When I finished registering for classes at the start of Winter Quarter 2009, I came to the realization that I was not going to be able to take any courses in my major that term. A combination of me waiting longer than I should have to register, as well as limited offerings, caused every single class in the Communication Department to be full.
This might have just been an inconvenience during my lower division education and not a serious problem. However, not being able to continue my major education this quarter would add another quarter onto my graduation deadline, bringing with it all of the costs and time dedications of being a full time student.
As it stood, CSU East Bay was already dealing with furlough days taking time away from my education and with this added complication, it felt as though circumstances were conspiring to prevent me from graduating.
I knew my academic situation was a problem, but I did not know what the best method of solving it was. I considered transferring to another university, but then I would have to deal with hoping classes taken at CSUEB could transfer favorably somewhere else.
I also considered parallel education, but the time commitment of taking classes at CSUEB and then traveling to another school to take classes there seemed like more than I could handle while still maintaining a decent GPA.
It was at this point that I recalled something that had been in the back of my mind for a couple of years. I recalled that CSUEB had a study abroad program and I decided to visit the office to see if it had anything that interested me.
As it turned out, there were several different international programs I qualified for, many of which were programs in Communication. After reviewing all the different program options, I ended up selecting a year-long program in Uppsala, Sweden.
There were several reasons for this decision, the primary of which being that they had a Communication program designed for international students. Not wanting to drastically extend my degree schedule, finding a place where I could possibly take classes in my major was an important part of my decision.
The surprise came when I spoke to my department advisor prior to leaving, and was informed that, in fact, all the classes I took while abroad would be able to count towards my degree progress at CSUEB.
Shortly before I was scheduled to leave for my year abroad, the gravity of my situation hit me. In a time of budget cuts, closed classes, furlough days, and general academic uncertainty within the CSU system, I had found a way to get both a full year of classes in my major, and the added bonus of an international education.
So, if you think you are in a funk, maybe just want to get away or perhaps want a year of not having to worry about whether you will get into the classes you need, try study abroad.
You could return with more perspective on the world around you.