FALL 2012 | St. Lawrence University Magazine 21
FA L 2012 | St. LAwrence UniverSity MAgAzine 21
During campus visits, it's com-
mon to hear prospective students
say they "can't wait" to study
abroad after learning that more
than half of all St. lawrence stu-
dents participate in a semester-
long international study experi-
ence by graduation.
If they come to St. lawrence,
they won't have to wait long. In
fact, they can start right away.
beginning this fall, students can
spend their first semester off cam-
pus, in a First-Year Program col-
lege in london, England, adding
to a growing list of off-campus
opportunities.
Many students arrive at St. law-
rence with plans to study in more
than one international location,
so getting a jump on one as
soon as possible can help them
achieve that goal, says Dean
of admissions and Financial aid
Jeff Rickey. The
london FYP is also
a great option for
students who might
otherwise contem-
plate a "gap" year
of travel or work
before jumping into
full-time college life,
Rickey adds. With a
semester in lon-
don, for example,
students can see
the world, experi-
ence an internship
and simultaneously
begin their college
education.
options for immers-
ing themselves in a culture totally
different from campus have nev-
er been greater for St. lawrence
students.
oFF CaMPuS nEaR CaMPuS
The london FYP is part of an
expanded array of options for off-
campus study, including a few
that aren't necessarily "abroad."
St. lawrence's highly acclaimed
–
and highly popular – adiron-
dack Semester has been in place
during the fall for more than a
decade. and although students
are only an hour from campus,
their immersion in nature means
that they are
removed
from any-
thing resem-
bling typical
college life.
They live off-
grid in yurts
–
round tents
on raised
platforms
–
and take
turns prepar-
ing meals
for the entire group of a dozen
students. Faculty who teach in
the program must "commute"
there for classes, which involves a
canoe ride across a not-always-
serene lake.
along the same lines, the Sus-
tainability Semester launching in
the spring will have students living
independently, off campus, even
though they will be a stone’s
throw from the university.
St. lawrence will lease farm
property near Canton, and the
program includes an urban com-
ponent during which participants
will travel to boston for two weeks,
exploring sustainability systems in
a different environment.
another new off-campus pro-
gram might be considered the
opposite of the adirondack Se-
mester: the new York City Semes-
ter, in which students take classes
and participate in internships in
the arts and financial organiza-
tions. Field trips to Wall Street,
museums and galleries round out
their busy weekly schedules.
alternatives still exist for study
at other u.S. colleges, too. The
Washington, D.C., Semester
program at american university
is consistently popular, especially
with government majors.
Students can spend their
first semester off campus,
in a First-Year Program
college in london.
From Stonehenge to the adirondacks (below), St. lawrence students travel near
and far in pursuit of a modern education.
bob Cowser