<p>I'm going to try to make this short. Sorry, if it's long.</p>
<p>I'm trying to study abroad for a year. I've already started planning a year in advanced, and I'm ready than ever to go and further my education and knowledge in a place unfamiliar to me. The problem right now deals with my classes. </p>
<p>Hypothetical situation: Let's say I'm a English major and I need two classes, but I want to study abroad. I need "Writing 101" and "World Lit". In the country I'm going to they have a class called "Syntax and Error" and "Asian Literature and It's Effects". They aren't quite the same thing, but in "Writing 101" they do go over "Syntax and Error" and the same goes for the other class, but more in depth. So I go to my department, give them the list and they'll say "They're pretty much the same thing, we'll make these classes equivalent and you won't be missing too much" and so they do, and now I can apply for the school and go ahead and wait for a response from the school.</p>
<p>My department isn't doing that whatsoever. I compiled a list for them and set up another list with a possible match so they can talk it over. They all unanimously agreed they are all electives. I have no problem with electives, as I need 10. But while one semester is dedicated towards those 10 electives, the other semester I'll have classes that won't count for anything. I would just one or two classes to at least be equivalent. </p>
<p>I've gone to my all my advisers, and most of them are stumped because of my department. I just got an email that they might have a meeting to facilitate this issue.</p>
<p>I don't want to make anyone upset or angry with me. So, I'm simply asking if I was wrong to become upset about this issue and what should I do? Or is there too much going on?</p>
<p>I would talk to my parents but they're at work, and one of them is just going to badger me about why I'm going again. So I decided to ask here, which I was hesitant about as well because I'm known for irrelevant posts.</p>
<p>If your options turn out to be, a full year abroad with nothing but elective courses, and then having to cram the remainder of your requirements into your last couple of semesters at your home institution, OR a semester abroad with nothing but elective courses, and an extra semester at your home institution to fit the requirements in, which would you choose? It may be worth suggesting the latter option to your advisors and department.</p>
<p>Each department (and sometimes each individual instructor) gets to decide which courses transfer and as what. If they are only willing to award elective credit, there really won’t be anything that you can do about it. You may want to re-think the location of your study abroad, or they type(s) of courses that you intend to take there. For example, maybe just one elective course in your major, and the rest courses in subjects you haven’t been able to fit in while at your home institution.</p>
<p>You say you started planning this year-long study abroad a year in advance. Why didn’t you plan your classes as part of it? A diploma is a certificate that you’ve met some standards of learning. IMO studying Syntax in Japan is not the same as Writing 101. This was one reason my DD2 only went for a semester - so she could finish her degree on time. She had scoped out what classes were required and when they could be done.</p>
<p>There’s not much you can do. My son has run into this issue. At one point he was considering whether the credit situation would work out better if he changed majors. As it is, I think he may end up having to take a heavier load than he hope to senior year.</p>
<p>I agree BTW that your examples don’t sound equivalent. In my son’s university, he has to show the syllabus, list the texts etc. before the department will even consider granting department credit. But they almost never do.</p>
<p>As everyone says, this is a really common problem. I am sympathetic to your plight, but I don’t predict that you will have much success. I would be really surprised if they let “Syntax and Error” substitute for a core writing course. (Frankly, the fact that you asked for that makes me wonder just how clueless you are.) You have a slightly better chance at getting “World Lit” waived, but probably only if you have taken some other electives in world literature other than Asian.</p>
<p>The bottom line is, if you want to study abroad, you need to get your core major (and gen ed) classes out of the way ASAP.</p>
<p>Colleges vaunt their study abroad programs, but often it’s very hard to make study abroad work if you are not doing it through a program tailor made by your own college. I hope some students planning study abroad in the future read this thread in time to do something about this for themselves before it turns into a crisis.</p>
<p>My second daughter really wanted to do study abroad but her major wasnt conducive to the programs and countRiies available. Throw in the language component it just didn’t work. </p>
<p>Do one semester with electives. Better then not at all. She was a communications and media studies major with an visual arts minor.</p>
<p>My older daughter was a history major, and for her a semester in Prague worked perfectly as the program was all about history.</p>
<p>My example didn’t really much help much, but that’s how most of the departments over here work. The examples were completely random and I was trying to figure out how to best explain this situation. Maybe a better one? One of the classes I need is the History of playwrights. But the class in the host country, has a class called Shakespeare History dealing with him and other playwrights who modeled after him. Something like this. They aren’t exactly the same thing, but it’s something.</p>
<p>I planned a year in advance in terms of money ad scheduling, but I didn’t think I would have much issue if at all with this as oppose to an English major or an International Business major. Would it be better if I tried to look for another school with closer class scheduling? My school only has two places with my major in terms of direct exchange (meaning my tuition will just transfer over to the host schools). Like do more research? I found this one school, but then it dawned on me that finding an entirely different school is probably more money…</p>
<p>The other issue with study abroad (and i can’t speak highly enough of studying abroad!) is that home colleges don’t always give as much weight to courses taken abroad. I noticed that my son didn’t get on the Dean’s list for that semester, even though he got all As in his program in Morocco and even though it sounded like it was very rigorous academically. In his case, it didn’t matter at all, but in a year long program, I guess it could be a issue.</p>
<p>Don’t miss going abroad! Sounds as if your department is helping somewhat. If that doesn’t work out:</p>
<ul>
<li>Think about going to a program sponsored by your university, even if it means going to a different country. Then you should be able to get the classes you need.
OR</li>
<li>Use your abroad time to knock out general requirements and classes for your minor. This is what my S did because no classes at his abroad program were approved for his major. He then loaded up on classes for his major when he returned.</li>
</ul>
<p>Muzick…are you looking at study abroad programs that are APPROVED by your college? One of our kids did a study abroad. The program abroad was an approved one for his major, and the courses were approved by his university to fulfill university requirements at his home university.Our other kiddo wanted to study aboard but in her major (engineering) even a semester abroad would have put her a year behind in her course sequences. She did a couple of spring break service trips abroad, and after graduation joined the Peace Corps.</p>
<p>You really should be working with YOUR university and programs they approve for study abroad.</p>
<p>There were two approved by my college with my major. My tuition will transfer over to the school of my choosing as well. I’m thinking about researching the other one just in case and see where that gets me.</p>
<p>FWIW Happykid looked at the study abroad options approved by her department, and while some were truly intriguing, it also was clear that the coursework would only transfer as electives. None of the “approved” options had a single course that could be considered equivalent to any of the requirements for her major.</p>
I’ll try to keep in touch and tell what happens.</p>