Katie Birkey traveled to Costa Rica through the Study Abroad program and is looking forward to doing it again.

The junior community leadership and civic engagement major was one of many students who attended the Study Abroad 101 event on Wednesday in Williston Hall. The session was hosted by the Study Abroad office.

“I’m open to any location,” Birkey said. “I want to gain experience working with international NGOs that focus on women’s issues.”

At the beginning of the semester, the office invites students who might be interested in traveling abroad to sessions about their services. During the session students receive information about cost requirements, what they can expect and what each study abroad program in each location has to offer.

Ben Slonek, Study Abroad graduate assistant, said the Study Abroad 101 session gives students an overview of the basics.

“We discuss budgetary issues, different housing formats, programs and courses they might be interested in and answer any questions they might have,” Slonek said.

The Study Abroad program requires students to have at least a 2.75 or 3.0 GPA, depending on the requirements of certain programs, according to the Study Abroad office’s eligibility policy. Applicants are also required to be enrolled as a full-time student with a sophomore standing. Freshman students who want to travel abroad during the summer must achieve a sophomore standing at the end of their spring semester. Applicants are required to have the Student Health Insurance.

Participants who are accepted get the chance to travel abroad with a group of professors to the location of their choice. Students who major in certain subjects may only go to certain locations, Slonek said.

Adrienne Decker, senior industrial and system engineering major, said she also enjoyed her past experiences in the Study Abroad program.

“I studied in Lima, Peru, during the fall semester of 2010,” Decker said. “My favorite part was getting to experience the culture and getting to learn about the people, language and food.”