According to Hoffa, the reason for the increase in students planning to study abroad in the spring is two-fold. He noted that sometimes students prefer to stay at the College during the fall because of the weather. "People enjoy the autumn, and great things happen in the fall," he said. Although escape from the winter seems to be a driving force for students to study abroad during spring semester, many students also factor in sports seasons and courses into their decision.
Sometimes students have no choice but to study abroad in the spring. For instance, the English system works on a three-term schedule. In order for students to receive credit for courses taken in England, they must take the two ten-week terms only offered in the spring.
With so many students planning to go abroad in the spring, the College must be sure that a housing shortage does not occur in the fall. "While the College is happy to support the 40 percent of students studying abroad, it is difficult when many more go abroad in one semester than the other," said Hoffa. "We would like to be able to find a balance between fall and spring."
President Anthony Marx agreed that equalizing the number of students who go abroad in the fall and the spring is important to ensure optimal use of bed-space at the College. "It is also in the College's interest to encourage students to think about going to study abroad in the fall, not just in the spring since we try to equalize the numbers so we can use the spaces that we have on campus most efficiently to ensure that we can provide opportunities for an Amherst education to as many students and professors as we can."
Added Marx, "Beyond that, I think students may find that going abroad in the fall to programs that tend to be smaller, they may find they have a better experience with more direct interaction with advisors."
Hoffa is a firm believer in the positive effects of studying in another country no matter what semester. "I am quite convinced that students who have not had some kind of international experience during their undergraduate years will not be fully educated," he said. "Study abroad is a very important component of the liberal arts education."
Hoffa believes that experiencing and understanding other cultures is one of the most important parts of studying abroad. "When you grow up in a certain culture, it is an important experience to get out from habits of your own culture and live life in a place that is not home," he said.
Amanda Richardson '06, who plans to go to South Africa next semester, is looking to experience a different culture. "I've never been there, and I wanted to go to a country where I wasn't likely to visit on my own," she said. "It's a chance to experience education in a different style from Amherst and professors who teach differently."
Diana Cappiello '05 said that she picked St. Petersburg, Russia, because of the cultural opportunities. "Petersburg is affordable and accessible," she said. Although she said that the weather is not for everyone, she added that Petersburg also has many positive attributes. "It's a beautiful city," she said. "It really can't be beat for museums [and] art."
Epiphanie Marquez '06, who is going to Spain in the spring, said that studying abroad provides opportunities to improve foreign language skills. "I just want to be immersed in Spanish," she said. Marquez stated that it is often difficult to maintain foreign language skills outside of the classroom. "Once I leave the classroom, I can't focus on languages," she added.
Despite the threat of global terrorism, the number of students who study abroad has continued to grow throughout the nation. Two years ago the number of students studying abroad increased eight percent; during the 2002-2003 school year, the number went up another 4.4 percent.
"The idea that people should stay home does not seem to be happening. American students are suggesting that it is more important than ever to get out of this country and go understand the world," Hoffa said. "If anything, September 11 proved to us that we are not the safest place in the world."
Three out of four students say they would not have attended the College if studying abroad had not been an option, according to Hoffa.
What this proves, according to Hoffa, is that "studying abroad is beginning to be seen as an entitlement."
Hoffa said he has yet to find a disappointed student in his 25 years working with the study abroad program at the College. "I have never met a student who has come back and said they wished they had not done it," he said. He encouraged students to engage themselves in the process of learning exactly what studying abroad is about.
Study abroad is available to all students at the College. In addition, the College encourages students on financial aid to study abroad, but it has very specific rules for the use of aid. These rules can be found on the Study Abroad Web site. Notably, the amount of aid a student receives will not be increased if the cost of the program he or she wishes to attend is higher than a semester's tuition at the College.
All students interested in studying abroad should first visit the Study Abroad Web site, which provides clear steps to beginning the process. According to the site, it is never too early to start thinking about going abroad. "First-year students should begin during this year to think about studying abroad and where it fits in their academic studies and career plans," according to the Web site. "The process of study abroad usually starts during the sophomore year, when students decide upon a major."
The Web site encourages students wishing to study abroad to attend a "steps to studying abroad meeting" and make an appointment with Hoffa.
Marx echoed Hoffa, calling studying abroad a positive, mind-expanding experience for students. "We want to and will continue to encourage our students to have a variety of experiences to enrich their educational lives and that includes studying abroad," he said. "I hope that students will consider options beyond the English-speaking countries because I think there is a whole other level of benefit to that kind of an experience that is more different from staying at home."