LC Meridian

Issue date: 2/1/10 Section: Student Life

Media Credit: Jordana Lopez da Silva

The month long winter break is not just an opportunity to unwind or take winter classes - it is also a once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel to a foreign country, to experience a different culture and earn college credits while doing so.

The CUNY winter session study abroad programs allow students to do just that in Argentina, Uruguay, Greece, Brazil, Barbuda, India, China, the UK, Hawaii, Italy, Israel, Japan, China, Ecuador, Spain, and Morocco. Students who participate in these programs earn 3-6 credits, and pay for class credits, transportation, housing, and other miscellaneous costs. However, those who qualify can apply to STOCS - Study/Travel Opportunities for CUNY Students - and receive partial to full aid.

Lehman students who study abroad during winter session come back with wonderful memories and new t perspectives. Senior Alex Pacheco, who travelled to Greece calls it "one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life."

To apply, students must write an essay and choose which courses to take. Upon arriving in Greece, they are taken on a three day excursion to Plaka, where the Acropolis and Parthenon are situated, Parliament, and other city sights, as well as an island tour of Aegina, Hydra, Poros, and Crete, which allows students to experience different Grecian lifestyles.

"The islands all offer a different, simpler perspective of Greece. Hydra, for instance, has absolutely no public transportation at all; everyone travels by donkey! It was lovely," said Pacheco. For those who love Greek mythology, students are also taken to the temples of Poseidon and Zeus, as well as Hercules' birthplace. "Cape Sounion (the temple of Poseidon) was so unbelievably beautiful, my words simply can't do it justice; the water was so clear that even from the top of the cliff I could still see the bottom of the ocean perfectly," said Pacheco.

Students return refreshed and tanned, having benefitted from using the world as their classroom, while enjoying tango in La Boca in Buenos Aires, or observing wildlife in the Galapagos. "Overall the experience was wonderful and I encourage everyone to travel," said Pacheco. "Traveling opens your eyes to so many more possibilities for your life and it truly does open your mind in accepting things that are new and unknown."

Lehman's Study Abroad office is located in Carman Hall, Room 337.

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