By TAYLOR MORRIS, Student Reporter
The deadline for the Study Abroad Program of 2017 is up and now Northwestern students are headed off on another once in a lifetime trip.
This summer’s sensational destinations are Australia and New Zealand.
Dr. Kathryn Lane, third time department chair of this year’s Study Abroad Committee will be leading this summer’s trip.
“I have to say that of all my committees I work hardest for Study Abroad, I think it is probably the most valuable thing I do in terms of committee work because the study abroad experience as a learning experience for students is so important,” Lane said.
This year’s trip destinations were chosen based on a poll taken by students two years ago.
Of all the places they wanted to go 78 percent of students said that they wanted to go to Australia the most. However, the amazing thing about the study abroad program is you do not have to be a Northwestern student to go on a trip.
Travelers can be from the community, parents, spouses and siblings.
Once the down payment of $250 is paid, the company that Northwestern travels through, EF College Study Tours, sets up a go fund me account page for the soon to be traveler so that the traveler can share the page with their friends and family to ask for possible help with funding their trip.
The cost for travel, hotel and most meals is $4,755. The trip offers three credit hours for a Humanities course which cost an additional $574 dollars.
According to Lane, it is the most expensive trip the university has offered due to the costly airfare. Nonetheless, Lane said the Study Abroad Program is highly beneficial to students because it teaches the importance of budgeting and broadening horizons as far as immersing themselves in other cultures.
“To be completely honest you will never remember any lecture as well as the one you get looking out over the rooftops of Rome or standing in the coliseum and hearing the history of the coliseum,” Lane said. “Being in a place where you can have that tactile touch of the stone. I felt the heat from the sun. I’ve been there when the wind blew and seen how it impacted things. Very tactile and kinesthetic learning happens there. One of the great things study abroad offers is central learning. You literally go and experience it.”
The next trip scheduled for Study Abroad Program of 2018 is the United Kingdom. If there are any students that have questions you can contact Dr. Kathryn Lane at kelane@nwosu.edu.