With so many factors to consider and trips that can be rather pricey, it's no wonder many students do not study abroad at some point during their college careers. Despite the costs and difficulty of fitting a semester overseas into a four-year block, the students who do manage to go travel and learn abroad only had positive feedback to give when asked about their experiences.

Alex Paczynski, currently a senior philosophy and English literature double major, explained his time at the Australian National University of Canberra, Australia, stating, "My time abroad was made both memorable and worthwhile by the people I met and befriended and the chance to study some unique subjects." Paczynski went on to say that he was able to take an advanced continental philosophy course, something he would not have had the chance to take had he not gone abroad to study.

Paczynski strongly recommended studying abroad to others; "Look at it this way-most students at university spend four years studying at the same place with the same classmates and professors. It's very stimulating to throw yourself in another part of the world with new people from different backgrounds while continuing your studies. And, in my case, when I returned to my home university I found I had more appreciation for our school."

Jason Via, a junior English major, detailed his study abroad trip to the University of Swansea, Wales in the United Kingdom, saying, "I took three classes, studying post-modern British literature, a general history course, and an American Studies module. The American studies class was possibly the most interesting class I've ever taken. We studied America and Americanism in terms of its international relations and through literature from independence to present day. In the class of about 20 students, I was the only American, and to hear views of the culture and nation I grew up in from people my age from Poland, Denmark, Wales, England, and France, was the most unforgettable classroom experience I'll ever have."

Via also recommends studying abroad to everyone. "I've never experienced such a rapid growth in who I am, as a legally recognized 'mature adult,' than in the six months I lived in Wales." Via explained that he probably would have been able to complete two minors and his major a semester early if he hadn't studied abroad, but has no regrets about going.

Anna Whitney, a senior psychology major and another participant in a study abroad program, summarized her travels abroad; "I studied abroad for five months last spring in Durban, South Africa. I wanted to study abroad to experience South African culture first-hand as well as take courses outside of an American institution.

As my minors are Africana studies and sociology, taking courses in an African country was a great opportunity to step outside the Western lens of American institutions and experience life in a different country." Whitney went on to explain that everything made her experience memorable and worthwhile, stating, "The variety of people I met and interacted with, the wide range of places I was able to travel to, the things I learned about Durban and South African culture and about myself as an individual in a foreign land really made my experience one of a lifetime."

The only major downfall both Whitney and Via specifically mentioned was paying for their studies abroad. Whitney said, "The main thing I gave up was my entire savings…whoops! But the places I traveled and the things I learned were much more valuable." Via made a similar statement; "The person that you are when you go and the person you come back as are so drastically different that it makes the experience, no matter how much debt you've acquired, priceless and worth the extra student loan."

Regardless of the memorable experiences had by those who do study abroad, not many do. Brian Souders, the Associate Director of International Education Services, explained that about six percent of UMBC students study abroad at some point in their undergraduate career, stating, "that figure is pretty much the norm for students at public universities."