California Baptist University 2022

T The study abroad program at CBU gives students the opportunity to travel during their studies. Junior graphic design major Elijah Mar tinez spent the fall semester in Paris, France, and enjoyed life as a student abroad. He says he was drawn to the program by “the idea of being able to learn and live in a completely new culture with other students.” The program, Martinez says, allows students free rein to discover the city while also organiz ing some excursions both within the city and outside. This gives students the opportunity to learn more about the culture in which they are staying and live like the locals. Martinez says he enjoyed getting to know what daily Parisian life is like, including metro rides, school, meeting up with friends and debating whether or not to go out at night. He encourages students interested in the program to “allow yourself [the] quiet, boring moments” like these. Martinez integrated himself into the culture of Paris by connecting with the locals and see ing how his own home culture compared and contrasted with his host culture. Outside of his classes, which were fully taught in French,

Martinez says he enjoyed going to one of the city’s more than 130 museums at least once a week and finding parks where he could sketch and relax. Junior international business major Stone Jef fries joined the program in the spring, travel ing to Prague, Czech Republic. He says he was looked forward to traveling on the weekends and, like Martinez, learning about the cul ture through living like the locals. He says he jumped on this opportunity to “see other parts of the world that [he] may not have the chance to [see] later in life.” Martinez encourages all students to look into the study abroad program. It “offers… the unique opportunity of living in a foreign coun try and experiencing life as any other student would.” He suggests the program to students looking to get out of their comfort zone. Through the study abroad program, students can engage with cultures outside of the U.S. Any interested students can go to the Study Abroad 101 ses sions held on campus to learn more about what Martinez calls an “extremely valuable experi ence.”

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Study Abroad