Submitted by Samantha Leonard on the 2017 winter session program in Spain and Rome sponsored by the Department of Political Science and International Relations…
Never spend a winter session bored again!
After a long fall semester riding the UD roller coaster at the typical American fast-pace speed, arriving home the week before the holidays feels like a magical gift. For most, this holiday enthusiasm lasts about three weeks and then students are itching to get back on the campus roller coaster at full speed. However, most freshmen learn the hard way that UD’s six week long hiatus can easily become a month long countdown to move-in that is celebrated with endless Netflix, homemade cookies and re-learning how to tune out your parents. For me, the bright side of my freshman winter session was cuddling with my two fluffy white Maltese puppies and having long lazy snow days.
That being said, UD isn’t totally insane for instituting this lengthy break. Other universities around the nation actually run on trimester schedules, allowing students more time to get experience off the campus roller coaster and in the real world. However, at UD, their extended winter break is largely used to study abroad! Although these month long programs may not boast the same benefits that semester-long programs offer, they sure do the trick for a student looking to get a taste of adventure. Here are some of the most appealing benefits I have experienced studying abroad in Spain during this winter session:
- FOMO Free
If you don’t know what FOMO means, you are probably currently experiencing it. To all the non-college-students reading this article, FOMO stands for Fear of Missing Out. It is that feeling when you are sitting in the library at 11:00 pm on a Friday night watching Snapchats of your friends living it up. The feelings of guilt for your studious endeavors in the quiet study room. Makes total sense now…right? Still, FOMO is not limited to those library hours. It also affects many students who decide to travel abroad for a semester and end up missing their sorority’s spring formal dance, the fall homecoming game or simply those priceless movie nights with the roommates. Regardless of what causes them FOMO, it is a sincere complaint of students who study abroad for a semester.
That being said, students who ditch Delaware in the wintertime are not checking their social media and being taunted by the events going on back at campus. Instead, they are making all their friends who are at home with their dogs on the couch envious of their travels. During my first week abroad, as much as I miss my closest friends at school, I am not fearful I am missing out on a dead wintry campus back in the States. I get the advantage of living it up in Spain without missing a single experience back at UD.
- See A LOT in a short amount of time
Madrid, Granada, Barcelona, Seville and Rome. These are the cities I will travel to over this winter session. Not to mention the day trips we take to surrounding cities making sure to check off the “must-see” list of every town. Of course, not every winter session program moves around quite so much, but these programs do offer flexibility with free days and encourage students to travel and maximize their experience. In my mission to find the best gelato, I plan to spend my free days in Rome traveling to the cities of Venice and Florence. Of course, I am welcome to any recommendations!
In addition to getting to experience a lot in a short period, students can also be very productive academically during their time abroad. Many students go abroad for internships and can earn up to seven credits! This can help students catch up in their major or lighten their load for the following semester. Either way, these couple of weeks can really be used to a student’s advantage. By the end of the program, I will have earned another seven credits and made countless memories! What will you have gained?
- Skip a cold winter at home
If you’re like me, you would do anything to escape the winter hibernation mode that sets in after the holidays. Spending time abroad during the winter months could save you months of winter blues. Instead of plugging into Netflix for hours on end, come to Espana! Here in Spain, the temperatures will range from about 30 to 65 degrees throughout my travels, surely beating the six inches of snow Delaware is currently slugging through. So, as my family is shoveling out my portion of the driveway, I am walking the sunny streets of Granada comfortably in a sweater and jeans. Now, if you happen to enjoy arctic temperatures, then maybe a winter Switzerland program is the one for you!
Ultimately, UD’s winter session is what you make of it! Some feel the extended break ends up being a waste of time, but when else in your life will you be able to take six weeks off to go abroad? For most who will enter the workforce full time after college, this is the perfect opportunity to hop off the hectic campus roller coaster and see the world from another perspective! With that being said, I am going to continue to “fiesta”ing like the Spanish do! Adios!
