Big Ben in London, as photographed by a student who studied at McDaniel Europe in Budapest
If you do not already know this, I spent the past semester abroad in Budapest, Hungary. I do miss Europe terribly, but I accepted a volunteer position as a Study Abroad Peer Advisor for the International Programs Office (IPO), which will hopefully ease the transition from living abroad to living back on campus (and I can also spread my enthusiasm for study abroad to others.).
During the first week of school, the Peer Advisers had our first meeting and I cannot wait for this semester to truly begin! Many students have misconceptions about studying abroad, or students are too fearful about leaving the comfort of McDaniel. As a Peer Adviser, my job is to try to address those concerns while also promoting and hosting activities so that study abroad is more widely advertised and noticeable throughout campus.
This semester, we are hosting IPO movie nights where we provide pizza and answer questions about study abroad. We are also going to assist students who need to apply for a passport or send in applications to study abroad programs. We have Café Nights where IPO provides hot chocolate, cookies, tea, and coffee and anyone can stop by, talk with the advisors and ask any questions about study abroad. In addition, IPO is taking students on a trip to Washington DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival!
I cannot wait to attend these activities and help increase students’ desires to go abroad. Studying abroad was the most fantastic time in my life, and I want to encourage students at McDaniel to think about going abroad during their college career (including Jan Term trips).
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