Semester at Sea: Field Programs

Semester at Sea offers many amazing opportunities while abroad, such as field programs! These are experiences you sign up for through the Semester at Sea program itself. They offer a wide variety of different adventures for all kinds of interests, including getting to see the local environment through hikes and unique wild life or getting to know the culture through meeting local people and trying local foods. These programs were so convenient because they had everything planned out for us, down to transportation and local guides, which made traveling a lot easier and stress free. I signed up for many of these programs and it was definitely worth it! A few of my favorites were in South Africa where I got to see Africa Black Footed Penguins in the wild, going to a Cheetah Conservation Center where I got to pet a cheetah, and go to a Safari in a Game Reserve. In Morocco, I also did an overnight field program where we went surfing, road camels, and got to eat dinner a a local family’s house which was my favorite meal of the whole trip! These programs offered so many unique opportunities that I could not have done on my own, I would definitely recommend future students going on Semester at Sea to sign up for ones that interest them!

Boulder Beach Penguin Colony (South Africa)

African Black Footed Penguins (South Africa)

Cheetah Conversation Center (South Africa)

Safari Game Reserve (South Africa)

Surfing (Morocco)

Camel Riding (Morocco)

Semester at Sea

For my study abroad I decided to go on Semester at Sea! One of my favorite “ports” was the MV World Odyssey… This ship was our home for the three and a half months we were abroad and we made so many amazing memories there. This is where we went to class, studied, ate, slept, and all hung out during our stretches at sea. There were so many fun events, including clubs, ship kid and crew talents shows, movie nights, and incredible guest lectures from the countries we were visiting. Two of my favorite events were Neptune Day and Sea Olympics! Neptune Day is a maritime tradition that sailors take part in when they cross that equator for the first time. Some of the “Staculty” (staff and faculty) put together a ceremony for us to celebrate. Sea Olympics was a whole day where we got to compete in games around the ship. It was very fun getting to cheer on my friends and team, as well as become closer with my shipboard community. Go Arabian Sea! Getting to go to school and live on a ship while traveling and getting to meet people from all over the world was truly such an incredible experience that I am grateful I got to have.

The pool deck

The Union, where we have classes and events

The Bridge, where the Captain and crew steer and oversee the ship

Picture with the Captain after the Alumni Ball

Sea Olympics 

 

!Arabian Sea

All of the seas together on the back decks of the ship

Life at Sea and Everywhere In Between

Life on board the MV World Odyssey during Semester at Sea is something I don’t think I could ever fully explain unless you’ve lived it yourself. From the moment you step on the ship, you realize it’s not just transportation-it’s a floating community, a home, and honestly, its own little world.

There is always something happening on board. Every day is packed with events, activities, and opportunities to get involved, and it’s impossible to be bored unless you choose to be. One of my favorite parts of ship life was helping plan events that brought people together. I was involved in organizing SASsassin, a massive game of assassin played across the ship, Decades on Deck, where everyone dressed up and danced through different eras, and Are You Smarter Than a Ship Kid, which was exactly as chaotic and fun as it sounds. Seeing people laugh, compete, and connect during these events made the ship feel like a big extended family.

That’s really what Semester at Sea becomes- an extended family. You eat meals together, study together, travel together, and celebrate together. You start recognizing faces everywhere, waving in hallways, sitting with people you didn’t know a week ago. My biggest advice to anyone going on Semester at Sea is to say yes to everything. Go to the events. Join the activities and clubs. Stay out late talking on deck. Do as much as you possibly can, because those moments are what make the experience unforgettable.

And then there’s port life- which somehow feels even more surreal. You go to sleep in one country and wake up in another. You open your curtains and suddenly you’re somewhere completely new. Every port feels like a reset, a new adventure waiting right outside the ship.

Some of my favorite ports were truly once-in-a-lifetime experiences. In Morocco, we rode camels through the desert, something I never imagined I’d get to do. In Vietnam, I went caving and explored places that felt untouched and unreal. And in India, seeing the Taj Mahal in person was one of those moments that makes you stop and think, I can’t believe this is real. Pictures don’t do it justice- standing there was overwhelming in the best way.

Semester at Sea taught me how much can happen when you put yourself out there. Between life on the ship and experiences in port, every day felt full, exciting, and meaningful. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it. If you’re given the chance to be part of this program, my advice is simple: do everything you can, say yes as often as possible, and let the experience change you.

Departing the World Odyssey

I had seen youtube videos about how close the shipboard community was. I had not imagined how hard this goodbye would be. As the days counted down towards our arrival to San Diego I tried to enjoy every last moment. From the swim in the pool to the last movie night in my friends room. We stayed up all night prior to arriving in California. We played uno, started writing raps, and just enjoyed each others company. We created plans for a SAS reunion and had to say goodbye for now.

The last time returning to the ship

Enjoying the Alumni Ball!

On land or at sea, voyage 127 is the one to be!

Travel Journal

Studying abroad is such an amazing experience and you will not want to forget a single moment of it. To help me remember all of the amazing adventures I experienced as a part of Semester at Sea’s Fall 2019 voyage I kept a journal. After each day I would write down how my day was. I would write down how I felt, what I did, what I saw, and what my overall thoughts were. I would keep any small items that I have collected while visiting all these different countries. For each country, I visited I would buy one postcard and keep some of the currency they used. I would keep maps, pictures, train tickets, bus tickets, and business cards. I would glue all these items to my journal and in a few years, I will be able to look back at my journal and remember just how amazing my study abroad experience was. 

Keeping a journal was my way of remembering my study abroad experience but there are many other ways you could capture your study abroad experience. You can do vlogs, an end of semester video or find another creative way to remember the good memories of this adventure. Do what works for you and cherish the memories you create.

IMPACT Scholarship- Semester at Sea

Semester at Sea has a scholarship named the IMPACT Program Scholarship. Semester at Sea has partnered with a local NGO in Morocco and one in Ghana. The organizations that Semester at Sea has partnered up with are the Global Diversity Foundation in Morocco and Global Mamas in Ghana. Semester at Sea awards these organizations a grant and through this scholarship program a select number of students gets to visit these organizations through fully paid field programs. Additionally, 3 of the selected students will receive a scholarship towards their tuition. When I first applied for the scholarship I thought the program would be like a volunteer project. When I finally was able to see and spend some time with the organizations it was not what I had initially imagined.

The IMPACT Cohort (the group of students selected) got to spend 4 days with the Global Diversity Foundation. During the first day, we visited the Secret Garden Museum and the Water Museum to learn about the importance of water in the country of Morocco. On the second day, we visited the Dar Taliba School where the organization has an ethnobotanical school garden. We were able to meet with the girls that attend the boarding school and learning about agricultural practices. Day 3 consisted of a visit to the High Atlas Mountains to see one of the organization's plants nursery. There we learned more about agricultural practices and native plants. On the last day, we travelled to the market in Marrakech to learn about medicinal plants. Overall we learned a vast amount of things during our stay with Global Diversity Foundation.

In Ghana, the IMPACT Cohort spent 3 days with Global Mamas. The first day we participated in a batik workshop and a drumming and dancing workshop. The next two days were focused on helping the organization with different projects. The cohort was split up into 4 different groups; Batik Design, Photography, Meet the Mamas and Social Media. I was in the batik design group and we had the task of creating possible batik designs for their fall 2020 collection. In the photography group, they worked on capturing stunning photos modelling some of the Global Mama products for their catalogue. In the meet the mamas group the students worked on creating a short profile of 5 of the batik workers. Lastly, the social media group worked on strategies to improve their social media platform. We all did some amazing work and learn about the organization.

Both trips were amazing experiences and I would recommend that you apply for this scholarship if you plan to study abroad with Semester at Sea. It truly was a unique experience I would not have been able to enjoy had it not been for this scholarship.

Semester at Sea: Japan, India and South Africa

Hello All!

I just wanted to share a little bit about a few countries that I visited and what I did there. One of the most common questions I received after my experience abroad is, "What was your favorite place that you went to?" This is actually one of my least favorite questions that I get asked because I am unable to pick a favorite destination. All of the 11 countries that I visited are unique in so many different ways and are incomparable. I would have to say my top three places visited were Japan, India and South Africa! Below I am going to share some photos!

Japan

 Nara was one place in Japan that was on the top of my list! It is a small quiet town in the suburbs of Japan where there are domesticated deer running all over the streets and parks! Definitely worth a stop, especially if you are in the season of the burning mountain festival.

This is a buddha temple that I went to. There are many temples and shrines that you can visit in Japan that are worth seeing. It is a good way to dive into the culture a bit deeper. These beautiful structures are truly breath taking.

Another temple at sunset where we stopped to take a picture on our way to dinner. I ate some of the best sushi I have ever had in my life in Japan. Make sure to try Ramen, Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) and lots of sushi!












India 

 This picture was taken at a lookout of the city of Jaipur. We took a bus all the way up a narrow winding road that overlooked the bustling city. This is a great place to watch sunset if you are visiting Jaipur!

 The Taj Mahal was on my bucket list ever since I was a little girl so I had to go. This one was a bit more tricky to reach because it is pretty far from where the boat was docked. I had to take a flight to get here and a long bus ride because it is in the middle of the country. If you are able to visit here it is even more beautiful in person. I was astonished that people were able to build such an amazing structure.

The roads in India are very narrow and small and most of them can not fit cars through. The streets are very dirty and impoverished but you are able to find true gems within the streets. People are so kind and willing to lend a helping hand. Watch out for theft though and make sure that you are dressed modestly, covering shoulders and legs. Here we took a rickshaw ride through the streets and markets.

 I visited many structures on this trip because they play a prevalent role in the Indian culture. A lot of these places I went to were tombs for families. The architecture and paintings were like nothing I have ever seen. Quite incredible to see this structure in person.

This is a photo of one of my favorite dinners! I know that it doesn't look too appetizing but Indian food was by far my favorite food on my whole entire trip. The curry was amazing and so was the dessert! You need to try all of the food in India even if it looks gross I promise it will taste amazing. Most of the food in India is also vegetarian because they see animals, especially cows as sacred.

















South Africa 

 Because I am 21 years of age I was able to go on a wine tour in South Africa. I have never been on one before at home and I thought that it would be a fun thing to do for the first time with friends. We drank wine, ate cheese and chocolate and it was a really fun time. I learned a lot about the wine making process as well as some fun facts!

 I was able to meet up with a family friend at the famous penguin beach in South Africa. There are actually penguins that live and survive on the beach here! It was incredible! I have never seen anything like it before. This was more on the touristy side and very crowded but if you want to see the penguins I do recommend doing it.

One of my favorite things about South Africa was the hikes that I was able to do. I did about three different ones that took my breath away. This hike was called Lions Head and I would recommend it if you are up for a workout and adventure. The 360 view of the city and beaches were worth the hike up!

 This picture was taken on a game drive that I was able to go on. I went to this property where there were a bunch of wild animals and went on a jeep to go see them. This was also an awesome experience but I would recommend doing an actual safari instead of a game drive because you are able to see the animals in their natural habitat.

Last but not least my favorite day! I surf here on the Island so it was a relief to be able to go out and surf in South Africa. I felt at home at the beach and on a board. A bunch of students rented boards and went out to catch some waves. If you are a surfer and are looking to surf Cape Town is definitely the place to do so!