This article first appeared in the Daily Emerald on Friday, December 19.

It’s one thing to sit in PLC 180 and see a slideshow of poverty and hunger. It’s a completely different experience to see it in person, according to Megan Garland, a UO senior majoring in international relations and Chinese.

Garland had such positive experiences studying abroad that she is about to embark on her fifth adventure through the UO study abroad office.

“I have met people like Hunter Lovins, who was on Times 100 Most Influential People list, who works towards environmental sustainability, and Desmond Tutu, who is now a social rights activist that helped end apartheid. Having actual conversations with these people have given me so much fuel to work at my majors and learn as much as possible, so that after I graduate, I have a concrete vision to follow,” Garland said.

The University of Oregon offers more than 200 program options in more than 90 countries. Many programs offer coursework that is directly relevant to UO general education and major requirements. For Garland, the decision to study abroad was a no-brainer – it helped define her career path.

The general consensus of students who have participated in one of the UO programs is that it helped them get real life experience in the field they’re studying.

Read the entire article at the Daily Emerald.