The student center was lined with tables all sporting information about different colleges in different countries and parts of the U.S. for the KSC Global Education Office’s annual Spring Study Away Fair.
KSC Senior Study Away Advisor Tim Francis said the bi-annual Study Away Fairs are vital ways to reach out to students and address any questions or concerns about studying abroad. He said the Fall Study Away Fair generally gets more attention and a larger turnout because it is set up directly on Appian Way, as opposed to being in the student center.
“The spring fair is always not as busy, but in the fall we set up a under a tent in front of the student center and we get twice the amount of students,” Francis said. He said despite the low turnout the fair was still successful in engaging with students.
“If you look at all the tables, there are a few students who have signed up for information at each one, so even if we don’t get a massive turnout I still think these fairs are important to have,” he said.
KSC students who have already studied away were eager to share their experiences with other students.
Kyle Bailey / Photo Editor
Senior Amelia Good said studying away is so much more than an educational experience.
“It’s an experience that stays with you forever,” Good said. “You learn about different cultures, meet people from all over the world and make relationships and connections that are just great to have.” Good attended the University of Wollongong in Australia for a semester and said she would encourage everybody to study abroad.
Students volunteering at the fair were not only KSC students who had studied away, but also students from other colleges studying at KSC. Laura Stahl is spending a semester in Keene, but she originally comes from Alaska. Stahl said studying at KSC has been an enriching experience and she especially enjoys all the history in the area.
“It’s really cool coming here from Alaska because it’s such a completely different part of the country,” she said, “It’s so historic here, and we don’t really have that in Alaska because it’s such a new state.”
Stahl is studying at KSC through the National Student Exchange program, which Francis explained is a nationwide program that encompasses 170 different institutions.
“The National Student Exchange allows students to spend a semester at another approved college in the U.S. for the same tuition rate they would pay here at KSC,” he said. Francis also said that many of the International Study Away programs cost about the same as a semester at KSC.
Francis said he would encourage all KSC students to take advantage of the opportunity to study away and travel while they are still in school because it may be harder to do once they have graduated.
He said, “Everybody says they’ll travel or they’re going to go to Europe after school, but it doesn’t always pan out like that because life gets expensive, so do it now.”
Francis said the Global Education Office is always happy to answer questions and help students plan to study away. Their office can be found on the third floor of Elliot Hall.
Jesse Reynolds can be contacted at jreynolds@keene-equinox.com
