Brittany Poeppe | Assistant Arts + Life Editor

January-term, or J-term is a big deal on a lot of college campuses. It’s a two- to three-week class students take in January, and the theme of the classes are different from classes students would normally take. Students can enroll in a class, work at an internship, or take a trip. For sophomores Morgan McGrew and Sarah Konz, J-term is a chance to explore the world.

McGrew went on the Storytelling with Disney trip, spending about a week at Walt Disney World and four days aboard the Disney Dream cruise ship. He was able to go backstage and behind the scenes at the Disney parks, sail to the Bahamas and Castaway Cay, Disney’s own private island, and learn about storytelling. In his free time, he was able to visit the parks, ride attractions, and explore Disney on his own.

“I chose to go on the trip because it’s different than going on a family vacation,” McGrew said. “You’re there for a longer duration of time, so there’s more time to do all the things you want. It’s a bigger, better experience.”

Going to the Bahamas and Castaway Cay was a great experience for McGrew. He enjoyed the weather, and the beach setting was much more secluded than being in the parks. His favorite part of the trip was the duration of time because he got to see what changed in the parks from day to day, and he got to experience more than a typical vacation would have allowed.

“I learned a lot about how the parks function, and that was pretty cool,” McGrew said.

Konz traveled to Australia, with about a week of preparation classes under her belt. The classes taught her what to expect when she visited Australia, and she says it prepared her to explore the country. The theme of the trip was Wildlife and Criminal Justice, so the group got to look at convict history and visit a prison. She also visited the Sydney Opera House, spent the night in a zoo, went zip-lining, attempted to surf, and even got to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef.

“It was my first trip out of the country, and it was a great experience. It’ll be hard to beat,” Konz said.

Konz took the trip because it was not offered every year, and it was one of her dream destinations. There were so many great parts of her trip; it was hard to pick a favorite part. Eventually she decided that the best part of the trip was snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. She remarked that it was something that not many people can say they’ve done, and it’s an opportunity she is glad she had.

Both McGrew and Konz were eager to say that taking a J-term trip is exciting and enriching. They both like to travel, and they say this is a great opportunity to do it.

“You won’t get an opportunity to take these trips at the same price, with the same great people, and have the same experience. It’s worth it,” Konz said.

McGrew and Konz both had advice to give students considering taking a J-term trip.

“Relax and have fun, but don’t screw around too much. Remember that it’s still a class,” McGrew said.

“If you’re thinking about traveling, do it and don’t regret anything. Try anything and everything; you don’t want to regret anything when you get back. And apply for scholarships and grants,” Konz said.

Both students remarked that they would love to go on another J-term trip. They encourage other students to explore the world around them, especially because the trips are a great opportunity to learn about the world.

Graphic courtesy of Justice Gage