Written by: Kathleen Bowman
Kathleen Bowman is a senior business major, a member of the women’s swim team and Razor’s Edge Leadership Development Program. Last semester, she studied with Semester at Sea, travelling by boat to different countries and experiencing various cultures, all while earning credit toward her business degree. Throughout the semester, she visited England, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Spain, Morocco, Senegal, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama and Costa Rica.
Can you image a whole semester on a cruise ship? I had the opportunity to participate in a study abroad program called Semester At Sea that goes to 13 cities in 11 countries on four continents, all within 100 days. I was able to take 12 credit hours all while travelling the world.
In those 100 days, the ship became my home. The ship hosted close to 1,000 students, faculty, staff, lifelong learners and crew. The class schedule of the program was very unique. When we traveled from one country to the next, we would have our classes. And when we were in a country, we were able to travel around and do whatever we liked.
The classes I took were Drawing at Sea, Personal Finance, International Marketing and Strategic Cost Management. My courses were always so enjoyable, and it was super cool to see first-hand why what we learned mattered. For my Strategic Cost Management class, for example, we went to an organic winery in Italy where we learned about how they run their business all while enjoying their product.
The ship had lots of things to do, which I loved. Students could get involved in several organizations, including coloring club, walking club and arts and crafts. Students could also relax by a pool and play board games in a game room. Every night, there were two different talks for the shipboard community. The first one was always something interesting that a student, lifelong learner or professor would want to share, and the next hour was always something educational that had to deal with the locations we were going next.
One thing that I absolutely loved about being on Semester At Sea were the meal times, not because of the food, but because of the great conversations we would have during those meals. No one could be on their phones since we didn’t have data access, so everyone was always engaged and talking about something with the group, and each meal always lead to a great conversation.
Through this experience, I can say I have made lifelong friends. It is such a unique program that offers the opportunity not only to get to know your classmates on the ship, but also to travel with them to places you may have never been. I think travelling with someone really gives you insight to who that person really is, and that’s why I think I was able to make so many strong connections with people. I also became close with one of my professors. It’s fun to live so close to your professor and see them at dinner or by the pool. The close-knit feel of all being together on the ship was one thing that I really liked.
After doing Semester At Sea, I have changed as a person. I was able to not only see all the amazing sites in 11 countries, but was also able learn more about others’ cultures. I also believe that I’ve grown as a person through this experience. I definitely think that I would be able to travel anywhere and not feel as scared to be in a place I’ve never been before. It was definitely the best decision I’ve ever made and will be a highlight of my life for a very long time.
