Finding the Perfect Study Abroad

Michigan State University prides itself in consistently having one of the largest Study Abroad programs in the country. When I first visited MSU as a senior in high school the presentation I sat through placed a lot of emphasis on studying abroad. My tour guide stressed that there are more than 275 programs to choose from in over 65 countries and all continents, including Antarctica. Yet, as crazy as it sounds I remember thinking that I would most likely never find a program that would work with my schedule. I assumed because I was going to be in a residential college there would not be a program over the summer that would go towards my very specific majors, let alone be in a country I was actually interested in. I was frustrated until I learned that James Madison College sponsors multiple Study Abroad programs available during the summer and both fall and spring semesters.

At first, I thought studying abroad was going to be impossible being in a residential college but I could not have been more wrong. This semester I was accepted to study Comparative Republicanism in Rome and Florence for the summer. Once I looked into it, I realized James Madison sponsors programs specific to both of my majors— International Relations and Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy (PTCD). The Study Abroad program for PTCD just so happens to be hosted in my dream country, Italy. Not only do I have family in both Rome and Florence but I also have been studying Italian as my Madison language for the past two years.

There is a program that is over the summer, in the country of my dreams, and is specific to my major. For anyone who has the desire to travel and study in another country, there is definitely a program out there for you. Everyone is telling the truth when they say Michigan State and its residential colleges have the best Study Abroad programs in the nation! 

Gabriela 

Sophomore

IR &PTCD

Studying Abroad Through JMC

As my sophomore year began, and the talk of my friends' summers across the globe loomed through the air, I knew that I wanted to have that experience next summer. While in my STEPPS (Science, Technology, Environment and Public Policy) intro class, Professor Craig talked about a summer in Italy, starting in Rome and ending in Florence. The study abroad included a deep understanding of Rome’s history, by reading Livy’s masterpiece, The History of Rome, and then while in Florence, we dug deep into Dante’s works, including The Inferno. The thought of reading about the history of Rome, then going out onto the streets of Rome and seeing that history come to life was something that I wanted to experience. So, after that class I sent in my application and kept my fingers crossed. Knowing that studying abroad is not cheap, I knew that I still needed to talk my parents into letting me go, also since this was a PTCD study abroad rather than a IR study abroad I knew that persuading my parents would be difficult. However, after talking with Jeff Judge, he suggested that I use this study abroad as my field experience and also with the help of the study abroad office, along with a generous donation from an alum, I was able to cough up the money and fly 4,627 miles across the globe to Italy! After the long plane ride to Italy, a few of my classmates and I got off the plane waited for our luggage and made our way out of the airport. Luckily for me, my dad’s college roommate lives in Italy, so I was able to do a quick tour of the city before meeting up with the rest of my classmates. As the trip began to unfold I began to realize how lucky I was to be in Italy. Not only was I blessed with touring two of the most beautiful cities in the world, but also I made some of my best friends along the way. Studying abroad was truly the best experience I had as an undergrad thus far. Instead of just reading books or taking blue book exams, we got to immerse ourselves in what we were learning about by visiting historic sites in Rome and Florence. We got to fully dive into the culture and the people that surrounded us. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience. After graduation and we are in the “real world” we may not have the chance to do something like this, so why not do it now?

Lisa

Senior

International Relations

Science, Technology, Environment, and Public Policy Minor