We’re well into January, the time when people set their intentions for the new year. If having an international experience was on your list of 2018 resolutions, consider going on an FSU Global Exchange.

Applications for participating in a Global Exchange over the summer, next fall, or for the next academic year are due March 1*. Applications can take up to a month to complete, so now is the perfect time to attend an info session and learn about our 40+ exchange options in more than 20 different countries.

Students can attend information sessions this semester on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 2 p.m. in The Globe (GME Building) room 2300.

Sandra Thomas, a business major who studied at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies for the 2016-17 academic year, was able to complete coursework that counted toward her FSU graduation requirements while becoming fully immersed in another culture.

“I was able to be completely immersed in Japanese culture and language,” Thomas said. “I even got to wear traditional Japanese summer garments to Gion Matsuri, the most famous festival in Japan.”

Students with a wide range of majors study internationally through Global Exchanges, and many of them are upperclassmen who earn credit toward their major coursework. This spring, 31 FSU students are studying at 15 universities in 10 countries, and just a few of the majors represented by the group include interdisciplinary social science, management information systems, marketing, international affairs, and biology.

A Global Exchange also fulfills the sustained experience requirement for the Global Citizenship Certificate (GCC) and fulfills the international engagement area requirement of the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society (GGSS).

Additionally, students enrolled in both GCC and GGSS who want to go on an exchange are eligible to apply for a special scholarship.

Returning students can also find intercultural service and leadership opportunities with the Global Noles, a mentoring program for incoming exchange students; the Going Global Showcase held during International Education Week annually; and the Florida International Leadership Conference.

Students interested in reading more about FSU’s Global Exchange options online can visit global.fsu.edu/exchanges.

* Note that some Global Exchange programs have deadlines earlier than March 1st.