The summer before her senior year of high school, Suzanne Parks took part in an exchange program to Germany.Four years later, Parks, a junior majoring in international studies, is preparing to study abroad for the summer in St. Petersburg, Russia.Parks is leaving June 21, and she has been preparing by working on her language skills and taking classes to understand Russian better.”It’s a huge mental preparation,” Parks said. “It’s going to be hard to be away from people I am around all the time.”Carlo Colecchia, coordinator of education abroad, said the Office of International Education offers 80 programs in 30 countries on a year-long basis. Some of the countries include Argentina, Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Ireland, Japan and Spain.Colecchia said there are many reasons why students study abroad.”I think it’s a great way to meet people both abroad and from Ohio State because we have a number of group programs,” Colecchia said. “It attracts a certain student with good grades. They are interested in expanding their horizons and this is a great way to do that.”Parks said she is studying abroad to improve her language skills and because it is related to her major. She said she has also gotten to know the people she is traveling with.Brian Zaharack, a graduate student majoring in comparative studies, said he has studied abroad twice in Israel, and is going back this summer to study the Hebrew language.”It’s a great experience to get involved in a different culture,” Zaharack said. “I love learning different languages, and it’s an education in itself.”Students also study abroad as a practical career builder, Colecchia said.”Having international experience is a very common attribute employers are looking for, especially with the globalization of the economy,” Colecchia said.Aaron Retish, a graduate student majoring in Russian history, said he is studying in St. Petersburg, Russia this summer. He said he wants to study the language and start researching for his dissertation.Colecchia said students who study abroad earn between eight and 15 credit hours per quarter. He said students sometimes earn less credits because the program is shorter.”Students do earn graded OSU credits, regular transfer credits, as if they were taking their courses here on campus,” Colecchia said. “I can say that study abroad students usually make regular academic progress towards graduation.”Parks’ program to St. Petersburg is for six weeks while Retish’s will last two months.Colecchia said students find the programs surprisingly affordable, and grant money and financial aid is available to students going abroad.”We have programs as inexpensive as just tuition, but we have other programs like an exchange to Japan where the program fee might not be so high, but the cost of living in the country can be substantial so you have to factor that in,” Colecchia said. “We try to keep our programs as inexpensive as we can. We’re not for profit.””It does not cost as much as one would think,” Retish said. “It comes out to be just about the same amount as taking classes at OSU.”About 693 students received academic credit for some type of overseas study last year, Colecchia said. He also said students should speak to a study abroad coordinator to see what program is the best for them.”Certain programs are suited for different students,” Colecchi said. “Some programs just require good academic standing, and other programs, like our exchange program, tend to be a little bit more competitive.”Zaharack said studying abroad is a wonderful experience and he recommends it to everyone.”The first time I studied abroad I was really happy to get out of Columbus,” Zaharack said. “I made friends, learned the language and learned a lot about myself. I can’t wait to learn more this year.”