Many students applying to colleges know that they may have the opportunity to travel abroad for study, research and immersion in a foreign culture. Despite the excitement travel scenarios can conjure, sometimes a smaller dose of medicine is just what the doctor might order for a student's wanderlust.

With this in mind, PC offers an alternative to traditional semester-long study abroad programs, giving students the chance to travel, sight-see and learn for class credit between the end of spring semester and the beginning of summer school.

Past Maymester/Fleximester trips

During the summer of 2006, more than two dozen students joined PC faculty on a trip to the British Isles. There, they watched performances at the famous Globe Theatre in the Bard's birthplace, Stratford-on-Avon, and also made excursions to Oxford and to Edinburgh, Scotland as part of a unit on the Reformation.

Hands-on knowledge is best: the 2006 Trips

Besides cultural exposure and foreign travel, these programs afford faculty and students the chance to conduct research for publications, and to augment classroom information with hands-on experience.

For example, during a recent Fleximester stint in Europe, students had a chance to contrast business practices in America and Europe, discovering that small, neighborhood businesses are the norm for most shoppers, rather than the chain stores and mega-retailers which cannot be avoided in the American economic landscape.

A trip to Spain and Morocco opened students' eyes to the increasing influence of Islam culture in Europe, while a Biology Department's trip to the Galapagos Island (2006 Photos) took students to the theoretical birthplace of Darwinism and the scientific study of evolution.

China became the classroom to history, dance and theater students when a group traveled to Beijing, Xi'an, Guiyang, and Macau. This same study abroad experience gave students a glimpse into the state of Hong Kong after Britain's 99-year lease of the region expired in 1997, returning territorial rights to the Chinese.

Being an ambassador through Maymester Study

Although they were more experienced as world travelers, the PC professors, too, are able to make discoveries during Maymester trips - especially in regards to their students.

"I really was blown away by the whole experience with the students," said Dr. Lynne Simpson, who accompanied students on a tour through Great Britain. "To be able to see that part of the world through their eyes was amazing. ... I can't say enough about how great they were."

History Department chair Dr. Rick Heiser agrees. "The students who've been on my trips tackle the opportunities that are in front of them. They shop, go on ghost tours, take a lot of pictures. They go to plays and see historical sites. They don't hang on to the professors; they go out on their own and make their own plans to travel. I think this is excellent."

The 2007 Maymester Schedule

Below are some the exciting trips included in the 2007 Maymester/Fleximester schedule.

* On the Trail of Lewis & Clark (History)

In 1803, when President Thomas Jefferson instructed Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the Missouri River, he set in motion one of the most important expeditions in American history. This course will explore the Lewis and Clark expedition from three specific perspectives: the historical and cultural context, the technological aspects of the journey, and the components of leadership necessary to successfully complete such a mission. The course will include two specific travel components: a weekend trip in March to Jefferson's home, Monticello, and a Maymester trip to the Montana portion of their journey.

* PC at Guadalajara (Economics)

This course will provide students with a study of the global expanse of markets. In particular, we will examine the increased flows of goods, services, labor, and capital in the world economy. We will give special attention to the consequences of globalization for developing countries and the obstacles to and prospects for development of these countries.

* Chile: A Land of Contrasts (Spanish)

This course is designed to improve oral and written skills in Spanish and includes a stay in Santiago, excursions to the coast and mountains of the central zone and a short trip to Easter Island. The program will provide a cultural immersion into the Chilean lifestyle and traditions as well as its history and some of its most prolific poets, the Nobel prize winners Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda.

* Biology of Costa Rica (Biology)

Costa Rica is known for its beautiful tropical forests and beaches, amazing biological diversity, and dedication to environmental conservation. Almost all types of tropical habitats exist within its borders making Costa Rica an ideal environment to study tropical biology. This field study course will introduce the student to tropical biology and the natural history of Costa Rica.

* Literature of the English Countryside (English & Art)

This trip course will explore the English Literature of "the land of Green and Plenty." Regions of particular interest will include London, Salisbury, Stratford, Chester, Newcastle, York, Lincoln, and Cambridge.

Overture to a full study abroad experience

A student who enjoys and learns during a Maymester program is likely ready and willing to take the step toward a full semester abroad. PC assists students through every step of the study abroad process, whether the stay will last weeks or months.