As summer is approaching many students are gearing up and getting ready for their big summer plans. For some, summer will consist of summer classes and a relaxation time around Auburn. Some students will be traveling home and enjoying quality time with families and friends. Others will be doing mission trips and camps while others will be doing study abroad programs.

Study abroad programs are incredibly beneficial to students in college. College is an ideal time for students to travel overseas and be able to experience new cultures and parts of the world. Taking a semester trip overseas can change the way you view your major, or perhaps life. Many students have taken trips to Europe and Asia while others travel to Latin American countries.

The purposes and goals of these study abroad trips can be very widespread. Some students wish to increase their fluency in a foreign language while others hope to experience more of the culture. Students generally take classes and study while over there. Most stay at host family homes in order to get a full experience.

While studying abroad during the school year is an amazing opportunity, studying abroad during the summer can have many advantages also. Hunt Prothro, a sophomore in accounting and Spanish, is traveling to Argentina this summer in order to increase his fluency in Spanish. His goal is to be able to speak fluently by the end of his college career. He thought that a trip to Argentina for part of the summer would be the perfect method of attaining this goal. Prothro feels that the summer is an optimal time for him to travel overseas.

"I am very involved in many organizations on campus, so by traveling to Argentina during the summer, I am able to stay involved in those organizations during the year. I also will not miss out on any piece of my Auburn experience," Prothro says.

Many other Auburn students have also taken trips overseas during the summer months. It allows them to continue their commitments they have made during the school year while also allowing them to be able to experience a different culture even if it is not for such a large period of time.

Traveling abroad during the summer also allows more freedom with travel. If students wish to spend more time sight-seeing after classes are over they can easily do this. When classes end overseas there is generally still some time before classes at Auburn University will begin again. This gives many students more flexibility with their travels.

While there are many options of things to do during the summer months, traveling abroad can be one of the most beneficial. It is becoming more and more popular as the need for understanding other countries and their culture is growing also.