Students who enroll in the National Student Exchange program (NSE) get to experience this first hand. The first step? Attending an NSE meeting held every Tuesday and Wednesday throughout the semester.
“What we do at informational meetings is discuss an overview of the program and the requirements of student exchange,” NSE coordinator Charlotte August said.
Sophomores Angela Nguyen and Jesse Vad are two students who attended one of these information sessions. “I never have really pushed myself out of my comfort zone and I really want to see something different,” Vad said.
Vad and Nguyen attended the meeting because both lived their whole life on the West Coast and are ready to experience a new location. “I really want to go east,” Nguyen said. “I’m looking to expand.”
Each year, 2,500 to 3,000 students nationwide enroll in NSE and explore other parts of the country and world. Nearly 200 universities, including HSU, participate in NSE.
After growing up and attending school in Massachusetts, Alexandra Bosworth, senior psychology and sociology major, decided it was time to see the West Coast. She enrolled in the NSE program through her school, University of Massachusetts Amherst. On August 16 Bosworth arrived in Humboldt County.
“This place, HSU, is so different from my other school,” Bosworth said. “If you need a break from your regular school, but can’t afford to go abroad, this is a great opportunity.”
NSE gives students a practical and beneficial opportunity to study elsewhere while experiencing a new environment. “I have made close friends here at HSU, which only took a month,” Bosworth said. “It took me a year at my other school.”
“The U.S. is such a diverse country,” said August. “NSE allows you to see a different part of the country you live in.”
Students participating in NSE can study in America, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Canada. HSU Students apply and study for up to one academic year in a new location, while progressing towards their HSU degree.
NSE was founded in 1968. Since then, the program has given an opportunity to over 100,000 students to explore the country while gaining personal growth and meeting new people. “It’s a lot of fun,” August said. “Part of this is gaining life experiences.”
NSE Informational meetings are held Tuesdays at 10 a.m. in NHE 116 and Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in SBS 405.
For more information you can visit humboldt.edu/advise/nse or email August at charlotte.august@humboldt.edu.