Global Gator Nation

February 17, 2015

The UF International Center hosted the spring 2015 Study Abroad Fair under a tent on a chilly, rainy Wednesday at the Plaza of the Americas.

The fair offered prospective Global Gators information on 38 UF study abroad opportunities and approximately 27 independent programs. It also provided students the opportunity to talk with peer advisers, who previously participated in study abroad programs, about their experiences.

“There’s no other experience quite like it,” said Austin O’Connor, a senior majoring in finance and peer adviser who participated in a study abroad program in Spain. “This point in your life is probably the easiest point where you can just set everything aside and live in another country for an extended period of time.”

O’Connor said that his time abroad made his education feel more complete. Studying abroad makes the international experience much more authentic than learning about it in classes, he said, adding that the excursions offered through his program, like a hike in the Picos de Europa mountain range, were unlike most of the things that tourists usually do.

Students interested in learning more about the more than 75 faculty-led study abroad programs and more than 100 exchange programs, or talking with peer advisers about their experiences, can visit the UF International Center at Suite 170 HUB or visit https://www.ufic.ufl.edu/sas/.