{"230161":{"#nid":"230161","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Welcome to Tech, Now Go Away","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWelcome to a new year at Georgia Tech. Now that you\u2019re back, it\u2019s time to start thinking about studying abroad. Yes, you just got here, but since you\u2019re at Georgia Tech, that means you think ahead and plan, so come to the open house at the Office of International Education this Wednesday from 11 am - 1 pm on the second floor of the Savant Building and start planning to see the world. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne student who\u2019s seen the world is Bibiana \u201cBibi\u201d Garcia. She\u2019s starting her fifth year at Georgia Tech with a major in biology. She was born and raised in South America, but moved to Augusta, Ga when she began high school. Having lived in various countries, it was, perhaps, natural for her to want to study abroad. But she keeps doing it because she loves learning and says she learns something new in each place she visits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTraveling to a different country on your own is an excellent opportunity to do something outside of your comfort zone and challenge yourself so that you can grow as a person,\u201d said Garcia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELorie Paulez, director of education abroad in Tech\u2019s Office of International Education said that it\u2019s not only about challenging yourself, but it\u2019s about setting yourself up for a better career.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are finding more and more employers looking for graduates that have international experience these days,\u201d said Paulez. \u201cBecause having gone abroad and having to learn to function in a culture that\u2019s not your own gives you special skills and shows a certain amount of adaptability, flexibility and problem solving skills.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome students just go abroad once during their time at Tech, while others, like Garcia, go on multiple trips. Her first study abroad experience came in 2011 with the three-month Pacific Program where the group went to Wellington, New Zealand; Sydney, Australia and Brisbane, Australia. This past year, she returned to Sydney for a five-month exchange program with the University of New South Wales for a more in-depth experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy philosophy is to look at my life and experience each day,\u201d said Garcia. \u201cI try to learn as much as I can from those around me and take advantage of every opportunity and experience available to me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech has a number of study abroad experiences available, said Paulez. There are the traditional summer study programs, but there are also exchange programs, like the one Garcia attended in Sydney, where students spend a semester or two abroad. Either of these programs may offer a research component, or service opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd knowing another language before you go isn\u2019t necessary for all programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have options for everyone,\u201d said Paulez. \u201cSometimes we have students who have already been studying a language, or a particular place or culture and they want to enhance that. But we also have students who have never been out of the United States and don\u2019t speak another language.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInterested in learning more? Then go to the Study Abroad Open House on Wednesday to get all your burning questions answered.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWelcome to a new year at Georgia Tech. Now that you\u2019re back, it\u2019s time to start thinking about studying abroad. Yes, you just got here, but since you\u2019re at Georgia Tech, that means you think ahead and plan, so come to the open house at the Office of International Education this Wednesday from 11 am - 1 pm on the second floor of the Savant Building and start planning to see the world.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Welcome to a new year at Georgia Tech. Now that you\u2019re back, it\u2019s time to start thinking about studying abroad."}],"uid":"27245","created_gmt":"2013-08-20 07:15:25","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:46","author":"Troy Hilley","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-08-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-08-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"230151":{"id":"230151","type":"image","title":"Bibi Garcia","body":null,"created":"1449243582","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:42","changed":"1475894901","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:21","alt":"Bibi Garcia","file":{"fid":"197510","name":"230071.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/230071_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/230071_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1715760,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/230071_0.jpg?itok=bzNNeI8j"}}},"media_ids":["230151"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Biology"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.oie.gatech.edu\/","title":"Office of International Education"}],"groups":[{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["david.terraso@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}