Students board a water taxi to tour the Boston waterfront.

New discoveries in how people learn suggest that we acquire knowledge in many different ways. Most students learn best when they have the opportunity to reinforce lecture and reading content through additional hands-on exposure to the material. Called experiential learning, this kind of active learning can be obtained in many different settings such as:

• classes;
• internship and summer job settings;
• URI Study Abroad programs;
• Semester at Sea program;
• Sea Education Association (SEA) program and video;
• student research experiences; and
• active URI student clubs and professional organizations.

While you are a student, you should seek as many different experiential learning opportunities as you can fit into your schedule. This strategy will help you be a better student and could also help you develop a network of professional contacts that may help you pursue other experiential and professional job opportunities.