Popping Puerto Rico!

Next stop beautiful Puerto Rico. From the beautiful rain forests, delicious food, and friendly people, Puerto Rico is a dream study abroad destination. With all these different dynamics, studying abroad in Puerto Rico will positively change your life perceptions.

La Coca Tropical Rain Forest, Puerto Rico 

According to the research news journal, Science Daily published an article about how travelling and tourism changes peoples life perceptions. Results illustrate that “travelers tend to seek more recreation and the perception of theirlives becomes more colorful after their travel.” I could not agree more with this argument because after experiencing all of the wonderful activities Puerto Rico have to offer, my quest for adventure has heightened. One activity students have to do while studying abroad in Puerto Rico is hiking the tropical rain forest. There is honestly nothing else like it. It often rains during the hike making the trail very slippery so proceed with caution! After experiencing the beautiful sights and journey while hiking the beautiful tropical rain forest, every other activity seemed ordinary. For instance, going to a theme park, going to the movies, etc. used to be my idea of fun but after traveling in Puerto Rico, my perception of fun has been altered.

Studying abroad will change your life perceptions because while travelling abroad you tend to see things differently. A new environment causes change in your view of everyday activities. I can attest to this because as an experienced traveler my level of satisfaction has changed due to exploring all of the different dynamics each place has to offer.  Studying abroad in Puerto Rico will make students more aware of the endless amount of possibilities for sources of fun. Doing normal tasks such as hanging at the mall or watching some T.V. while knowing there are things you have not done, places you have not seen or experienced makes those things seem boring and unfulfilling. This is why studying abroad will be beneficial for students to be adventurous and to explore unfamiliar places.

Journalist for the International Journal of Intercultural relations, Jerry S. Carlson, also argued that studying abroad enhances students’ life perceptions. The article provided evidence that students who studied abroad have become more positive and more appreciative. Students’ who study abroad overall become more positive and appreciative because of the opportunity to see more of the world and compare it to their home environment. Not only will studying abroad make you appreciate the environment of the destination you are travelling but it makes you appreciate your home environment as well. For example, while Puerto Rico has a lot to offer, the humidity and musty air was definitely not my favorite part, but it surely made me appreciate California weather.

What made me appreciate travelling in Puerto Rico were their delectable dishes! A famous Puerto

Mofongo

Rican dish that was absolutely mouth watering was named Mofongo. I know it sounds disgusting but it was definitely delicious containing meat, veggies, olive oil, garlic, etc. That is definitely a must try dish if you decide to study abroad there. I appreciated Puerto Rican food better than the average trip to Mcdonald’s or Taco Bell back home. The smallest things while travelling to a foreign place can make a large impact on people just by having an out of the ordinary experience.

Being more positive, appreciative, and an overall positive change in life perceptions are all effects from studying abroad. A better change in me is not something I would want to pass up. This is all possible with a small trip to study abroad in Puerto Rico. Are you ready? 

Sizzling Spain!

Brush up on your Spanish because we are going to Spain. Spain is another perfect study abroad destination that you should consider. If you like going to the beach and having fun in the sun, Spain is the place to be. With all the activities to do in Spain, will your GPA suffer? Absolutely not!

Although, when I went to Spain I did not have to worry about school, doing my homework, or studying for exams, I can guarantee that balancing school and having fun in Spain is achievable. In fact, students can multi-task by exploring places in Spain while studying at the same time. While in Spain, I visited Barceloneta Beach which was not only beautiful but relaxing as well. This would be an ideal spot for students to study, read, write an essay and then reward themselves for a little study break with a little dip into the warm ocean. But make sure to pack on loads of sun screen, UV rays are a lot stronger in Spain than the U.S. hence the title sizzling Spain.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, Spain is absolutely beautiful, you can just step outside and stare at the buildings and houses from a far for hours. It’s a perfect place to just sit, relax, and have a picnic. As college students we know that you can basically do your homework anywhere, why not have beautiful views instead of an ugly dorm room to stay at while studying.

Students’ GPA will not be altered due to studying abroad in Spain as long as each student has self discipline to work hard and remember that the reason they have the opportunity to study abroad is to extend their academic opportunities. Teresa Cisneros-Donahue, a journalist for the journal of Education and Learning explained that over the past 12 years the number of students who studied abroad has increased by 1000 percent with an increase in student success rates. Students who study abroad have higher success rates because they expand their educational experiences and develop new ways to learn. Not to mention that students have requirements to meet in order to be eligible to study abroad such as a 3.0 GPA which they must maintain in order to continue their travels abroad.

Journalist for higher Education, Elizabeth Redden, stated "The GLOSSARI Project (study regarding GPA statistics for study abroad students) found that for students who'd studied abroad, their mean cumulative GPA prior to going overseas was 3.24 and their mean cumulative GPA afterward was 3.30."  As you can see both Cisneros-Donahue and Redden provided evidence that studying abroad will not decrease students' GPA but many in fact raise it. 
           A higher GPA plus the opportunity to venture out in Spain is definitely something I want. Don't you?