There wasn’t any major reason why senior Hannah Thompson decided to study abroad in Quito, Ecuador.
“I knew I wanted to go somewhere Spanish-speaking, and that was really the only criteria I had,” Thompson said.
Now a peer counselor in the Office of Overseas Study, Thompson helps indecisive students build a concrete plan for studying abroad.
At 4 p.m. Wednesdays in Franklin Hall 303, Thompson leads a Study Abroad 101 information session for all interested students who want to hear about their options and find the program best suited for them.
“The population that tends to come in are just starting the process,” said Steven Rose, assistant director for overseas studies. “They know where the office is and think they might want to go abroad.”
The program begins with a short speech by Thompson or the adviser in charge, Rose said.
Thompson keeps note cards handy to make sure she covers everything, including what students should be thinking about in order to choose a program.
“We do have a script to go over,” Rose said. “We talk about the resources available in our office, where students can obtain info, the different types of programs that IU offers.”
The information leans toward generalities, Rose said, because what works for some students might not work for others.
“Say there are 15 students here. Not all 15 of you are going to choose the exact same living situation,” Rose said.
After the speech, students are able to speak one-on-one with the peer counselors or the adviser present. There are 10 peer counselors who have been abroad and who are willing to share their experiences, Rose said. Each counselor has office hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays.
“Recently there have been a lot of people attending,” Thompson said. “Last week there were 15 students. The interest is growing each year.”
Rose said he finds students respond well to their peers; students who have recently returned from abroad are energetic about their experiences and have anecdotal stories to share.
Because of this response, the office not only makes peer counselors available, but it also allows students to contact a returnee through its website. The office asks students who have studied abroad if they would like to be on the list, Rose said, and current students can e-mail them with questions about the program they chose.
While on the website, Rose scrolled to the St. Petersburg, Russia program, which showed three returnees’ names, e-mail addresses and more.
“So you can contact Fred and ask, ‘Is it really dark and dreary in St. Petersburg all year long?’” Rose said.
Freshman Chris Kauffman said he wants to study abroad during his time at IU but would first ask his adviser what programs he should consider.
“I also have an older brother and sister that have both studied abroad,” he said. “Ideally I’d like to go multiple places, but I haven’t given it quite that much thought yet.”
Although Kauffman said he could look to his adviser or older siblings for advice, he said he would attend a session for more information.
“Anyone that has been abroad will probably agree with me that they loved their experience and love talking about it,” Thompson said. “I can help people find a program that really fits them, and I know they’re going to have an amazing time.”
“I knew I wanted to go somewhere Spanish-speaking, and that was really the only criteria I had,” Thompson said.
Now a peer counselor in the Office of Overseas Study, Thompson helps indecisive students build a concrete plan for studying abroad.
At 4 p.m. Wednesdays in Franklin Hall 303, Thompson leads a Study Abroad 101 information session for all interested students who want to hear about their options and find the program best suited for them.
“The population that tends to come in are just starting the process,” said Steven Rose, assistant director for overseas studies. “They know where the office is and think they might want to go abroad.”
The program begins with a short speech by Thompson or the adviser in charge, Rose said.
Thompson keeps note cards handy to make sure she covers everything, including what students should be thinking about in order to choose a program.
“We do have a script to go over,” Rose said. “We talk about the resources available in our office, where students can obtain info, the different types of programs that IU offers.”
The information leans toward generalities, Rose said, because what works for some students might not work for others.
“Say there are 15 students here. Not all 15 of you are going to choose the exact same living situation,” Rose said.
After the speech, students are able to speak one-on-one with the peer counselors or the adviser present. There are 10 peer counselors who have been abroad and who are willing to share their experiences, Rose said. Each counselor has office hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays.
“Recently there have been a lot of people attending,” Thompson said. “Last week there were 15 students. The interest is growing each year.”
Rose said he finds students respond well to their peers; students who have recently returned from abroad are energetic about their experiences and have anecdotal stories to share.
Because of this response, the office not only makes peer counselors available, but it also allows students to contact a returnee through its website. The office asks students who have studied abroad if they would like to be on the list, Rose said, and current students can e-mail them with questions about the program they chose.
While on the website, Rose scrolled to the St. Petersburg, Russia program, which showed three returnees’ names, e-mail addresses and more.
“So you can contact Fred and ask, ‘Is it really dark and dreary in St. Petersburg all year long?’” Rose said.
Freshman Chris Kauffman said he wants to study abroad during his time at IU but would first ask his adviser what programs he should consider.
“I also have an older brother and sister that have both studied abroad,” he said. “Ideally I’d like to go multiple places, but I haven’t given it quite that much thought yet.”
Although Kauffman said he could look to his adviser or older siblings for advice, he said he would attend a session for more information.
“Anyone that has been abroad will probably agree with me that they loved their experience and love talking about it,” Thompson said. “I can help people find a program that really fits them, and I know they’re going to have an amazing time.”
