When it came time to go off to college, Amanda Philips made sure to choose a university with a robust study abroad program.

“That was one of the reasons I chose LMU -- because there were so many programs offered in so many places I wanted to go,” Philips says. “I really wanted to go to Oxford and LMU has a great connection with that university.”

LMU has been offering study abroad programs for more than three decades and features summer and semester programs in over a dozen countries. More than 550 LMU students study abroad each year.

Philips set out on her first study abroad excursion after finishing her sophomore year, choosing to spend a month in Oxford through an LMU program. Last spring, she spent four months in Prague, Czech Republic, studying at Charles University through a non-LMU program.

“That was definitely one of the best and hardest things I've ever done,” Philips says of her stay in Prague, adding that she always tries her best to adapt to the local culture when traveling abroad. “My roommate and I were the only two Americans in the program.  We took a Czech course with some other students, but they were European and they could just pick up the language faster than we could.”

A senior majoring in communication studies and political science, Philips says she was able to take courses toward her double major while abroad and will earn her degree in May after four years at LMU.

Philips currently works in the Study Abroad office recruiting other students to participate in the program, sharing her own experiences through presentations and information sessions. Though she admits she still gets homesick when traveling, she has advice for those who may be apprehensive about going to a foreign country.

“I think if you're at all hesitant, you should definitely go with an LMU program,” Philips says.  “We have amazing programs for semester and summer, and they’re set up in such a way that makes it easy for you to be away in a foreign country, especially if it's your first time. You're there with other LMU students and professors that help you anytime, day or night.

“I would definitely encourage students to study abroad,” Philips adds. “Going out there and interacting with people and immersing yourself in different cultures is so important. It’s a different kind of learning; it's like nothing you can achieve in the classroom.”