After a long process of going through different programs and finding out what was the best for me, I decided to go against studying abroad in the normal semester time frame. Instead, I will be going in the summer to study in Peru. But this wasn’t an easy decision, and there are many advantages and disadvantages to studying in the summer.

Let’s talk advantages – it seems that these tend to far outweigh the disadvantages in terms of being very passionate about your education. Most summer programs have a choice between a 6 week, 8 week, and 12 week program, each one offering up different amounts of credits. I am going on a brief, 6 week program that will end up giving me six credits from two classes. Going in the summer allows for you to not have a large break between semesters with practice with your Spanish, giving you an opportunity to retain more of what you learned while studying at UMass. Studying in the summer will also provide you with extra credits. I liked this option for me, as I wanted my senior year to be as leisure as possible to focus more on my classes and graduation. This allows for me to not have to overload my classes – as a I am a late Spanish major switch. With that comes the shorter stay time in the summer, as I spoke about before. If you really want to experience a new country and it’s culture, but you are worried about getting homesick or not adjusting well, it’s only a six week program.

Now, the disadvantages to all of these – My biggest concern was that I wouldn’t be able to work as much as I usually do during the summer, creating a lack of funds. I typically work part time during the school year, and full time in the summer, but now I will be missing 6 weeks of work. While this does put a hole in my wallet – budgeting is everything. It has taught me good saving habits and being able to prepare for things in the future. Shorter stay time could be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on who you speak to about it. Some people really would like the full semester experience, and want to be in a different country for months at a time. However – some programs do offer the 12 week programs which allow for you to stay for basically a whole semester. Another big issue – summer is tourist season. Depending on where you may go – it could be bustling with different tourists that create for a different experience, rather than being fully immersed in your designated country’s culture.

Depending on where you fall on the decision – studying in the summer isn’t for everybody. It takes someone who is dedicated to their study, who doesn’t mind sacrificing some of their well earned break to continue their studies. Studying in the summer was definitely the right fit for me, and even though I will be there for a short time, I will have a blast in Cusco, Peru.