Bemidji State Studies Abroad

Tara Hjermstad

Reporting and Writing

BSU News Story

10/15/10

Bemidji State Studies Abroad

Offering Students the Education of a Lifetime

                Being a college student has many perks and advantages, and studying abroad is one of them. Bemidji State University offers several international study programs.

                The study abroad programs are open to students that can meet each of these requirements: students must be at least a sophomore in college, a 2.0 GPA or higher, and of course must have the money to afford these expensive adventures. The study abroad program trips are typically used to cover generals.

                Kayla Meskan, a senior at Bemidji State majoring in Business with an emphasis is Marketing and Small Business Management and an employee in the international office, says the most popular international studies trip at BSU is Eurospring .  Meskan has first-hand experience with Eurospring when she went in the spring of 2009. Kayla said, “Ireland, Oxford, Paris and Rome were the best!”  She says of Oxford, “Since we lived there for five weeks, it becomes all you know,” even saying it was like a “second home” to her. Kayla said Paris and Rome were “really pretty and fun cities.” The people of France are “rude,” but those in Ireland are “welcoming and homey,” especially the man at the bed and breakfast where she stayed; the host was “caring and warming” making them meals and taking them sight-seeing in the “gorgeous” country. Kayla chose Eurospring because she had “always wanted to go,” and if she were given the chance to go again, she “might not come back.”

                Eurospring is a two-month long trip from March to May that the University makes every year, taking around 25-30 students. It makes up for fifteen credits, and costs around $6,800.00 plus tuition and fees and any extra spending money (which is usually around $3,000.00). The “Grand European Tour,” as it is called, tentatively visits Paris, Lucerne, Florence, Orvieto, Rome, Venice, Salzburg, Munich, Dachau, Nuremberg, Heidelberg, and Amsterdam. According to Kayla, five of these weeks will be spent in Oxford at Wycliffe Hall, where all students are to attend the main lecture course, as well as two of the seven classes offered. Field trips to Avebury, Stonehenge, Salisbury, City of Bath and the Roman Museum, Burford and the Cotswolds, Portsmouth Dockyard Museum, and Stratford are also part of this adventure. There is a four-day window for students to stay and do whatever they please, during this time, Kayla said some of the students choose to stay in hostiles. The program fee for Eurospring is due in full prior to departure; these fees cover all scheduled travel, tour driver’s tip, lodging, most meals, all tour lunches and four tour dinners. All pre-trip workshops and orientation sessions, which are covered in the fees, are held throughout the fall semester prior to departure.

                Sinosummer is another trip offered through Bemidji State from mid-May until mid-June, earning students 12 credits. The price for this is estimated to be $5,351.00, without including tuition and fees, but does include all travel, airport fees, accommodations tips, and most meals in China; all payments being due in full prior to departure. This tour goes to Beijing, Shenyang, Xi’an, Guilin and Hong Kong; spending time at each to visit historical spots. Also part of Sinosummer are visits to farms, factories and various types of stores, Benxi Water Cave, Chinese Acrobatics and a two-day trip to Inner-Mongolia. Lectures about Chinese history, culture, society, economics, education, industry, agriculture and other topics will be offered at Liaoning University, and BSU Sinosummer faculty directors will give lectures pre-trip and throughout the month in China. There are both pre-trip and post-trip assignments as part of this program, along with a daily journal and periodic discussion sessions.

                Rozina Mosse, a former Bemidji State student, went on the Sinosummer tour in 2007, when she was a sophomore majoring in Graphic Design. Mosse said, “The best part of the Sinosummer trip, was the culture that is so opposite of our culture. It took getting used to, but it was a pleasant experience.” Studying at their university, staying in their hotels, and eating the food there was all “new and exciting,” she said. The people were “different,” and their culture was “hard to understand at times,” but all together it was a lot of fun. Everyday was full of “noise and excitement and there was never a dull moment.” She also said, “There was something to see and explore every minute of the day.” Moss said, “My one complaint about the trip was that it was so expensive. I spent somewhere around $7,000.00 all together, and that’s a lot of money for a struggling college student to afford!” If she was given the chance to go again, Mosse said she would decline. However, she would study abroad again through Bemidji State and go on a different tour, “probably choosing Eurospring.”

                This year, for the first time ever, Bemidji State is taking students to Australia from the end of December until about mid-January for a total of 6 credits. This trip will cost around $8,400.00 plus tuition and fees and any spending money. Kayla reminds, “There are about 13 spots left, and if it doesn’t fill up the trip will be cancelled.”

                Another study abroad program offered through Bemidji State is Argentina every year through the month of July. This trip is through the Spanish program, but is welcome to any student, even those that do not know the Spanish language.

                Hawaii is another option for students that need to fulfill the “People and the Environment” requirement, but is welcome to any student that meets the requirements to study abroad. Here, students will have the chance to camp on the Black Beach for a couple days.

                Every three years the University switches from South Africa, Malaysia/Thailand, and now Australia; this year being Australia.

                Most of these trips have room for about 20 students, Eurospring having availability for 30. The price of the trip covers the airfare to and from the destination, hotels, bus transportation, some meals, field trips, tours of different cities, and any pre and post-trip workshops required. Also included is the insurance, which costs students about $22.00 per week; students need to fill out an extra form for this

prior to departure. Those who qualify for financial aid have that as a payment plan, along with any grants, scholarships, and/or extra loans.

                If interested in any of the study abroad programs, students need to first visit the international study abroad office located in Deputy Hall down from Admissions and talk to Kayla or Cassie.