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Freshman seminars give freshmen a taste of studying abroad

Contact: Kathleen Fairfax, Office of Study Abroad, (517) 353-8920, kfairfax@msu.edu; or Meredith Mescher, University Relations, (517) 432-0305, mescherm@msu.edu

Students at MSU's Kellogg Biological Station conduct field research. Photo by Kurt Stepnitz.

It's becoming more common for today's incoming college freshmen to get a taste of studying in another community or abroad before setting foot in a classroom on campus.

As the pioneer in freshman seminars abroad, Michigan State University gives students a sense of what college – and visiting another country – have to offer.

Freshman Seminars Abroad offer incoming first-year students the opportunity to travel with their MSU peers and faculty members while earning academic credit. They can experience countries as close as Canada and as far away as Japan.

"We see these seminars as a way to provide a cross-cultural experience in a controlled environment," says Kathleen Fairfax, director of MSU's Office of Study Abroad. "It's useful for freshmen to bond with other students so they have a small network of people they know before they get to MSU. Plus, it gives them a chance to form relationships with faculty members they can call on for help or advice once they get to campus."

Kellogg Biological Station director Kay Gross (center) looks at a specimen with students. Photo by Kurt Stepnitz.

The Freshman Seminar Away at MSU's Kellogg Biological Station is a new opportunity open to those incoming freshmen who want to participate in a seminar but prefer to stay in Michigan.

The biological station, located in Hickory Corners, Mich., was donated to MSU by cereal magnate and entrepreneur W.K. Kellogg, an environmentalist who understood the importance of preserving the land and its resources.

This seminar away offers a weeklong program where a small group of students lives on the premises and studies environmental issues in the surrounding lake and forests, while connecting with faculty and networking with older students.

To learn more about freshman seminars, visit undergrad.msu.edu/seminars.html

To learn more about freshman seminars abroad, visit studyabroad.msu.edu/frseminar/intro.html