Buckeyes become Global Citizens through the Office of International Affairs In the midst of midterms, many students eagerly anticipate the end of spring semester, not as a break from homework but as the beginning of May session. Studying abroad during May session is rapidly gaining popularity among students with the Office of International Affairs (OIA) reporting more than 1,000 study abroad applications for 2014 May session, double those received in 2013. Global May study abroad programs are a special subset of May session study abroad programming, and are designed to introduce first and second year students to study abroad. Ohio State offers seven Global May programs located in China, Brazil, Uganda, Mexico, Great Britain, Morocco, and Hungary. These four-week programs are faculty-led and all classes are taught in English. Global May programs focus on the history, culture, current events and major issues of a specific country or region of the world. The length and timing of May session study abroad programs make it an attractive option for students who plan to take courses or work during the summer term, as well as for those who have never been abroad. "I chose to do a short May-mester study abroad to Italy and Ireland so I could get an experience traveling without the fear of being away from my family for too long," said Bailey Burkholder, who was a sophomore when she attended the Fisher College of Business Freshman Global Lab in Italy and Ireland during the university's first May session.. In 2013, the Office of International Affairs launched its first May session study abroad programs as the university completed its transition from quarters to semesters. Expanding on the success of its first year, Ohio State now offers May session programs in 37 countries, including China, Brazil, Germany and Senegal, where students will study everything from public health issues to Brazilian culture and history to urban planning to the French language. Study abroad scholarships, innovative programs like Global May, and a university-wide emphasis on internationalization have led to significant increases in study abroad enrollment at Ohio State. In the 2012-2013 academic year, 2,426 students participated in Ohio State study abroad programs, a significant increase from 1,716 in 2011-2012. For many of these students, studying abroad is nothing short of life-changing. "Traveling abroad was one of the best decisions I've made at Ohio State," Bailey explained. "I was exposed to other cultures not just in the business world, but in everyday life. I learned so much and some of my best friends to this day I met on the trip. Truly an experience I will never forget." To learn more about The Office of International Affairs, visit us at oia.osu.edu, or contact Elise Burgess at burgess.103@osu.edu or (614) 292-4604.