<p>Nope, wintersession is not compulsory. Students who do stay for wintersession do various things, such as take a course, work, or rehearse for the musical. When I stayed for wintersession one year, I worked, took book arts workshops, and completed my PE requirement with yoga. Yes, courses that travel abroad are offered during wintersession. My friend took a French class in Paris. This year, Intermediate Italian II was taught during the course of three weeks in Rome. Other courses have gone to Morroco, India, and Washington DC. Look at Wellesley’s course catalog for all the listings :)</p>