Costa Rica, Spain and Ireland are just three of the 22 countries that students can learn more about at the study abroad fair.

The event is sponsored by the Center for International Education and Veterans of Study Abroad and takes place Thursday.

Senior Stacey Bolton, who studied in Lismore, Australia in the spring of 2000 said the fair gives students who are interested in studying abroad a chance to talk to students who have experienced different programs.

Cheryl Lochner-Wright, study abroad coordinator, said that students who pursue a study abroad program will benefit in personal growth, independence and self-confidence.

“Employers see students who study abroad as flexible,” she said.

Lochner-Wright said students will also experience academic growth in their study abroad travels.

“(Students) will be able to see their discipline from a different perspective,” she said.

Bolton said that she “overcame personal limits” when she learned how to work in groups in the outback and rain forests of Australia.

“It’s good for students to get away from expectations of parents and friends at home,” she said.

Senior Kaija Freborg also had a positive study abroad experience in her stay in Harlaxton, England in spring of 2001.

With classes from Monday through Thursday, Freborg took advantage of her free time as she visited such places as Sweden, Italy and Switzerland.

“You learn how to schedule your time and plan in advance,” she said.

Freborg lived in a manor with three other girls from Indiana who she did not know ahead of time.

“It worked out great actually,” she said. “You learn a lot about yourself … It’s an eye opening experience.”