Semester at Sea?

[Anonymous]

PP is an elitist snob.

[Anonymous]

I did it in Fall 92. It was an amazing experience for me as I’d never left the country before that. There were a lot of people from CA, and people definitely liked to party, but also people from all around the US. If you want to see a lot of places you’ll probably never see again, it’s a great experience. I went to Japan, Taiwan, China,Israel, India, Malaysia, Russia, Spain, Venezuela. Tuition was the same as my college tuition, but the excursions were extra. No idea how it is now and if it’s run the same way. It’s definitely different than the immersive experience of going to one country, but a great experience none the less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Literally a cruise ship. Reputation is very much rich kids drinking around the world and my DD had no interest.
Our DD instead did Sea Semester https://www.sea.edu, a very different program run out of Woods Hole (where the students spend the first 6 weeks in intensive academics preparing for the ocean part). The ships are "tall ships", sailing vessels, very intense experience learning a lot about sailing, weather, oceanography, and depending on the trip, local history and culture. Very physically-demanding, on "watch" in quite crazed schedule throughout the trip which was about 6 weeks in the Southern Ocean coming and going from New Zealand. Primary research on plastics in ocean among other interesting and important projects. My DD adored it and the academics did seem excellent. I think Boston U is the academic sponsor. On her trip students from UCLA, UNC, Harvard, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Hopkins, UMD, Cornell, can't remember where else. Major emphasis on safety. If your student interested in learning about the ocean and sailing, rather than just lots of travel on cruise ship, he/she should check it out.

NP. I disagree with the PP who called this poster a snob. A professional colleague of mine did Sea Semester and told me about it while we were both at a conference held at WHOI. She did her undergrad at one of the colleges the PP mentioned and later did her master's and Ph.D. in a marine biology field at one of the top universities for this field. I've looked into it for my kids -- it's an excellent, albeit demanding, semester, and would be great training for anyone thinking about a career in marine science.

[Anonymous]

I went in 2000. I think it was a great experience and would absolutely not only let my child go, but encourage her to do so. No, it is not the full immersion of a semester in one country, but you get to experience ten different cultures all over the world. It genuinely expanded my world view in a way that I have benefited from ever since. I saw extreme poverty in India, the crowded chaos of Hon Kong, the deep history in Israel, and rode a camel in Morocco. I learned how to really take care of myself when I ventured out alone in Italy and Japan.

That being said I can't say that the classes were in any way rigorous. But is that ever really the point of study abroad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did it in Fall 92. It was an amazing experience for me as I’d never left the country before that. There were a lot of people from CA, and people definitely liked to party, but also people from all around the US. If you want to see a lot of places you’ll probably never see again, it’s a great experience. I went to Japan, Taiwan, China,Israel, India, Malaysia, Russia, Spain, Venezuela. Tuition was the same as my college tuition, but the excursions were extra. No idea how it is now and if it’s run the same way. It’s definitely different than the immersive experience of going to one country, but a great experience none the less.

We were on the same boat!

[Anonymous]

This and semesters abroad strike me as frivolous boondoggles. I'd rather my student keep his nose in the books on campus.