Want to Spend a Future Semester in Sydney, Paris, or Hong Kong? Find Out How at Wednesday’s Study Abroad Expo

Want to Spend a Future Semester in Sydney, Paris, or Hong Kong? Find Out How at Wednesday's Study Abroad Expo

Itching for a change of scenery from the usual Commonwealth Ave bustle?

Check out the annual Study Abroad Expo on Marsh Plaza tomorrow, September 10, from 10 am to 2 pm. Sponsored by BU Global Programs and BU Study Abroad, the fair allows interested students to learn about Boston University's 170-plus study abroad offerings in 30 cities around the world, among them Sydney, Hong Kong, and Paris.

Students can speak with study abroad ambassadors-students who have already studied abroad-and chat with reps from Study Abroad, the Center for Career Development, academic departments, and Financial Assistance. Staff from the London, Paris, Washington, D.C., and Geneva programs will be on hand for students interested in those specific programs.

And, there will be swag, fun activities, and giveaways.

Gareth McFeely, executive director of Study Abroad, says the expo is the department's largest annual campus event. "It's an opportunity for us to connect with as many students as possible in a very visible location-on Marsh Plaza," he says.

Study Abroad is tweaking some options for the 2026-2027 school year, including ones without an internship component and that don't stretch as long. One of these is a non-internship option in Geneva, launching next year.

The expo is for everyone, but is especially geared toward first- and second-year students who want to explore their options. Programs are open to transfer students, McFeely adds, who might not think they would be able to go abroad. And for students heading out of Boston this spring, the expo is an opportunity to meet staff members at their location.

"Our goal is often the same, and that's to get out in front of as many people as possible, to try to help answer as many questions as possible, but also to make students aware that we're there for them individually," he says.

The expo is also designed to help students understand the financial and curricular constraints, enabling them to plan accordingly.

"Having people think about that early is really important," McFeely says, noting that while spring study abroad programs tend to be more popular among students than fall programs, the content is the same. "There are various reasons that students have a preference for the spring, but we do want to make sure that students are aware that there is this other great option for them," he says.

Some of the BU programs operate out of the University's own sites in the various countries, others place students directly in foreign universities, and a few are run by partner study abroad organizations. Students can also choose among completing an internship abroad, taking major-focused or Hub classes, or taking general classes.

Thang Ly (CAS'25) has completed two summer internship abroad programs-one in Paris and one in Shanghai. He says he studied abroad to see how people in different communities communicate and work with one another. In both programs, he interacted with people in the Study Abroad cohort and with Parisian and Chinese locals.

"Communicating with [local residents] helped me a lot to understand what life actually is like there, versus what life is like when we're studying abroad [in a school-sponsored program]," Ly says.

He advises students going abroad in the future to work on their language skills (and to bring the right adapter). "If you're going to a non-English speaking country, the best way to communicate with people is through their native language because then you get more experiences and also more nuances," he says.

McFeely emphasizes the importance of preparing in advance and taking advantage of the opportunities each program offers. "Become a little bit more familiar with the place that you're going," he advises. "Read a book about the place, read a novel that's set in that place. Make it feel real before you get on the plane."

The deadline to apply for most spring 2025 programs is October 1, and the deadline to apply for most summer 2025 programs is March 1. Find the applications here.

If you can't make it to Wednesday's Study Abroad Expo, there are several other events and info sessions you can attend throughout the semester and a smaller-scale event in the spring. Check them out on the Study Abroad events calendar here.

Explore Related Topics:

• Exhibitions
• Global Programs
• Internship
• Students
• Study Abroad

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