If you've been thinking about your college search, you probably have a wish list. Maybe it's a particular major you're looking for. Or possibly you want a school that's close to home—or far from home. Another top consideration of yours might be the size—not too big, but not too small.

Well, how about the opportunity to get hands-on experience in Hollywood filmmaking? Or how about a chance to go inside the Christian music industry to learn all about writing, recording, performing and marketing music? Perhaps you can picture yourself exploring England, sipping hot tea and snooping around Oxford's libraries. If you're interested in these kinds of adventures in learning, you'll want to ask about the out-of-the-classroom experiences available on campuses you're currently considering.

To give you a glimpse into some possibilities, we talked to five '08 graduates and two college seniors who participated in the Best Semester Program (bestsemester.com)—a program offered by more than a hundred Christian colleges in partnership with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

Megan Hotle
2008 graduate
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois
Major: Mass Communication

Megan poured a cup of coffee and sat down for her early morning meeting with her boss.

"What's on tap for today?" she asked.

"I need you to set up some casting sessions, pull a few permits, and comb through that stack of scripts over there. Oh, and let me know when Ralph Macchio arrives."

"Ralph Macchio?" Megan asked.

"Yeah, you know—the karate kid."

Just a typical day at the office—a Hollywood office, that is. During her time at the Los Angeles Film Studies Center (LAFSC), Megan Hotle read scripts, critiqued movies (both professional ones and ones the students made), and learned how production comes together.

"The LAFSC was like a giant movie camp," says Megan. "I was immersed in film and earned college credit for it."

When Megan first arrived in Hollywood, she thought she wanted to become a director. But after exploring the different sides of movie-making, she found herself gravitating toward the production side of things, such as creating shooting schedules, writing up budgets, and helping cast roles.

"The LAFSC is a great place for those who know they want to be in the film industry but aren't sure about the specifics," says Megan.

Megan is eager to find out how God will use many of the skills she began to develop during her time in Hollywood.

"I used to have a plan for how my life would go, but I know that in this industry, getting a job is so happenstance," says Megan. "So I've learned to let go of my plans and trust that God will lead me to where I belong."

David Row
2008 graduate
Greenville College
Greenville, Illinois
Major: Music

During his semester in Australia's Studies Centre, David Row took lessons on Aboriginal history and culture from an Australian Aboriginal. He bought a didgeridoo (a cylindrical wooden wind instrument) from an Aboriginal man who taught him how to play it. He also ministered to abused and neglected Aboriginal children, teaching them of God's love. And he took voice lessons from a soprano who sang in the Australian National Opera. For a music major, this was a dream come true.

But perhaps the most memorable—and unexpected—experience happened when he was out sightseeing in Sydney. After leaving the Royal Botanical Gardens, David went to Circular Quay, one of the main hubs in the city. Right off the Quay is the world-famous Opera House. He spent the evening sitting on the steps of the Opera House—looking out on the glistening Sydney Harbor as the melodic sounds of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra filled the air.

"It was one of the most beautiful nights I've ever experienced in my life," recalls David. "Afterward, I was strolling along the boardwalk when I saw some of the violinists from the Philharmonic. I got to greet them and shake their hands. It was awesome!"

In fact, David defines the entire semester as awesome—and absolutely unique.

"I could take a hundred courses about Australia," says David. "But when you live among Australians, that's the way to learn."

Pharren Crawford
Senior
Abilene Christian University
Abilene, Texas
Major: Political Science/International
Relations

As Pharren Crawford walked down the streets of Xiamen, she stared in awe at what she saw in this beautiful Chinese city. Every building's intricate design heightened her curiosity about this land and its people. The experience was mesmerizing … until Pharren noticed that as she was studying the fascinating architecture, the Chinese people were studying her.

"Being a black American in China, I knew I looked different," says Pharren. "But those stares made me feel really uncomfortable."

The pointed fingers and constant stares were so off-putting that she retreated to her room and buried herself in her studies.

Then one afternoon about four weeks into the semester, Pharren was on her way to lunch when two Chinese female students who spoke broken English asked her where she was from. They also asked if they could have their pictures taken with Pharren because they thought she looked exotic and beautiful. Pharren felt both honored and relieved as she realized that most of the stares she had received were simply out of curiosity. The Chinese people were just as interested in her as she was in them.

After taking photos, the two young women exchanged numbers with Pharren and offered to show her landmarks in Xiamen. Pharren was thrilled; she couldn't wait to finally see the city.

"Before I met these women, I pretty much shut myself out of the culture, which gave me a negative view of the country," says Pharren. "But my friendship with these women enabled me to get the full experience out of this wonderful program."

Lucy Barnhouse
2008 graduate
Messiah College
Grantham, Pennsylvania
Majors: Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and German

One gray Saturday morning in late fall, Lucy Barnhouse set off on foot for Oxford's History Faculty Library. Before long the spitting drizzle turned into a relentless, wind-driven downpour. When Lucy finally arrived at her destination, she stumbled breathlessly into the library's doorway. In America, the solution would have been a hot shower and fresh clothes. But the English have their own cure-all: tea.

"As I sipped my steaming tea that morning, I remember thinking, I just might have found a new definition of heaven," recalls Lucy with a laugh.

The experience may have been a little wetter than she expects heaven to be, but it was still wonderful—as was her entire Oxford experience.

"I was 11 years old when I first told my parents that I was going to teach at Oxford some day," recalls Lucy, who still plans to become a professor. "The Scholar's Semester in Oxford program sharpened my vision for graduate study and intensified my desire to work at a university."

Aside from taking a few elective lectures and seminars while in England, the experience was a far cry from normal class work. Lucy spent much of her free time exploring libraries, Victorian houses and churches. The first time she visited St. Mary Magdalen's, located in the heart of the city, she was blown away. As Lucy entered the church, she stared in awe at the High Altar, covered with a white cloth bordered with broad lace. She gazed up at the ivory Christ on the wooden crucifix and was humbled.

"When the minister gave the benediction, it was with my whole heart that I answered, 'Thanks be to God,'" says Lucy. "I felt so blessed to go to England and find an experience of worship so true, deep and real."

To sum up her experience, Lucy says: "Oxford gave me a taste of the future my college professors had been promising me. It taught me to see myself as a true scholar, with all the responsibility, privilege and excitement that word contains."

Sradda Thapa
2008 graduate
Gordon College
Wenham, Massachusetts
Major: International Affairs

Flipping through information about the Best Semester Program, Sradda Thapa paused at the part about the American Studies Program (ASP). Located in Washington, D.C., the program immersed students in issues and policies affecting the nation and the world. And participants would get to interact with leading decision-makers in the nation's capital.

Perfect! Sradda thought.

She applied and was accepted. ASP was everything she'd hoped for and more—including many stimulating discussions.

One night after class, she stayed up most of the night talking—and debating—with fellow classmates about issues related to equality and justice. They argued. They struggled to get their points across. Amid it all, Sradda discovered that those who disagreed with her were just as passionate about their positions as she was about hers.

Then there were those meetings at the White House and countless opportunities to interact with key government officials. For an International Affairs major, it was almost too good to be true.

"Never again will I have an opportunity like I had at ASP to explore ideas, express my opinions, and engage in such lively discussion," says Sradda.

On top of that, she also had opportunities to talk about her faith. Having spent most of her college career interacting with Christians, she felt stretched and challenged by people who didn't share her beliefs. In many cases, those she talked to said they didn't believe in God and wanted to leave it at that. But one guy she met through the program seemed genuinely interested in what she believed.

"He asked very honest questions about being a Christian," recalls Sradda. "I was so excited to get a chance to share my faith with someone who really wanted to listen. That was a highlight of my time in D.C."

Jake Larson
May 2008 graduate
Evangel University
Springfield, Missouri
Major: Management

Though Jake Larson was thrilled to be accepted into the Contemporary Music Center (CMC) program in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, his career ambitions were a bit foggy going in.

"I knew I wanted to be in the music business, but I didn't know what kind of job I could get," says Jake. As the semester progressed, however, and Jake learned all about artist management, marketing, recording and producing, his vision for a future career came more into focus.

He soon realized his real passion was for artist management.

The CMC program showed Jake the inner workings of the music business and even introduced him to a wide variety of music executives and artists.

Jake and his classmates also met a woman who had attended the program five years earlier and had returned to speak to the current CMC students. During her talk, she mentioned she was starting a Christian artist marketing company. The two kept in contact and she ended up giving Jake an internship with her company in the summer of 2007.

"My faith and my music have always been the two major parts of my life," explains Jake. "Never before was I able to merge the two in the way I now can. Next to my salvation, participating in the CMC program was the best decision I've ever made."

Jezerey Weiderman
Senior
Eastern University
St. Davids, Pennsylvania
Majors: Journalism and Business
Management

Throughout her semester in D.C. with the Washington Journalism Center, Jezerey Weiderman wrote articles for the bi-weekly paper Voice of the Hill. As she interviewed business owners and other professionals, she had to learn how to think on her feet, ask questions on the spot, and always maintain a professional demeanor.

"I was afraid that if my subjects knew I was just a student, they wouldn't take me seriously," says Jezerey.

One time she was interviewing a well-known business owner who seemed to catch on that she was a new reporter. Feeling intimidated, Jezerey froze up.

"I stuttered and stumbled and stammered my way through that interview," recalls Jezerey." Afterward, I was so humiliated that I questioned whether journalism was the right career for me."

Instead of giving up, Jezerey spoke up, asking for advice and feedback from her trusted mentors. Sometimes she had to lick her wounds when she labored to get a story finished only to have it returned all covered in red ink. But the process—and the program—improved her research and writing skills and made her determined to succeed.

"My editors and teachers forced me to work harder in order to improve as a journalist," says Jezerey. "And I did. This program has been an invaluable life lesson for me. I wouldn't trade it for anything."