With less than 30 participants, exchange students make up a tiny fraction of the current student body at Towson University. However, one of the select few, exchange student, Kathy Staats from University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, believes everyone should take advantage of exchange programs because they are be priceless opportunities.
“Most college students don’t have experiences like this where they can learn and really stretch their comfort zones and learn how to react to things and how they really see the world,” Staats says.
Exchange programs—both nationally and internationally—give students the opportunity to experience receiving an education in an alternate college or university. They also allow students to explore unfamiliar places, meet new people, learn from a different perspective and just try something new and possibly out of the ordinary.
Other exchange students at Towson University agree that their exchange experiences here have taught them a lot, not only about their location, the east coast, but also many things about themselves. Exchange student from the University of Guam, Janna Fernandez describes how her exchange experience at Towson University has helped her become a more confident individual.
“With this being my first time away from home, having to make new friends definitely helped me grow as a person… I’ve also learned a lot from my classes as they expose me to different teaching styles than I am used too and reaffirmed that if I worked hard, I can succeed anywhere.”
As their time at Towson University comes to an end, Staats, Fernandez and other exchange students alike are torn between their new found friends and the comfort of returning to their old lifestyles.
Many of the exchange students are excited to return home and share their new knowledge, experiences and memories with friends and family. Their experiences and the lessons learned while at Towson will always be a part of them. These countless experiences have helped them become better students and more independent individuals, something for which they will always be thankful.
