The National Student Exchange (NSE) program allows American college students to study abroad domestically. Students can study at a university in another state and gain a different educational perspective without going overseas. Below is our interview with student, Jackie Consolloy, who participated in the NSE program.
What is your class, major, minor?
I’m a 5th year expecting to graduate in the spring. I’m working on a double major in Biology with a concentration in ecology and organismal biology, and the MB3 major with a concentration in molecular biology, and then a chemistry minor.
What school did you ultimately chose for your program and why?
For the NSE program, I chose to go to the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, because I couldn’t see myself getting an opportunity to visit Hawai’i within the next few years otherwise. I’m a big fan of hiking and the outdoors (I also work in the Outdoor Adventure Center of Campus Rec in Burdick). Hawai’i and its people strongly love the environment, work hard to preserve it, and value community and wellness. Those values resonated in me strongly.
How did the NSE meet your academic and professional goals?
My experience in Hawai’i was actually the pushing point for me to change my major to Biology (from computer science), so they were super accommodating for course changes in the first week of classes. The level of diversity in courses that the university provided allowed me to take introductory courses geared towards my new major as well as allowed me to explore electives such as a weight training class for 1 credit. Overall professionally, Hawai’i was a big influence in shaping what I aspire to do with my future and I hope to go back soon.
How did the NSE meet your personal goals?
NSE allowed me to combine my love for traveling and academics. There’s so much of the world I have yet to see, and to be able to see it without sacrificing my education means a lot to me. I’ve taken as many opportunities as I could to explore the world while studying (including two study abroad programs over my summer breaks), and NSE allowed for me to do so at a much cheaper cost. Even after two summers away, my parents had little argument to my trip to Hawai’i as the cost wasn’t much more expensive than a normal semester for me.
What was something that you enjoyed doing while you were in your exchange program?
One of the highlights of spending a semester in Hawai’i was being able to take a trip to the beach whenever I felt like it – whether it be an afternoon trip after I finish my classes to see the sunset, the sunrise, or even a trip in the middle of the night. While UH provides free buses around Honolulu, I bought a bike in the beginning of the semester to make transportation just a little easier and make myself happy. Biking through the streets of Honolulu where it always appeared to be sunny could always improve my mood, at least until I had to bike up the mountain to get back to campus.
What was the most memorable experience?
My favorite experience was when my family came to visit for Thanksgiving break. My brother and I were able to go snorkeling with sharks at the North Shore of Oahu, which was simply incredible. They were able to come within a few feet of us without a cage and in the clear water—it was one of the best moments of my life. This is especially true because I love sharks to the point that I even got a tattoo of a shark and a shark tooth while in Hawai’i.
What challenges did you face while you were there?
One of my few challenges was my roommate, who was problematic in multiple ways and was not considerate of sharing a room with someone else. However, one of the joys of Hawai’i is the desire to always be outside which allowed both her and I to not be in the room often. And while my immediate roommate was difficult, I found friends in the two girls from the room next to us who we shared a bathroom with.
We hope you enjoyed learning about what NSE has to offer from a student’s perspective. If you are interested in participating in NSE, please contact the Towson University Study Abroad Office for more information!
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