I would not change a single moment of my academic year spent studying in Montpellier, France. It was incredible and if you can study abroad for the year then I absolutely recommend doing it. I do wish, however, that I had thought of doing a summer program earlier in my time here at Penn State. A summer program after freshman or sophomore year would have been a great way for me to explore a different part of the world and improve other language skills. Despite the fact that summer programs are shorter, they provide a great opportunity to introduce a student to a foreign culture in an accessible manner. Many parents are nervous about their children studying abroad and this is the perfect way to convince them to let you go abroad. There are less application requirements, fewer costs and everyone is usually free during the summer. I am so happy with the experiences I have gained from studying abroad and my only regret is that I didn't get to have a chance to do it again.
One More Time...
