Studying abroad is supposed to be a magical and life-changing experience for college students, but it comes with an abundance of stress and decisions to make. Though this decision is not the end-all, be-all for most students, it is a tough one to make and takes a great deal of thought for students who are considering studying abroad during their junior year. Should they study abroad in the fall or in the spring?
As a person who carries a considerably hefty weight on her shoulders regarding this question, I have come to the conclusion that, for me, it only makes sense to go in the spring. Now I know this may be unpopular or unimportant to many students, but I am taking the stance that the spring is the perfect time of year to go abroad.
The first thing that helped me start to make up my mind was the fact that after the spring semester is over, I will be able to spend the summer at home and not have to worry about going right back to school at Villanova, despite the opportunities that that may carry with it. Along with this, if a student is studying abroad in the spring and finds that they are really loving it or they find a great internship or job opportunity in their chosen region, then it is just that much easier to stay abroad and soak in the sights of a foreign country.
We all know how everyone on campus reacts on the first warm spring day of the year. People find themselves lying on any patch of grass they can find, the campus is alive and everyone knows that summer is about to bloom. Now, imagine having this feeling while exploring the coast of Italy. Just some food for thought.
Another thing I considered when deciding to go in the spring was the holidays. Fall holidays, such as Halloween and Thanksgiving, are far too important for me to miss, but someone could argue the same thing for Oktoberfest, which is supposed to be fabulous in Europe. I do not think that I could go without the frequent breaks in the fall that allow me to go home and see my family.
The spring semester on campus is already set up with fewer breaks, so students would already be acclimated to that if they were to go abroad in the spring. At first, I was worried about missing St. Patrick’s Day in the spring, but then I remembered that I could simply go to Ireland and have an amazing celebration there. In the end, there are many variables to consider when deciding when the right time is for you to go abroad.
Here at Villanova, most of the students that I have talked to plan to go abroad in the fall for various reasons. One event that sways many of my friends’ opinions is spring Greek life recruitment. This is a huge event that is very important to many Villanova students, as 30% of students take part in Greek life. Along with this, many students who plan to study abroad in the spring are fearful of missing the basketball season, which is such a valuable part of Villanova culture. Despite how memorable a basketball season or a week of recruitment could be, there is a strong chance that being in a foreign region will create even stronger memories that will shape one as a person.
Ultimately, we are so lucky as Villanova students to have easy access to practically any study abroad program that we could imagine and the Office of Education Abroad is incredibly approachable and open to any questions one may have. It is most important for everyone to make the right decision for them and to take advantage of the easy access to opportunities that the University provides.
