To be honest, studying abroad was never really on my mind or on my bucket list of things to do during my college years. However, once my scholarship package offered a stipend to use specifically for studying abroad, I thought I should at least consider it. Still, I would say I am a homebody who does NOT like extreme change, so I knew a whole semester abroad was probably not the right choice for me. Instead, after searching the many opportunities Alabama offers, I found the perfect one; UA Honors in New Zealand. It is during the May interim and allows me to have a really amazing experience abroad while still leaving me with two months of summer to enjoy at home.
Although I haven’t started my program and can’t say I am an expert yet (I’m currently writing this while waiting for my flight), I would still highly recommend anyone who is hesitant about studying abroad to try a shorter term like May interim. There are a lot of options for this kind of trip, especially for faculty-led programs. However, my biggest piece of advice (especially for the faculty-led programs) is to be prepared and apply early!! Initially, I filled out my application when spring semester started in January thinking it would be plenty of time, but was put on the waitlist at first. While it worked out in the end, I could have saved myself a lot of stress by thinking and planning ahead. Overall, I hope this post conveys the vast options you have with study abroad, and that you can still gain a lot of insight and knowledge into the world outside of the US without the commitment of a whole semester. Check back later to see how my trip is going!