayas.

Besides classes and exploring the local neighborhoods, Beijing's night life surrounds the college district right outside the fourth ring (Beijing is now on its sixth ring, near Wudaokou neighborhood.) Any night you can find a bustling number of international college students in the local clubs and bars with a range from small local bars to four storied dance clubs. Or head downtown to Wongfujing for a cup of coffee with some friends.

Is study abroad too expensive, you ask? Not at all. There are now many options for college students such as financial aid and Maryland Educational Scholarships available. Also, for UMBC specifically, the UMBC direct exchange program means you don't pay anymore then you usually would per semester for tuition and housing. Online resources such as >www.Statravel.com and >www.studyabroad.com