Exchange student Elyse Campbell was not expecting to see as many police officers surrounding the campus; but the Canadian native is enjoying the California weather.

“It’s like every where you go you see a police car,” Campbell said. “California is a nice state. The weather here is not like Canada.”

The senior business major wanted to get away from her normal Canadian surroundings in Toronto, Ontario, so she decided to join the Office of Global Education Exchange Program for a change of scenery to broaden her education.

Campbell said she chose Sacramento State for its beautiful campus and business program. She found the professors to be nice. However, she said it was interesting that one of her professors asked her if she had a Canadian accent.

“I do say ‘eh’ a lot,” she said.

Study Abroad advisers helped Campbell register for classes and find on-campus housing.

Campbell initially thought life in the residence halls was hard compared to dorm life in Canada, but at Sac State she’s living with a diverse student population and bonding with other exchange students.

“It’s really nice because there are exchange students from all over the world in the dorm,” she said.

Along with her studies, Campbell is also seeing California’s popular tourist sites and cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles. She is also planning to visit Lake Tahoe this weekend.

“I’m traveling every weekend and seeing something new every day,” Campbell said. “It’s never the same.”

In order to come here, Campbell had to file for medical insurance, but she said she was afraid when her adviser told her that the insurance will cover various aspects ranging from basic medical needs to sending her body home if she dies.

“It did scare me a bit, but what if something happens? It’s better for them to be prepared,” she said.

Overall, Campbell said she is happy she chose Sac State and that she is making the best of her time here.

“I’m really excited about what the next four months have in store,” Campbell said.

New location; new standards

Swedish native Petter Andreasson prefers a five-hour exam to the multiple-test system at Sac State. At the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, Andreasson was given two months to read three to four books, then he took a five-hour comprehensive exam for his final.

With homework, WebCT and exams, Andreasson said he feels like he has to show he knows the course material multiple times, where, in Sweden, students only have to show they comprehend the material once.

“(It’s) a great college, and I like the courses, but not how they test,” he said.

This isn’t the first time the business and economics major has studied in the states. Andreasson studied in Texas and Chicago, but this is his first time living in the dorms.

Andreasson was shocked about some of the rules and regulations in the dorms.

“Escorting friends and carrying alcohol in brown bags ?” I’m not used to,” he said.

Andreasson said the California weather is hotter than Sweden, but he likes to hang out by the pool at the residence halls. He added that the people are open and nice and said foreign students and American students alike are helpful.

How to

Students are welcome to come to the Office of Global Education, where there are workshops for general information, scholarships and how to apply to study abroad.

Students who are interested can make individual appointments and are interviewed by a selection committee to be able to participate in the Study Abroad Program.

Students who participate still remain Sac State students and all units earned are still counted as resident units. All classes taken abroad are counted as classes taken on campus, so students won’t have to deal with transfer units.

Study Abroad Adviser Janis Silvers with the Office of Global Education works with all of the university’s academic departments to approve the units students take abroad.

Once a student selects a college to go to, he or she is required to obtain a visa and passport and complete medical forms. Study Abroad advisers give information about how to get the documents and purchase medical insurance through Sac State.

Silvers said studying abroad is a great opportunity for students because the fees one pays to travel are equivalent to Sac State fees.

Silvers added: “Students tell me they learn a lot about themselves in the process.”

Students not only get to visit the area, but engage in the cultural experience.

Matthew Beltran can be reached at [email protected]