Travelling the world and visiting places you’ve never seen before seems to be a goal that most students tend to envision. From going to the top of the Eiffel tower to taking a tour of the Colosseum in Rome to watching the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace in London, everybody has their own bucket list of places to visit in their lifetime.
Fanshawe College’s International Exchange Program offers students the opportunity to check these places off their bucket list while still earning credits towards their diploma. While this may seem ideal, most students think they don’t have the proper economic means to pay for their trip as travelling can be a costly expense.
International Projects and Exchange Coordinator Caitlin Smith says it is much more affordable than you think, “Fanshawe really values this learning experience and it’s in our mission to ensure all students have a global outlook.”
“We offer the Fanshawe International Exchange Opportunity Scholarship,” which helps students fund their trip with up to $2,500 worth of scholarship money.
According to Canadian Bureau for International Exchange, only 2.3% of students travel abroad for their studies. While there may be obstacles to overcome such as homesickness, financial aid or obtaining a visa, the experience outweighs all the issues that you may face.
Former exchange student Alex Shah believes this experience is worth all the hype it receives, “there’s no question. Besides financially, if financially that’s available to you, there’s no other reason not to. The answer is why not. It’s such an enlightening experience, you’ll just gain so much insight into your life and into culture.”
