By Theo Klinger, Staff Writer
Students have been stressed about the thought of their abroad program since the start of the pandemic, including myself. I specifically worried about being able to do my GO (Global Opportunities) trip on time without it affecting my health and my timeline to graduation.
The GO office recently announced that we will be able to virtually complete our study abroad program. This option would be cheaper since we would not have to worry about living expenses and travel fees. I am really excited about this opportunity, especially since there is a possibility I can virtually visit outside the United States, because the idea of going to a different state did not interest me. I have always wanted to visit a different country and have been preparing to do so since the beginning of last spring.
With this new experience that we are being offered, I also would not have to worry about being homesick. I worried about having no way to speak to my friends and family due to time differences. Before the pandemic, my friends and I were all planning on going abroad at the same time, so it would have been hard for us to keep in contact while all studying in a different environment.
I tend to be someone who keeps to myself in new situations since I am not a big fan of change. GOing Long would have been a way to force myself to try things, but I knew that after getting there I would have a hard time making connections with my classmates due to my tendency to be quiet around new people. No matter how excited I would have been to be there, it certainly would take me a long time to get used to all the changes when it came to communicating with a new group of people.
Although I still am very interested in visiting my desired country in person, I am going to explore the new offer that the GO Office has announced to us. I know that going in person is pricey, and if the virtual program would be easier for me to do then I will certainly choose that route. I hope that everyone who has the same worries that I do can take part in the program that they desire without anything holding them back.
