Ghana, China, Thailand, Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Iceland Denmark, the Netherlands and Great Britain.

These are some of the places that Simpson College students can go this May Term.

Simpson students have the opportunity to go almost anywhere in the world.

So why not take full advantage of this opportunity to really expand your horizons outside of Iowa?

If you’ve never traveled abroad for a May Term, you should, and if you already have, you know how rewarding those experiences can be.

Studying abroad helps you to experience new places and new cultures, gain self-confidence, understand your own culture better and also allows you to really see the world through new eyes.

My freshmen year, I stayed here at Simpson but found that I was a little bored. So the next year when the Study Abroad Fair rolled around, I decided to check it out. I was amazed at all the places that students could travel to, and I found that I really wanted to go to Madagascar. I figured this would be my one shot at traveling to Africa, so I signed up for the trip. I absolutely loved it.

I learned a lot, not only about the rain forests and animals of Madagascar, but also about bigger environmental issues.

I loved the opportunity to get to know a different culture than my own and the opportunity to meet many different people.

I spent the past spring semester in Germany through the Schorndorf program, and it was the most rewarding experience I’ve had here at Simpson.

I had the opportunity to travel to seven different countries within the course of the semester and during May Term.

I learned a lot about myself and became much more independent. But one of the most important things I gained from this experience was a new level of confidence in myself and in my language skill.

Since I’ve traveled abroad the past two May Terms, I know first-hand how rewarding those experiences can be.

For me, traveling abroad has played an important role in defining my “Simpson Experience.” I had never traveled outside of the Midwest, let alone outside of the United States, before arriving on campus.

By the time I’ve graduated in May I’ll have traveled to Mexico, Madagascar, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and hopefully Costa Rica.

For those who haven’t traveled abroad or for those who are considering traveling abroad again, just think of all the places you can go and take advantage of those opportunities to help expand your “Simpson Experience”.

When will you ever have that chance again?