Studying Abroad

Studying abroad is, on some level, Paideia in action. Paideia is a program thats values and ideals are at the core of a liberal arts education. For me, as it is now, Paideia means becoming aware of current events and discussing everything from religion and politics to eating disorders and their psychological effects. However, Paideia is much more than that, and I know it. This is where studying abroad comes into play. Living in another country for an extended period of time would not only cause me to confront the language barrier head-on, but also give me an extremely rewarding perspective on many different levels. There is something about being abroad that lets me relax and then return home with the knowledge that, if I don't get an A on this test, it won't be the end of the world. Along with that, comes the more obvious goal to increase my cultural understanding of the world. That in fact, not everything is as it is in the U.S. and that's not a bad thing. As far as studying abroad fitting in with my education at SU.... this is the tricky part. Not to say that it wouldn't enrich my educational experience at the university, but rather, well... as of now, I'm a biology major. Furthermore, the option for Guanajuato seems like it would be off the table considering I've completed my Spanish requirements. I suppose I could retake them... Reguardless, missing too many science courses at SU when I didn't take any my first semester here seems like it would be a problem. I haven't picked a location to study abroad yet, however somewhere like Italy seems nice. I love the Mediterranian and I enjoy history plenty so it seems like an appropriate fit.
- Steven Rubin