Chaminade students who wish to spend a semester studying in a foreign country still have the chance to do so, according to Yohko Aquino, the advisor for Student Athletes and Education Opportunities Abroad.

Full-time students with more than 30 credits and a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 can apply to many of the partnership programs that Chaminade has available. Currently, the university works together with the University of Hawaii, the American Institute for Foreign Study, and the Semester at Sea program.

Aquino believes that every student should try studying abroad at least once during their college career.

“Studying abroad is amazing,” Aquino said. “I did it myself – I attended a school for one year in Singapore, and it really opened up a lot of opportunities for me.”

Aquino explained that if it weren’t for that experience, she would still be in Tokyo instead of working in Hawaii.

With the UH-Manoa and AIFS study abroad programs, students can take courses at many universities around the globe. Locations include Argentina, Greece, Australia, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, and much more.

The Semester at Sea program, however, is different. A student who partakes in the program will be able to take a cruise ship and visit and learn in multiple countries.

“In one semester, a student could visit more than 10 countries,” Aquino said.

According to its website, the Semester at Sea program is 100-plus day voyage where students can earn up to 12-15 credits from Colorado State University. Students will be able to take classes on the cruise ship and be able to transfer the credits back to Chaminade.

The Semester at Sea program currently has voyages scheduled for the fall and spring semesters of 2019 and 2020. Prospective students can take a trip around Asia, Europe, Panama Canal, and even Africa. 

For CUH senior Bennett Romeo, participating in the AIFS study abroad program was the one of the best experiences he ever had. Romeo took classes at Richmond, The American University in London last fall. 

“I have met friends from around the world,” Romeo said. “There was one friend from Australia who I always kept in contact with, and during spring break I visited him.”

An environmental studies major, Romeo took a total of four classes, of which two were able to transfer back to Chaminade.

“I really liked my classes a lot,” Romeo said. “There was no homework, and we had only a couple of tests and maybe an essay or two.”

Romeo’s classmates consisted of other AIFS students from other universities, as well as local students who attend Richmond. According to him, the light class schedule allowed him to go visit other places around Europe. During his semester abroad, he was able to visit France, Finland, Russia, and Italy.

“There’s a rush when you start to travel,” Romeo said. “Once you start, you don’t want to stop.”

Romeo advises students who want to study abroad that they will be much more comfortable if they go to an English-speaking country.  When he visited France, he said he was lucky to have a relative with him who translated for him.

“If you are going to France,” Romeo said, “learn the language, because no one is going to talk to you in English.”

The deadline for the Summer 2019 UH Manoa Study Abroad program is February 7, 2019, while the deadline for the Summer 2019 AIFS program is March 1, 2019. The Semester at Sea program has no application deadlines.

For more information on the Study Abroad programs, click here.