For students looking to best utilize their summers, having to choose between study abroad and internship opportunities is not always necessary.

“Students are hesitant on going abroad over the summer because they are afraid of losing out on internship opportunities,” said Tracy Zappola, assistant director of summer programs for SU Abroad.

The deadline for Syracuse University’s summer 2013 study abroad program was Feb. 20. While some students feel they must choose between studying abroad and an internship, both options have benefits, and it is usually possible to do both.

The biggest perk of the summer sessions is that the program offers internship opportunities abroad, Zappola said.

The advantage of these programs, she said, is the short duration: most of these programs last four to six weeks, which gives students time to utilize their summer for internships, as well.

It is not a situation in which students are forced to choose between internships and a summer abroad, because students have the opportunity to do both, said Michael Cahill, director of SU Career Services.

“We are among the top 10 career services in the nation, and we help students decide what experiences are going to be best for them given their strategy,” he said. “We recommend study abroad as an experience for all students. When they do it, it’s entirely up to them, and personally, I think both experiences are essential.”

Melissa Pico, a junior information management and technology major, said she prefers a semester abroad to a summer abroad because she’d rather have numerous internship opportunities and the chance to stay home when she could.

“I wouldn’t want to stay away from home for a whole summer,” Pico said. “And I’d rather do different internships near home.”

With about 400 applicants each summer, SU’s summer abroad sessions provide cultural experiences and awareness to students, said Jennifer Horvath, manager for marketing and communication at SU Abroad.

“Not only are the classes shorter, but also more unique,” she said.

For instance, there is a sport management program offered in Australia during the summer that isn’t offered anytime during the academic year. Programs such as those serve as great opportunities for students with specific interests, she said.

Horvath added that a benefit of these programs is that they’re usually a lot cheaper than the ones offered during the semester. But the programs offer the same level of cultural immersion that students look for in semester-long programs.

Shane Jones, a senior psychology major, said she thinks summer abroad is a good option because it is cheaper and a shorter length of time, but offers the same cultural experience as a semester abroad.

“I wouldn’t want to stay away for a long time,” Jones said.

Mengting Zhu, a junior applied mathematics and economics major, agreed with Jones. She said she would prefer to study abroad during the semester because she’d rather stay home for the summer and relax than spend that time away.

Published on February 25, 2013 at 12:48 am

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