In the summer of 2014, I set off for a summer study abroad program, Semester at Sea (SAS). I had heard about the program from a fellow intern while working a summer job, and from there I was hooked. My experience was a roughly 3 month voyage of students from across the world, primarily the United States, that were looking for adventure, and learning. Through this blog post I'll reflect on my time aboard the MV Explorer and address some frequently asked questions.
WHAT IS SEMESTER AT SEA?
Semester at Sea is a study abroad program supported by the Institute of Shipboard Research and currently being run through the University of Colorado - Boulder. For any student, what this practically means is that any transferrable credit would be received from UC - Boulder. For me, it was through the University of Virginia.
DID YOU GET CREDIT?
Because there is a university that sponsors the study abroad program, most colleges and universities should accept the credit. I was able to receive 9 pass/fail credits while studying abroad for the summer. Prior to committing to Semester at Sea, I took the course schedule to my guidance counselor and discussed which classes would be transferrable. In short, none of my core classes counted, but specializations counted. Therefore, Semester at Sea allowed me to pick up a specialization in International Business. And, even better, it was all pass fail, so I could enjoy my Sumer.
HOW DID I LEARN ABOUT THE PROGRAM?
Word of mouth! The program is much more popular now and all over social media making it easier to find.
WAS IT EXPENSIVE?
I wish I could say no, but yes it was. There are financial aid packages that you can apply for as well as work study. I received both which allowed me to be able to participate in the program. Plan accordingly and map out your costs, it’s do able and worth it.
WAS IT HARD TO MEET FRIENDS?
It was intimidating to meet friends, but I wouldn’t say it was hard. For starters before her voyage, there is a Facebook page that anyone could join in order to meet people. It was a great way to have a inside introduction before the voyage and also gave something to type out once you got there a couple weeks in this friend groups really started to form and then from that point on it was pretty comfortable to just bounce between all the groups. You really have to keep in mind that everyone is in the same situation as you and unless you’re coming in with the friends group, everyone is there to enjoy the experience have fun and maybe make a good friend or two along the way.
WHERE DID YOU GO?
I sailed on the 66-day Summer 2014 Voyage that took us to10 countries and 12 cities across Europe and Scandinavia. We sailed to Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Poland. During this time I also took day trips to Estonia and Northern Ireland.
WHAT SEMESTERS DO THEY OFFER?
Unfortunately, there are not anymore summer programs. The summer program worked especially well for me because I was highly involved in organizations on campus. The SAS offerings are now typically for Fall and Spring semesters only.
DO YOU NEED TO BE A STUDENT?
No! There are families and professionals aboard the ship for the experience. This group of people are referred to as “Life Long Learners.” They have the ability to sit in on any lecture, but also have free range to enjoy the ship like a typical cruise ship.
HOW DID YOU COMMUNICATE?
WiFi and email, that’s it. In 2014, we were on the cusp of social media and technology as we know today where Instagram was just starting to get big, Tik Tok wasn’t around, and really the most exiting thing that could happen was a Facebook post. I set the stage because the world as we know it and how we communicate was a lot different then, than it is today. On the ship, email is available for anyone to use, so the best form of communication to my friends within the ship, and back home to friends & family was email. It always felt so good when I saw a letter from home pop through my screen because sometimes it was isolating. At ports we always sought restaurants with free WiFi. Again back in 2014, WiFi wasn't as accessible as it is now.
WAS IT WORTH IT?
Semester at Sea was hands down the most influential part of my college experience. By studying abroad, it gave me an opportunity to understand what cultural differences were. That said, my voyage took us to Northern Europe and Scandinavia so the countries we experienced were westernized at that. Nonetheless, it was my first time being able to experience these differences outside of a tourist resort or cruise ship port.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RESOURCES TO SHARE?
Yes! The best resource is the Semester at Sea website - https://www.semesteratsea.org/
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Semester at Sea was the best experince if my life. If I could do it all over again I would in a heartbeat. There is so much value to simply seeing the world and meeting new people. For anyone on the fence, I'd recommend taking the chance and embarking on the trip of a lifetime. Do you have any other questions? Enter it into the comments below!
Hey, Semester at Sea, if you ever see this, yes I’m interested in being your next Field Director! ;)
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