Instead of going back home at the end of the spring semester, Jenni Wu could be taking classes in the United Kingdom, Italy or Australia this summer.
Wu, a 20-year-old communication sciences and disorders sophomore, was among about 1,500 UF students who participated in the UF Spring Study Abroad Fair at the Reitz Union Colonnade and North Lawn on Wednesday. UF's International Center put on the fair.
About 1,250 students enroll annually in summer study abroad programs, according to UF International Center executive director Susanne Hill. She said the number is increasing as more faculty-led programs open and more students are interested in studying abroad.
"I think more and more students understand that they need to have some sort of global perspective in order to be successful in life," she said. "The study abroad program can certainly add to that kind of perspective."
Despite a 12 percent drop in summer study abroad enrollment in 2010, Hill said the program is recovering in the midst of economic hardships.
"I'm very hopeful that we are out of this ditch," she said.
The UF International Center currently offers students more than 400 summer study abroad opportunities from UF and approved third-party programs in six continents, according to the UF Study Abroad Services website.
The United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy have been the most popular countries to study aboard in among students for the last several years, Hill said.
Natalie Chavez, a 19-year-old microbiology freshman, said she is interested in studying abroad for the first time in Italy.
"I've always liked the atmosphere," she said. "It's very lively, and I like Florence and Rome."
Chavez said she hopes to have the opportunity to study abroad before she is required to take her core classes.
"Microbiology has more intense classes towards the end of my degree, so I have to study abroad soon," she said. "I don't think I will be able to study abroad a lot of times, and the one time I want to do it I really want to get the full experience."
Andrea Walgren, Institutional Representative for Boston University, talks to Patricia Valladares, 19-year-old exploratory freshman, about the benefits of an internship abroad.
