On Tuesday, Oct. 2, Loyola hosted its annual Study Abroad Fair in McGuire Hall. The fair offered a handful of breathtaking locations for the fall and spring semesters of the 2019-2020 academic school year.

Students were able to walk around McGuire Hall and speak to upperclassmen who have already made their travels. Destinations include Bangkok, Thailand, Athens, Greece, Paris, France, Alcalá, Spain, Cape Town, South Africa, Leuven, Belgium and more.

“Being able to immerse myself into a new culture truly showed me how big the world is and how much there is to see beyond the boundaries of where I call home,” Katelyn Zelko, ‘19, said.

Student representatives for each country explained the cost of meals, what the class schedule was like, and what activities they did on the weekends while traveling. One student who studied abroad in Bangkok said that he and his friends traveled to Bali one weekend. Another student who studied in Athens said that she traveled to the islands of Greece, like Mykonos and Santorini.

Loyola’s Study Abroad webpage provides all needed information to its students who are seeking to go abroad. In order to be considered for study abroad, all students must attend an information session before receiving access to the online application.

Students looking to study abroad in the fall of 2019 or spring of 2020 must complete an application by Dec. 5, 2018. Anyone interested in becoming a Study Abroad Ambassador can find the application online under the “About Us” link and then under “Study Abroad Ambassador.” The deadline to apply to become an ambassador is Jan. 1, 2019 and Aug. 1, 2019.

The majority of majors are welcomed abroad, though some destinations only provide courses to specific areas of study. For more information regarding the best-fit locations for each major, visit Loyola’s Study Abroad website and click “Where to Go.”

Similarly, GPA requirements vary depending on the country. If a full-year or one semester studying abroad does not fit into your class schedule, Loyola also offers summer programs to satisfy these eager travelers’ needs.

Study abroad is a great opportunity to learn more about other cultures while also learning more about your personal identity in this world. From eating lunch under the Eiffel Tower to petting tigers in Thailand to riding camels in the desert, study abroad is a chance for students to explore the world and learn more about what mark they want to make one day.