Where in the world is Penn?

Most students who take summer classes just go through the same routine as during the other semesters.

But one group of students is able to earn summer credits without ever stepping foot on Locust Walk.

Instead those students are enjoying unique cultures in far off cities such as Buenos Aires, London, Florence, and Seoul.

This is what life is like for students participating in study abroad programs, which Penn has been hosting in the summer for over 30 years.

The oldest ongoing program is the one currently in Alicante, Spain. It has been in place since at least 1977, although it has not always been in the same Spanish city.

Reasons vary for going abroad, and students may or may not spend a full semester abroad as well.

"Some people start with going in the summer and develop a taste for it and do a semester," said Penn Summer Abroad Coordinator Elizabeth Sachs.

However, she added, "for many students, this is the only opportunity that they have."

In 2006, a total of 291 people participated in the 10 summer abroad programs offered, the highest total of participants since the summer of 2001.

After the attacks of September 11, registration fell by almost a third, and has still not reached previous levels.

While programs are open to both Penn and non-Penn students, 91 percent of participants were affiliated with the University, including a handful of incoming freshmen.

The programs offered often change as well.

For instance, in the summer of 2001, there were 14 program locations, including Moscow and Warsaw.

Courses may be taught by either Penn faculty or professors from the foreign city.

For that reason, each program is organized and run by a Penn faculty director no matter how well established the program is.

"We have someone representing Penn to make sure what is being taught abroad is worthy of Penn credit," Sachs said.

Certain programs, such as Tours and Florence are meant to immerse students in a foreign language.

Even students who had little experience with the language prior to the program found the experience helpful.

"I had never taken Italian before and I left Italy extremely confident about my ability to converse on most subjects," said Wharton sophomore Mickey Ashmore, who was in the Florence program. "Being in Italy and spending time with native speakers had a noticeable impact on the speed of which I picked up Italian."

Also, in programs such as Seoul and Compeigne, students get the chance to work a short internship in addition to taking classes.

According to Sachs, the program in Korea is able to offer internships because the director has many local business contacts, while in Compeigne, Penn has a close relationship with the city's university, and the school creates the job opportunities.

Students live either with a host family or in a communal hotel, depending on the program.

Most students felt that the housing provided was appropriate to their situation.

"Family is a huge part of Indian culture and in order to get the full experience, interacting with a family and their daily routine is mandatory," said College junior Nitika Dabas, who is participating in the program in Pune, where students live with local families.

On the other hand, students in the London program live together in a house in Notting Hill.

College junior Avarna Goenka said that living in the house "helps to forge strong bonds among all the students."

Still, not all felt that the set-up was ideal.

"I would rather live in a homestay environment so I could get more of a feel of the London culture and community," said college senior Erica Lederman, another member of the program in Britain.

And of course, students get a chance to experience the nightlife of another city.

Kelly Jones, a College junior studying in Prague said that there are more options when going out than in Philadelphia, especially during the week.

She noted that one major difference at clubs is the music, where you will often hear techno or no-longer popular American bands.

In other locations students found the nightlife to be much calmer than at Penn.

College junior Gabrielle Haug said that in Pune hookah bars are popular and she particularly enjoyed one "that had live music and an outdoor ambiance."

Many students noted that the atmosphere when going out as night is different, in part due to the lower drinking age.

"The goal of going out is to relax, meet people and unwind -- not to go crazy and get drunk," Ashmore said.

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