Semester at Sea

Make sure to try everything. Do EVERYTHING. You don't want to look back on your experience and say that you were too scared to journey on your own, you spent all day in your cabin, or you didn't want to spend the extra money to travel to the Great Wall of China. When will you have the opportunity to do these things again? When will you have the opportunity to do these things again while surrounded by a group of friends.

Don't spend the entire time sitting in your room while at sea. Sit on the deck and listen to the waves. Go on shore trips where you have the opportunity to meet students in those countries. Spend time eating lunch with your instructors. It makes the program more valuable if you fully participate and emerge yourself in the ship's community.

I thought that language was going to be a huge barrier in each country. Surprisingly there were many people in each country who spoke English. We didn't have a hard time getting around on our own or finding someone to chat with or give directions.

I think this experience impacts everyone differently. For me I was impacted the most by really getting a sense that a lot of the danger we believe is out there in the world is heavily impacted by the media.

I met people in each country that were just the same as people from home. I ate at restaurants that were just as great as the ones I had been to in Chicago. Hotels that we stayed at on field excursions were extravagant at times. I was also surprised by the number of expats living abroad that we would run into. It made me realize that we are really in a bubble in the United States.

After this trip, I lived abroad in the Caribbean for 3 years. I couldn't imagine living in only one country for the rest of my life. I have other friends from my semester that moved to England, Aruba, Netherlands, India, Mexico, etc. This trip really changes how you see the world and for many of us where we want to live and what we want to do.

Some really great charities have been created after semester at sea studies. An alum from my semester created The Cook Book Project to bring education about food and its role in health to people around the world.

There were people in India that were excited to see my friends and I because we had light hair and light eyes. They have never seen someone with these characteristics before.

My friends and I were stopped several times at the Taj Mahal by families wanted a picture with us. It happened in China as well. This experience demonstrated that people are watching you and you are a representation of the U.S. when you are traveling.

The locals were often surprised that you wanted to eat indigenous food and not Pizza Hut. By the way... McDonald's does not taste the same in South Africa or China. It's fun to take a peak at things like that.

There are so many things that make this experience special. Sailing around the world on a ship is pretty incredible. I would wake up "early" before the other passengers every morning and go sit out on the deck. There's a peace and quiet about the ocean that you can't recreate. It is one of the things I miss the most.

I didn't feel that way at first of course. I was sea sick like many other students. We were nauseous for the first week or so but the seas were a little rough between Vancouver and Japan. Oh and CUBA!

Passion and deep institutional knowledge are the biggest factors in the success of Semester at Sea. Most, if not all, of the ISE/Semester at Sea staff are alumni of the program and know how life changing it can be and that passion is put in each day they work there.

At any job, just like any opportunity, you have the ability to get out as much as you put in. I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by hard working people that encourage going above and beyond and allowing for creative and new solutions. With the world changing and technology improving every day, it creates unique challenges, but also great opportunities to get more done from other locations or change something to work more efficiently. With easier and faster access to all corners of the world, the opportunities are endless.

Semester at Sea is unique in so many ways, but the employees unwavering passion and dedication to the program are unique to any other company I have ever seen. The ability to travel to the ship for embarkation and disembarkation is also very unique. Many companies you do not get to meet their students or customers.

With Semester at Sea, you get to work with the students from admission, preparation, watch them succeed on the voyage, and see them hold their head high as they walk off the ship at the end of a life changing semester. There is nothing more rewarding than that.