September 3, 2012

For a Growing Number of Freshmen, Packing for College Requires a Passport

For a Growing Number of Freshmen, Packing for College Requires a Passport 1

Eric Miller for the Chronicle

Tom Mayer, at right, spent several weeks this summer in Cape Town, South Africa, studying environmental issues before starting first-year classes this fall at Michigan State University. He was one of about 100 students in the university's program of overseas study for incoming freshmen.

By Ian Wilhelm

As Tom Mayer prepared for his first year of college this summer, he had a few more items on his to-do list than the usual incoming freshman: Find his passport, get a money belt, and pack a suitcase for a two-week class in Africa.

Mr. Mayer is one of almost 100 new Michigan State University students who studied abroad in July and August, going overseas before they even stepped foot in a classroom on the East Lansing campus. The 18-year-old went to South Africa to study environmental