Most students dream of going away to a beautiful country and escaping all of their worries and responsibilities. However, going away to a foreign country is not a possibility due to financial and scholarly responsibilities.
Fortunately, various city colleges have been teaming up for the past few years to make this dream a possibility for students through their study abroad programs. Rio Hondo College is one of those colleges.
The spring semester of 2015 will be the semester Rio Hondo students can look forward to spending in Spain. The semester spans 4 months, from Feb.19 through May 16.
The program is open to all students who have completed 12 units of degree applicable college course work with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5. Exceptions are made for newer students taking their first 12 units.
Students who are accepted can look forward to taking 12-14 units in the beautiful city of Salamanca, Spain.
Melissa Refino Juarez, the Study Abroad Program Coordinator for Rio Hondo, recommends students do not overwork themselves by taking many units and instead focus on both enjoying their time in Salamanca and working on their courses.
Once in Spain, students can look forward to staying in an apartment or a homestay. Whereas one would be more independent living in an apartment, opting to stay in a homestay and having Spanish home cooked meals 6 days out of the week is also recommended by Juarez for the ultimate experience in Spain.
Choosing where to live is important as it does affect the overall cost of attending school and living in Spain.
Participating in the program is expensive, so there are options to ease the expenses off a student’s shoulder. These options range from Financial Aid to Scholarships, and if needed, loans.
Students interested in studying abroad but not in Spain can wait for Fall of 2015, where the location changes to London, England.
This is a great opportunity for students to try something new and experience a culture entirely different to theirs in a package that combines their education and a well needed vacation.
