Any one have any general advice for studying abroad?

Applying to College
1

<p>Ok, I’ve decided I want to study abroad next fall (as a junior). I’m just learning the basics of studying abroad right now, though, and so I’m looking for some general advice. What are the benefits of studying abroad? Any reason why I shouldn’t?</p>

<p>Also, if I do study abroad, I haven’t decided on a program yet. There are so many choices! Any general advice? In other words, what should I look for in programs? Someone mentioned once that the program he went with was quite bad, and that he suggests doing a lot of research in the program one chooses. So what questions should I ask? Is there anything I should specifically try to avoid?</p>

<p>What are the pros and cons of living with a host family vs. living in a dorm vs. living in your own apartment? Is it better to choose an international university, especially if the only language I speak fluently is English? What’s good and what’s bad about going with a group from your school? How about going somewhere where there’s a large number of international students, though not specifically from your school?</p>

<p>Finally, and I guess this is a more specific question, should I go to a Spanish speaking country? I’ve taken several years of it, but I’m far from fluent and really want to be. On the other hand, there are other places I’d love to go, and I wouldn’t mind learning a completely new language. Any advice, then, regarding language?</p>

<p>I know there are a lot of questions. But any advice at all would be wonderful!</p>

2

<p>The first step would be to consult your study abroad office and see which programs are approved. I also suggest that you read Swarthmore's advice on selecting</a> a program.</p>

<p>Start off by thinking about where you want to go. Among English speaking countries, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand are the most popular. Note that Australia and New Zealand have different academic calendars that run from January to December rather than August to May. </p>

<p>If you're interested in Spain (or other non-English countries), check out the prerequisites for the programs. Do they require a certain level of the language? Are the courses in English or the native language? Do they offer limited courses in a theme (e.g. archaeology in Mexico), or would you be able to choose courses in any major?</p>

<p>I also suggest talking to your major advisor. Many departments recommend certain programs. As a Classics major, for example, I was told to consider College Year in Athens and ICCS Rome.</p>

<p>The best programs, in my opinion, are those that offer immersion in foreign cultures. Some programs are only open to American students taught by American faculty and housed with other Americans, and I think that defeats the purpose. </p>

<p>I recommend Arcadia-CEA and Butler-IFSA as a good place to start. They're the leaders in study abroad and have great support staff.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.arcadia.edu/abroad/default.aspx?id=8012%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.arcadia.edu/abroad/default.aspx?id=8012&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www.ifsa-butler.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ifsa-butler.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
What are the benefits of studying abroad?

[/quote]

There are many benefits. There's nothing like moving to a foreign country (especially one with a different language) to jolt you out of your comfort zone, which is definitely a good thing. Learning how to thrive in a different environment is an amazing experience, as is the chance to experience other cultures first hand. I studied in Cyprus this summer, am studying in Wales this fall, and will be studying in Greece this summer and next fall. I'm addicted to study abroad! :eek:</p>

3

<p>Thanks for directing me to Swarthmore's advice! That page proved really helpful.</p>

<p>I'm still deciding on countries. Right now, I think I want non-English speaking, but at the same time that's a problem, because I only know a little Spanish and that's about it.</p>

<p>Major problems are also an issue, as I'm not sure if I want to change my major. With my current one, I can basically take a semester off and still graduate on time, but if I do decide to change it (and I'm not sure what I'd change it to yet), that could be an issue. However, most of the programs my school offers have a variety of classes you can take. (And I'm definitely going with an approved program from my school, as I want my scholarship to apply).</p>

<p>I do want at least some of the immersion, though I don't want it to be more than I can handle. So I've already decided I don't think I'm going to go on a group study abroad, where you go with a group of students and professors from my school.</p>

<p>There's a Study abroad fair on Tuesday, so any additional advice on questions to ask or whatever would be wonderful!</p>

4

<p>Sometimes, a study abroad program specifies the fluency level needed to study in a particular country (number of semesters of study). Of the Spanish-speaking programs offered by D's school, Chile (where she is now) had the toughest language requirement. Although she is pretty fluent, she found the "accent" and idioms a challenge but has adjusted fine. One of her classes has just one other student (also a study abroad) which makes it a great experience to get to know the professor and the TA.</p>

<p>The folks at the study abroad fair should be able to identify those countries where you would feel somewhat comfortable. Still, the idea is to gain more language experience, so you don't necessarily want to go somewhere where you'll have no challenges whatsoever.</p>

5

<p>As I sit here in Wales on my business trip writing this, I have to wonder why the point is to "gain more language experience".</p>

<p>As someone who has been working (and travelling) with multinationals for over 20 years, I believe it is helpful to know more than one language (I speak two), but that is hardly the point of studying overseas. The real reason for studying overseas is to get differing perspectives on things--and to appreciate different cultures.</p>

<p>Since so many people in so many places speak English, it is not really that necessary to know a variety of languages to understand their concerns/interests/backgrounds--but it is necessary to be open to these different ideas and concerns--and to not become so set in your own ways that others' views are immediately branded as "incorrect" or "unacceptable" merely because they don't agree with your own previous background and limited experience.</p>

6

<p>Regarding the homestay issues, you need to figure out the motivation of the family taking you in. If they're doing it just to make some extra money, it can be a horrible experience. I know of someone in England who had that problem, while I know many people in Japan who've had wonderful experiences.</p>

7

<p>You might want to consider a Christian study abroad program if you're Christian, or one related to your own denomination (programs in Israel for Jewish students, etc.) Many of these include a homestay with families who truly want to meet other christian students, Jewish students and so forth -- and they usually work out better. Sometimes they include a mission or service component as well.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, there are still a lot of study abroad programs that attract "partiers" -- who want to see how much German beer they can drink, or how many French boys they can sleep with. Some of them seem light on the academics and heavy on the frat boy atmosphere. If this is something that will bother you and ruin your experience, do a lot of research and consider a church-based program.</p>

8

<p>Really, I can't think of a single reason why someone wouldn't study abroad- unless you are premed or engineering and need to get certain classes (but even then, there are plenty of programs that cater to those needs). Personally, I'm studying abroad a full year in 2 countries.</p>

<p>I wouldn't even think about studying abroad if there wasn't a homestay component, but that's just me. Most programs do a pretty good job of sorting through the homes, but you have to do your research. Sadly, there are no Jewish homestays for me in any place that matters. Oh well. </p>

<p>Language is important but as calcruzer said, not the MOST important part. However, if you are at a certain level of fluency through school, you almost need to be immersed in the language to totally live it. This is the highlight of many of my friends' programs and certainly a large part of where I'm choosing to study abroad. </p>

<p>You need to decide whether you want to study at a university as an international student (which is how most programs in the UK run) or if you want a specific program. I'm partial to SIT's programs because they are themed, have homestays, and travel throughout the country as well as intensive language study and a final research paper- but it's all self contained. I know other people who love attending classes with people from a different country, but this can be impossible in some cases where the language differs. Also make sure to check and see what your school allows. Mine has a list of programs you can choose from, but it's an arduous process to add another program onto the list.</p>

9

<p>Can pre-med students take their required med school classes at Cambridge? How hard is it to get into a study aborad at Cambridge?</p>

10

<p><a href="http://www.ifsa-butler.org/programs/england/cambridge/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ifsa-butler.org/programs/england/cambridge/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

11

<p>I lived in a dormitory (residencia) when I studied abroad last year (in Granada, Spain) and it was a great experience. I had the immersion with Spanish-speaking students, but also felt like I had a lot more freedom than people I met who lived with host families. In addition, there were students from other countries (for example, Saudi Arabia and Germany) living in the residencia and it was so interesting to get to know them and speak to them about their cultures.
Other students also are fun to live with because they know a lot about nightlife, shopping, etc. My first night there, some of the Spanish students in the residencia took me and the 2 other American students out and showed us some of their favorite hotspots. </p>

<p>I took classes in Spanish with actual professors at the Universidad de Granada. This really helped my language skills, although it was frustrating for the first couple of weeks!</p>

<p>I studied abroad through API (Academic Programs International), which was a great company with very helpful and friendly staff.</p>

12

<p>Try to think about what kind of experience you want. I just studies abroad in London, and I wanted to become immersed in the country, explore other places on my own, and meet students from other countries. In my flat, there lived one other study abroad student from Michigan, a student from Africa, a student from Germany, a student from China, and a student from Italy. Definitely an eye-opening experience. I also loved taking classes with the students at Queen Mary. I was treated just as they were, not separate from everyone else. The nice things about my program were that I got to really know London, and I got to travel all over the UK and Europe. That made it the best fit for me. Others, however, have different preferences on their experiences.</p>

13

<p>I hope this doesn't detract from the OP's original post, but concerning money matters and all, does the financial aid one is offered (at his university) help toward offsetting costs for study-abroad? I mean, considering the US dollar vs. the Euro, I'm assuming that students studying abroad (in W. Europe, for example) make hefty out-of-pocket contributions (plane tickets, etc.).</p>

14

<p>Thanks for all the advice!</p>

<p>I would love to stay more than one semester! But for various reasons, that's not an option for now.</p>

<p>I'm really liking the programs with a homestay component, but whether you get a good family seems to be the luck of the draw. Also, it would mean less freedom, though I think I can do with that. On the other hand, if I get an apartment with students from the area where I'm going (or at least from a different country than me), that would be neat, too.</p>

<p>Calcruzer, I know that language isn't everything; I've visited several countries where I didn't know the language and was still able to communicate with those who spoke English (mostly people with a university education). I still learned a lot about their culture, and the experiences were amazing. But while the language isn't the main component, I'd love to learn a new one/get better at Spanish. There are plenty of Spanish speakers at home, but it's still not the same. If the program requires any degree of language proficiency, I can't do it, but there are many that don't. In some of these, there are a few classes taught in English, or you have an extensive language orientation at the beginning, attend classes in that language, but can often write your papers in English. The latter sounds interesting, but also incredibly difficult.</p>

<p>I'd rather not just stay with Americans all the time. I'd love to live with and/or go to classes with students from other countries, but again, there's the language issue. </p>

<p>I've really only been looking through the programs my school allows. I can't really add one to the list if I want it to be considered residence credit (which I need for my scholarship). </p>

<p>gooduniforme - that definitely doesn't detract from my post. It has to do with studying abroad, doesn't it? Anyway, it depends on the school and the program. If you go to a program through your school, however, often the financial aid is the same as what you would get at home. So yes, you might be making hefty out-of-pocket contributions (or it may cost less, though that prob. won't be the case in Western Europe). There are study abroad scholarships out there, though.</p>

15

<p>Most study abroad programs are actually much cheaper than a semester at my college- and there are MANY grants available, often through your college or the program itself. Also, I'm pretty sure pell grants transfer and sometimes your college will help contribute part or all of your scholarship to study abroad. Depending on where you go, the cost of living is cheaper too. Like for me, I'll be going from the Boston area to southern Mexico and Bolivia. Where $5 could barely buy me a snack in Boston, it's a full meal in Bolivia.</p>

16

<p>PS- OP, look for programs in Belize. I'm not sure if there ARE any, but it was a British colony so they speak English/ Creole, but also about 60% of the population speaks Spanish. It would certainly be a much more rewarding experience than going to the UK or Australia.</p>

17

<p>My advice would be to look for a program with as much contact as possible with local people, and to stay away from the ones that are American enclaves. I studied in Bordeaux for a year on the UC program -- wonderful experience, and some of the 100 kids on the program actually learned French. Knew some kids at Stanford in France, on the other hand, who spent their entire time holed up together in their dorm with other Americans (this was years ago; of course it all may have changed with those two programs) but definitely pretty much wasted time for them in my opinion.</p>

18

<p>Staying with a host family rather than living in a dorm will also enhance your experience. You'll get to develop your own network of folks who live there--almost like another family.</p>

19

<p>my kids did/will be doing study abroad, and it's probably the single most valuable educational experience they will ever experience! and by education, i mean total personal growth and development! after having said that, the WAY you do it is up to you and what you want from it. my kids were close-to-fluent when they went, wanting to increase their ability. one will add an actual internship, in addition to the classes. home-stay seems best for total submersion in the culture, and as mhny just said, IF you want to truly experience the culture and want to work on a language skill, the less-traveled places are best. one of mine chose Aix-en-Provence over Paris for these reasons.
also, be sure you're ok with college credits, as they may be slow in transferring from abroad, or may not be identical to your college courses. some kids find they are behind in requirements, if they don't check this out first. best of luck and enjoy!</p>

20

<p>One of the dangers of many study abroard programs is that they simply move a group of American kids from a domestic setting to a foreign setting, but instead of offering a cultural experience, the American kids en masse go to cafes, bars, whatever, and rarely get beyond their immediate group. </p>

<p>So I would recommend that you look for a program that runs small groups and promises "cultural immersion" rather than one that brings a couple hundred American kids to live in together in dorms in another country.</p>

<p>My favorites are the ones offered the school for international training in putney, vermont. (sit.org)</p>