Ever since I was a senior in high school, I had dreamed of studying abroad. When a Cabrini representative visited my school for an information session, there was a part of the presentation that included study abroad opportunities. From that moment I knew Semester at Sea was something I wanted to participate in during my college career.
I have always had a passion for traveling since I was young, but never traveled much as a kid. My family was never one to take yearly vacations, mainly because we have a shore house in New Jersey. Money has also been an issue and traveling can be very expensive depending on the destination.
Semester at Sea (SAS) is a study abroad program that allows students to travel the world on a cruise ship for an entire semester. They offer voyages in both the spring and the fall with various destinations. In the past, the spring voyage would be very different from the fall voyage but recently they have been having many of the same destinations.
SAS is a recent academic partner with Colorado State University and a previous academic partner with University of Virginia. All credits from classes on the voyages are from Colorado State University and will show up on transcripts from CSU.
The cruise ship, called The MV World Odyssey, holds approximately 600 undergraduate students each semester from colleges and universities all over the world. The ship includes 10 decks, nine classrooms, a library, a bookstore, indoor and outdoor dining, a pool, a fitness center, a spa and hair salon, a medical clinic and a counseling center. Students are required to take an IE 300 Global Studies core class along with three other courses for a full-time load of 12 credits.
While the ship is cruising, students are required to go to class, but when the ship is docked, students are free to roam in the country they are docked in. SAS offers in-country programs that cost extra money and are not included in the tuition expenses. In-country programs are trips that students can take through SAS which allows them to explore the country they are visiting. This is a great option for those who are weary of traveling on their own in a place they are not familiar with.
Aside from in-country programs, students must participate in field programs for each class they are enrolled in. Field programs are “field trips” the students take with their classes to expand their knowledge on what they are learning in the classroom in the real world.
SAS has many traditions that students participate in on every voyage. Some of these traditions include ‘Neptune Day’ and ‘Sea Olympics.’ ‘Neptune Day’ is a celebration for when the ship crosses the equator for the first time during the voyage. ‘Sea Olympics’ consists of fun, competitive team games where teams, who are separated into “seas,” compete against each other to gain points. Some of the events include synchronized swimming, a rock paper scissors competition and trivia.
Depending on which cabin you select when selecting housing, SAS can cost as much as $31,950 for the semester. The cabins offered on the MV World Odyssey are, from most expensive to least expensive, an outside single, an inside single, an outside double, an inside double or outside triple and inside triple.
Included in the expenses is the tuition for the semester, meals, housing, premium health insurance and academic field classes. Since SAS is very expensive, they offer a wide variety of scholarships to accommodate each student’s needs. Luckily for Cabrini students, half of one semester’s financial aid transfers to SAS to help pay for the expenses.
Hearing how much a Semester at Sea costs can be quite intimidating at first. While it is very expensive, the memories and experiences will be something you can hold onto for the rest of your life. I personally think it is important to go on trips like this while you are young and in college because it will be much harder to make time for them once you graduate and hold a full-time job.
When I first introduced the idea of studying abroad to my parents, they were totally against the idea and did not think I would follow through with it. Once I met with my advisor first semester freshman year and talked about it they realized how serious I was about studying abroad. From then on, they were supportive and have been very helpful in the application and preparation process.
My parents were not the only ones who my decision affected. Once I told my extended family about my plans, almost all of them were nervous and were not sure if it was a good idea. I knew deep down no matter what my family or friends said, I was going to go on this trip of a lifetime for myself and to accomplish something that seemed impossible at one point.
Once I got my immediate family on board, I took the next step and met with Dr. Uliano who is the study abroad coordinator for Cabrini University. He was a huge help in answering any questions I had as well as helping with the application process.
The application for SAS was fairly easy but required multiple parts to be mailed or faxed to their office. The application included a short essay, academic transcript, as well as a disciplinary clearance form. Once I had sent all of the requirements for the application, it took one week to hear that I got accepted.
Once I got accepted, I verified with my parents that this was officially going to happen and decided to submit my deposit over the summer. From there I started looking at the scholarships I was eligible for and started to apply for them.
The fall 2017 voyage starts in September and finishes in December. Over the course of 106 days, I will be visiting 11 countries in four continents including Germany, Spain, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Japan and the United States.
One thing that has always fascinated me was the opportunity to go someplace where no one knows my name. I do not know anyone else who is going on this voyage so I am very excited to meet new people and experience new things.
No dream is too big, and it is possible to accomplish things that may have seemed impossible at one point. Without the support from my family and friends, none of this would be possible and I am so excited to see what the fall semester has in store for myself and my education.
