Education is supposed to prepare students for the real world. What better way than going halfway around it to study?

The University of Denver’s Cherrington Global Scholars program makes it easier for students to study in other countries and see how students around the world get an education. The DU Study Abroad office began the program because they “consider study[ing] abroad essential preparation for life, work and success in the global village.”

This past quarter, the first group of DU Cherrington Global Scholars went abroad. Students of the class of 2005 were required to fill out special applications for the program, but all other students simply had to fill out a petition and were granted the scholarship.

Two students who studied abroad this past quarter, Katie Eckard and Jessica Glaser, said that the Cherrington Scholarship helped them in their decision to study in another country. Eckard, who studied in Hirakata, Japan, said that the Cherrington program made it easier for her to study abroad.

Returning to the United States after studying abroad can be a bit of a culture shock, but it can also be very educational. Once a student has lived abroad, he or she will often view the United States differently after returning.

After studying in Exeter, England, Glaser said, “studying abroad made me view a lot of things differently; my country, my countrymen and the environment I live in.”

For students studying abroad, events in the United States had a big effect on their experience.

Students encountered many questions about their politics in the months preceding the presidential election, and were affected by the falling dollar.

The weakening of the U.S. dollar led to a difficult financial situation for students in Europe, which Glaser described as “atrocious.” Students studying in countries where the euro is the main form of currency were also hit hard by the weak U.S. dollar, as the exchange rate made purchases more expensive.

The cost of living in another country may seem daunting while the dollar is low, but studying abroad on the Cherrington program will not cost students any more than regular DU tuition. All students are applicable, as long as they meet the basic requirements.

The program provides financial aid by paying for student plane fares, and tuition for the school abroad is paid directly to DU, so the cost is the same as it would be if the student were still studying in Denver. The Cherrington program also allows students to choose from over 150 universities on six continents. Students can visit universities countries like Argentina, Hungary, Italy, Kenya and Vietnam.

The Cherrington program requires students to be juniors or seniors in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 3.0 at DU.

Students must also have not participated in other study abroad programs as a Cherrington Global Scholar and have completed at least one year at DU before going abroad. Finally, students who want to go abroad must be at least 18 years old when they leave the country.

Any student who wishes to study abroad will need to get started planning at least a full year before they want to go abroad.

The best place to start is to contact a mentor, departmental advisor or an academic advisor in the Center for Academic and Career Development, then make an appointment to meet with an advisor in the Study Abroad Office.

Students who wish to study in countries where classes are not taught in English are encouraged to begin taking language classes their first year, so their language proficiency will allow them to live comfortably in another country.

Finally, students who do not wish to go abroad for an entire school year are encouraged to study abroad during the fall, allowing them to return to DU for winter and spring quarters.

The Study Abroad Office will be holding information sessions for students interested in studying abroad.

The first session will be Jan. 25 from 3-4 p.m. at the International House. Another session, held Feb. 8 from 3-4 p.m. at the International House, will inform students how Americans and American politics are viewed in other countries.

For more information about the Cherrington Global Scholars program, visit the program’s Web site at http://www.du.edu/globalscholars/programs.html. For information on other study abroad programs, visit the Study Abroad Office Web site at http://www.du.edu/intl/abroad/