So, we’re officially in the final stretch of the 2011-2012 year here at Loyola.  Exams are dominating student’s thoughts, and the library has moved from library mode to hotel mode, with some students dozing off between study sessions late at night.  It’s a little hard to believe that summer’s almost here, but it is – the weather is getting warmer, the days are much longer, and graduation for our Class of 2012 is almost here.  With all the effort it takes to get through the year to summer, what are our students doing?

You might be a little surprised.

This summer, a lot of Loyola students – from freshmen to rising seniors – are studying abroad on trips all over the world.  Each summer, Loyola’s Center for International Education sends students abroad for a bit longer than a month to live, work, and study in another country.  So where do we go?

For starters, there are Loyola’s Belgium, Italy, India, and Spain programs, which allow students to take classes with Loyola faculty. Each trip includes two courses that usually fulfill Common Curriculum requirements for students and cover specific topics like World War I, culture, and religion. If you happen to be a business major, the Business in China program sends students on a crazy adventure from Beijing to Shanghai, all while snatching up two full courses in business.  A few of the other programs are offered on a ‘year on, year off’ basis, like the abroad journeys to Ireland and Paris.

As for me, I’ll be sticking it out here in New Orleans– I’ve gone off on my own (assisted by the study abroad office!) to study in Morocco and China over the past two summers, so I figure this time I’ll stick around and get ready for my senior year.  On the other hand, one of our other bloggers, Shannon, is actually headed out to Belgium in July! (I’ll admit, I’m pretty jealous.)

So, looking for an adventure? Check out EVERYTHING you can do as a student at Loyola, even during the summer!