I love summer because there is a lot of freedom to do something exciting!  This summer I have friend on every continent (except Antarctica)!  I have tons of friends studying in France and Italy, a friend studying in Austria, a group of friends on a trip to East Asia, a friend going to Indonesia, a friend volunteering in Bolivia, some friends working in Australia, and I went to Africa!  It’s so crazy to me to thank such a small group of people are able to go so far! And that’s just my group of friends!  There are countless other UCLA students who are all around the globe right now taking classes, doing humanitarian work, back packing, working at camps, and doing a number of interesting things.

If you want to go overseas at some point, UCLA provides you with tons of options!  I cannot tell you how many emails I get each day from the English and History departments with volunteer and studying opportunities both state side and overseas.  Some of your options include:

• Studying Abroad
• Travel Study- where you go with a UCLA department overseas
• Volunteering with Education based non-profits
• Volunteering with Medically based non-profits
• Mission trips
• and many more!

I have loved my summers as a UCLA student!  A lot of people study abroad during the school year, but I love being at UCLA too much to miss out on even one quarter of the action here on campus.  Summer is the perfect time to start collecting stamps on your passport!  While there are always tons of students on campus either working or taking classes, summer at UCLA tends to have fewer students around a lot of summer camps and orientation groups.  When you go abroad in the summer , you don’t feel like you are missing out on the UCLA traditions.

Reasons to go abroad:

• Learn a new language
• Immerse yourself in a different culture
• Do something worthwhile: volunteer!
• Get some cool stories
• If you like trains then going abroad is for you
• Delicious food
• New friends!

Going abroad changes your perspective and summer is a great time to test the international waters!

Hannah