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Whether you attend a big state university or a small local College, there are plenty of opportunities to increase and expand your educational experiences beyond the scope of a normal degree program. Read on to see which of these unique programs offers what you need to succeed.

Honors Programs
For students who want accessible professors and the homeliness of a quaint college, but don't want to give up the bigger research centers, greater diversity, and limitless course choices of a university, an honors program may be an ideal compromise.

"[Honors programs] connect students to the resources of a large university, but also provide an intimate collegiate atmosphere where students can work closely with peers and professors in small classes, research laboratories, and special programs," says Mary Nisbit, associate dean of undergraduate studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Professor Maynard Mack, Jr., director of the honors program at the University of Maryland (College Park, MD), concurs. "We set students' heads on fire in small classes they sign up for 'to meet a requirement,' but end up falling in love with. Good teachers, good students, small classrooms, lots of discussion - it's irresistible!"

In addition, honors departments often offer special housing, computer labs, seminars, publications, libraries, trips, advisors, employment, clubs, fellowships, study areas, social events, conferences, internships, and resume-building recommendations. Equipped with separate scholarships and research grants, most honors programs even provide a Financial support system for accelerated and motivated students. Think of an honors program as a school within a school, giving students access to the best faculty, facilities, and funding while fostering a sense of community among students, and a close bond between mentoring professors and their advisees.

"An honors program is a unique way for students and faculty from different walks of life to share their ideas and learn from the ideas of others in a relaxed and friendly environment," says Mandy Bohl, a student at Morningside College (Sioux City, IA). "The honors program and the friends I have made there have been two of the highlights of my time at Morningside."

Alternatives Abroad
If something a bit more adventurous is necessary to whet your academic appetite, you may wish to consider study, work, and intern abroad programs. With destinations ranging from Australia to Zimbabwe, study abroad and Cultural Immersion programs offer learning through living.

Take it from me -- learning outside your comfort zone tests more than just your linguistic and cultural knowledge. My semester in Italy meant watching literary, artistic, and political history come alive. After listening to a lecture on the painting style of Michelangelo, my professor said, "This is the Sistine Chapel. We'll be going there tomorrow." Actually being there makes knowledge a reality. We didn't just read about Dante -- we saw his house, his church, his statues, the paintings he inspired, and his grave. That's why going abroad was the best decision I've ever made.

Need more convincing? Check out what Alison Cieszynski, a senior at James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA) has to say about the semester she spent studying in Salamanca, Spain: "I learned more about myself in those four months than ever before. You realize what you value, what is important to you, and who you truly are."

Think the best international programs can only be found in Cambridge or Princeton? Think again. According to Peterson's Study Abroad 2002, there are nearly 1,800 study abroad programs, hitting every continent (OK, maybe not Antarctica), and over 150 countries worldwide. The best part is that many schools offer flexible transfer credit policies -- so even if your destination du jour isn't on your school's international menu, you'll still be able to go where you want, when you want, and still earn credit.

Study Through Service
Would you rather actively use what you've learned and contribute to your surrounding community? Then get involved in a service-learning program. Many service-based programs use volunteer projects focused on a specific issue to give students hands-on experience with what they're learning. Projects can focus on anything from reading to racism.

Lee Kimball, a student at Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA) acts as the chairperson for THON, a school-wide 48-hour dance marathon and incidentally, the largest student-run philanthropy project in the world. Last year alone, THON raised over 3.6 million dollars for pediatric cancer research. "Volunteer and leadership opportunities outside the classroom are what make a collegiate experience complete," says Lee. "I have learned much more that will help me post-Graduation in my extra curricular positions than I had ever imagined."

Alternative spring breaks are another popular service-learning activity. Each spring, over 30,000 students (both high school and college) perform temporary assignments for community agencies while learning about the lifestyles and problems of people in diverse environments. "They allow students to break out of the Career-oriented, peer-immersed world that is college, and experience aspects of their society that they do not normally interact with," says Jonathon Power, co-coordinator of the Alternative Spring Break program at the University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS). "We hope to help them realize they are integral parts of both the problems and the solutions involving these issues."

Perhaps Dillon Mahipala, service learning coordinator for the University of Texas, Dallas, sums it up best: "This experience is not a lecture where students sit in a lecture hall and take notes. Academic education is always important, but everyone must have an understanding that the world is a place to be shared by everyone and everything. Our projects not only open participants' minds to understand what service is, they also open their hearts to have compassion toward the cause they are supporting."

Bottom Line
You don't have to attend an Ivy to get the best education money can buy. In the end, a good College Experience is about taking full advantage of all avenues of learning. By simply checking into what schools offer beyond the classroom, you may find that your dream school is just around the corner, waiting to be found.

>> For more information on service-learning, take a look at the Alternative Spring Break Web site at www.alternativebreaks.org, or simply contact the Center for Service Learning at your desired school to see what volunteer opportunities are offered.

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