IU student attends ‘floating university’

Some people spend their lives dreaming about visiting other countries and experiencing their cultures, but senior Erica Goldenberg did not have to. She experienced it. \nGoldenberg spent part of her summer on the high seas with the summer 2007 Semester at Sea program. The voyage took place aboard the MV Explorer, a 24,000-ton passenger ship equipped as a floating university. The MV Explorer was essentially a college campus on a boat, which included classrooms, study areas and an 8,000-volume core library.\n“The ship looked like how you would imagine a cruise ship to look like, except a lot of the rooms are classrooms with projectors,” Goldenberg said. “Each room had two beds that you and your roommate shared; there was also a large closet and bathroom in each room.” \nThere are three different Semester at Sea programs held during the fall, spring and summer semesters. Each semester has a different itinerary, said Suzanne Natz, a University of Virginia student assistant who helps organize the program. \nThe cost for Semester at Sea programs vary depending on the program, but the general costs range from about $10,000 all the way up to $20,000. To be eligible for the Semester at Sea program, a student needs to have successfully completed 12 credit hours as a full-time student and have a grade point average of at least a 2.75, Natz said. \nGoldenberg’s program was a nine-week course that lasted from June 25 until August 21. During the semester, Goldenberg traveled by ship to different Latin American countries, and stopped in eight locations. Stops at each location generally lasted four to five days, Goldenberg said. \nDuring stops, students were allowed to spend their free time as they wished, she said. Goldenberg said Guatemala was her favorite spot. \n“I did a home stay in Antigua for five days,” Goldenberg said. “I stayed with a family and got to know the city. It gave me a lot of time to relax and think about the trip.” \nGoldenberg said she loved that everyone on the ship lived together. There were 300 students on the trip, in addition to faculty, staff and their families. \n“The age range varied, from a 3-month-old to an 86-year-old,” Goldenberg said. “You experience everything as a group.” \nA typical day at sea consisted of getting up and having breakfast and then being in class all day, similar to how things are on campus, she said. At night there were community events such as dance classes and different life classes with topics like how to get into law school. Goldenberg earned 10 credits for the four classes she took during the trip. \nSemester at Sea is a multi-destination program, unlike many other study abroad programs, Natz said. Students who choose to spend their year on the ship have the opportunity to sail around the entire world. \n“If you do Semester at Sea, you may not learn as much about one particular place, but you will get to see more places and experience more cultures,” Goldenberg said. “The trip was an incredible experience. It gives you a new perspective on the world that you can’t get here in Bloomington.”\nFor more information visit www.semester at sea.com