Texas State Students: What They Think About the Study Abroad Program
By Haley Peters
hjp27@txstate.edu

SAN MAROS, Texas— On Tuesday, October 24, Texas Sate students said what they think about the accessibility and safety of the University's Study Abroad program.

Texas State University creates an opportunity for students to participate in alternative learning— learning outside the classroom, and for the most part, outside of the country as well. The Study Abroad Office states that their mission is to provide a "safe, accessible, academically rigorous, geographically diverse, and a culturally enriching global educational experience to our students". However, while interest remains high in the program, many students believe that the Study Abroad program provokes accessibility and safety issues.

Kathia Avilez
Taken by: Ashley Brown

While students have interest in the Study Abroad program at Texas State University, many students agreed as a whole that the opportunity is expensive. Kathy Avilez, a Senior at Texas State, comments that even if it was affordable, there are still rigorous requirements in getting into the program.


 "I think the downside would be the requirements maybe. The competition is pretty fierce. And so maybe people don't apply because they're scared they're not going to get accepted," Avilez said.

Sydney Hewlett, a sophomore at Texas State, offered solutions of what could make the program more accessible to students. 

Sydney Hewlett
Taken By: Haley Peters

 

"Offer like a scholarship kind of thing. Like, a contest to see if they could, like, win a free trip after they give a card," Hewlett said. 


Once you have made it into the program, everything is fine and dandy, right? Not necessarily. Many students agreed on potential safety hazards. Odalys Delgado expresses her insight on what makes being in a completely new place tricky. 

Odalys Delgado

Taken By: Michael Imo

"Not knowing your way around," Delgado said.

Not only does not knowing your way around becomes a cause of hazard for traveling abroad, but specifics on other countries restrict the level of self-defense. Chauncey Ling-Miller shares his knowledge on foreign law.

Chauncey Ling-Miller
Taken By: John McCabe

"My family in Germany says that their are a to of security problems over there. Theres no concealed or open carry," Ling-Miller said.

Overall, students were at a common consensus that traveling overseas currently can potentially be dangerous. Allison Manning, a freshman at Texas State, sums up her feelings about the protection of the program.

Allison Manning
Taken By: John McCabe

"I feel like the only downside is you can never guarantee security I feel like thats why a lot of people don't study abroad," Allison said.

However, Sophomore Hunter Archield-Cupit, who participated in the study abroad trip in Barcelona, Spain, has a different view on the program's protection. 

Hunter Archield-Cupit
Taken By: John McCabe

"You get to leave home and explore the world while being in a safe space, which I think is a cool thing for people to do.You get to experience different culture," Archield-Cupit said.

For more information on the Study Abroad program and what measures they take to stay safe, click here.