Central America Study Tour: Travel internationally and earn credits at the same time

In May of 2019, I left the United States for the first time. I had just finished my freshman year of college, and I was excited to take an adventure far from Nebraska. Along with three professors and seven other students, I traveled to Belize for a three-week study tour. 

            While the main reason I went on this trip was for the adventure and bucket-list experiences, I also needed to take a few summer classes and this trip proved to be the most fun way to do so. One class I took was Travel Literature, which counts for the general education literature requirement. The other class was Travel Photography – and why would anyone want to take a photography class in Nebraska in the winter when they could take it in Belize next to the beach?

             Over the course of three weeks, we traveled to five different cities in Belize, each providing different cultural experiences and excursions. These day-long adventures included exploring Mayan ruins, adventuring deep into caves and tubing through the Belizean jungle. On the days when we weren’t traveling from city to city or out on a day trup, we spent 2-4 hours in class, usually split into morning and afternoon sessions. Our time between classes was filled with whatever we wanted. One day, a small group of us rented a golf cart and drove around the Caribbean coast. At a different time, we participated in a hot sauce-tasting class. In one city, we found a gelato shop that I still miss to this day. One morning, we took a rooftop yoga class. 

            Yes, you’ll read a couple books, take a couple quizzes, and when you return to the Unites States, you’ll write a couple essays, too. But that is such a small part of it. When I think back, the school part doesn’t even come to mind – the once-in-a-lifetime experiences do.

            The Central America Study Tour is happening again in May of 2022. If traveling interests you at all, or if you just want to cross off a couple general education requirements, I encourage you to consider this trip. The first informational meeting is tonight, Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 5:00-5:30 p.m. in Krueger Center room 130.

Hannah Drewick is a senior

business administration and communication major

from Stoughton, Wis.