Students looking for a way to travel outside the United States and earn Iowa State credits can participate in a student exchange with the University of Slovakia in Nitra, Slovakia.

For the last four years, ISU and the Slovak Agricultural University have been organizing exchanges. Originally, only university faculty and businessmen participated in the exchanges, said Eduarda Becerra, study abroad coordinator for the International Agriculture Office.

Three students are attending ISU this spring as part of the exchange. Karol Fronc is studying international trade, and he said coming to the United States was a dream for him. Fronc said he hopes to benefit his homeland when he returns.

Building friendships and developing leadership and communication skills are some of his goals, he said. He is participating in Friends of Slovakia and will participate in the Veishea international tent. Fronc is also traveling across the U.S. this spring.

He said the classes at ISU keep him busier than classes in his country because of the homework. At his university, students take only one or two tests before the final exam and have the opportunity to retake the final.

“My [ISU] classes are really interesting because they are my choices,” Fronc said.

ISU is looking for 12 students to send to Slovakia from May 15-June 30, 1998. Along with taking classes, students will have the opportunity to travel Eastern Europe. The trip will be a way to expose ISU students to European culture, Becerra said. Highlights of the trip will include the Bratislava Castle, Slovak National Literary Museum and a theater performance the Slovak National Theater in Bratislava.

“Our students will learn about the agriculture in that part of the world and compare the products they produce,” Becerra said. “We feel confident in sending our students there because we know the people will take care of them.”

Sarah Daniels, a senior in zoology, participated in the exchange last year and said she plans to return to Slovakia again this summer.

“You may not make a lot of money like in a summer internship, but the experiences you gain will affect you in a way that you can’t experience by staying home,” Daniels said. “It was interesting to learn about the culture and compare it to ours.”

Daniels said a highlight of her trip was bringing home a pet dog that she now shows in dog shows. She also thought it was interesting to see people eat raw bacon and drive little cars called Skodas.

Students pay tuition, room and board to their home universities. They are also responsible for travel, health and accident insurance expenses.

Interested students should complete an application and return the $10 application fee by Friday, February 27 to 104 Curtiss Hall. The trip is open to all students, regardless of their year or major.