Louisiana is known for its heat and humidity, but rarely do those features attract visitors.But basking in the heat and avoiding the snow are some of the reasons Kelly Wilson and Annie Gullickson chose to come to LSU on the National Student Exchange program.Wilson, criminal justice junior, and Gullickson, psychology junior, said they could not afford to go on an international exchange program, so they chose NSE to experience a different culture. They both pay tuition at their home university but pay for meal plans and housing at LSU.”One of the reasons NSE was founded was to provide opportunities for students who couldn’t afford study abroad programs but still provide a study away experience for them where they can meet new people, see new places and take new courses,” said Betty Worley, NSE president.NATIONAL STUDENT EXCHANGEWorley said NSE was founded in 1968, and it has placed more than 94,000 students in the 183 participating schools since then. She said NSE places around 2,100 students annually. Delaware and North Dakota do not participate in NSE, but some schools in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada do.Worley said the high cost of international study abroad, the lack of self-confidence and risk-taking in some students and the lack of compatibility between international programs and certain U.S. programs are three main reasons students choose NSE.”We decided to come [to the University] because it’s a much bigger school,” Gullickson said. “The sports here are so much better than [University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire]. [LSU] has a school spirit that a lot of schools don’t have. We heard the parties were good. We wanted to go far away but stay in the U.S.”Dawn Humble, NSE coordinator at Academic Programs Abroad, said the most popular NSE destinations for outgoing LSU students are Hawaii and California. During the last six years, 85 LSU students traveled to Hawaii, and 72 LSU students traveled to California on NSE programs. ”I accepted about 40 students for this academic year so far and will continue to accept until mid-October,” Humble said in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille.Humble said between 15 and 20 percent of NSE students decide to transfer to the LSU after their stay.Humble said most NSE schools offer students the option of either paying their home university’s tuition or paying in-state tuition at the exchange school. Housing and meal plan costs vary between universities. The application fee for NSE is $238, and there is a per-semester concurrent enrollment fee of $100.Humble said some senior colleges have a 30-hour residency requirement, which may prevent students from participating in NSE their senior year. NORTH VS. SOUTHSimon Andrys, graphic design junior, said he may transfer to LSU after his year-long exchange this year. Andrys attends Minnesota State University – Moorhead.”I’ve lived in Minnesota my whole life, and I was sick of the cold,” Andrys said.Andrys’ mother and grandmother were born in Louisiana, which is part of the reason he chose LSU for his exchange.”The food was definitely a deciding factor,” he said. “I guess you could say I’m going back to my roots.”Gullickson and Wilson said they enjoyed eating jambalaya and gumbo. Andrys said he is glad to get authentic Cajun food every day.Food isn’t the only difference between the North and the South. Andrys said the way students dress here differs greatly from the way students dress in Minnesota.”Everybody’s wearing loafers, polo’s and khakis,” he said. “Back where I’m from, it’s jeans, a skater T-shirt and a hoodie. It’s hard for me to adjust.”Gullickson said fitting in has been her and Wilson’s biggest challenge so far.”I have a hard time meeting girls,” Gullickson said. “I meet guys. Our goal is to find girls [as friends].”NSE AWAY FROM LSUTaylor Duncan, biological sciences senior, studied at the University of Kentucky in Lexington in fall 2008 as part of NSE.”I have grown up in Louisiana,” Duncan said. “I’ve been on LSU’s campus for a long time, so I really wanted to go some place different. I chose NSE because it was easier to do than the international exchange.”Duncan’s main reason for choosing Kentucky was his love of rock climbing. He said rock climbing gave him a way to meet other students, and he had no trouble fitting in.”If you do your normal extracurricular activities at your NSE school, you can make friends who have the same interests,” Duncan said.Duncan said he enjoyed his time at the University of Kentucky so much that he applied to go to medical school there.EXPERIENCING THE CULTUREWilson, who went to the College World Series in Omaha this summer, said the LSU baseball fans were the most intense there. Gullickson said she didn’t bring a winter coat with her because there won’t be snow or a below zero-wind chill.Andrys, Wilson and Gullickson are staying the full academic year. All three said they plan to experience New Orleans, Mardi Gras and a southern-style spring break holiday in addition to all things LSU.—-Contact Mary Walker Baus at [email protected]