Costs of Study Abroad

Parents Forum
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<p>Hello Parents!</p>

<p>I'm a student here... going off this fall as a freshman at UDel. I've been getting all this info about study abroad programs and freshman are encouraged to go over the winter break. The deadline is sometime in Sept so my parents and I have been talking extensively about it. </p>

<p>Most programs are about three weeks long and cost somewhere between $4000-$8000... this covers tuition, housing, SOME excursions, travel costs. Most programs are 6 credits. </p>

<p>A few ideas I've been having and wanted to know some input about them:</p>

<p>*The cost of the experience is quite high. I've traveled alot... Europe, Africa, South America, all over Canada, US, Bahamas, Mexico, etc. My parents were talking about a three week cruise visiting Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, few places in Antarctica, and Chile over my winter break and this is to cost quite a bit under $3000 a person. I'd be staying is luxury conditions with prepared meals and seeing amazing places. It would obviously be one or the other and I can't do both. If this is so much cheaper, why not go with it? This lead to the second point of the credits...</p>

<p>*I don't really need the credits... the credits that I'd be earning on these study abroad trips aren't beneficial and are mere electives(which I already have enough of even though I haven't even started college... transfer credits) So, the benefit of the experience is seeing places and doing things. This makes me think that maybe personal travel(ie outside of the school) would be more beneficial and more cost effective. </p>

<p>So, basically, I hear how WONDERFUL study abroad is and how EVERY student needs to experience it. My question is, is this comment more travel in general or specifically school sponsored travel? What makes study abroad different from personal travel? I know that I can do study abroad at other times and that I don't need to jump on this first opportunity but I guess my concerns are more in general. I'm not really interested in doing a full semester abroad so that leaves the summer and winter breaks. </p>

<p>Also, anyone know about the Semester at Sea programs or something similar? Any experieces? I did a search but got TONS of irrevelant results so I figure I'd just ask. </p>

<p>Thanks and I'd love to hear your thoughts!</p>

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<p>Take the vacation with your parents.</p>

<p>"Study Abroad" is not usually something that takes place in 3 weeks. When people are talking about the value of study abroad, they are referring to programs that are a semester or year long - or a least over the summer. </p>

<p>That's not to say that you can't have a valuable experience in 3 weeks or even in 1 week -- but $4000-$8000 is way too much for a short visit. 3 weeks just isn't enough time to immerse yourself in a culture or pick up a language -- it really is not much more than sight seeing. </p>

<p>I don't want to diminish a short trip for those who can afford it. It's just that your instincts are telling you correctly - the packages you are offered are overpriced for the context. They are 3 to 4 times as expensive as what my daughter paid last year for 3 weeks of study at the university in St. Petersburg -- but we saved costs by making our own group arrangements rather than going through something that was prepackaged. </p>

<p>Now it may be that when you add in the course credits and what they would cost in for U.Delaware tuition dollars -- you are getting value. My daughter's trip didn't come with transferable college credit - just a nice experience for a group of high school kids. </p>

<p>And a cruise is a lousy way to experience local culture -- basically you spend most of the time taking it easy on board ship, with day time shopping and sightseeing excursions at your ports of call. So don't kid yourself -- a cruise is no substitute for study abroad. I just think that you are looking at paying a lot of money for something you don't really want -- and it really is just a glorified sight seeing trip repackaged into a "study" package. Probably a good deal for kids who don't have other opportunities to travel. </p>

<p>Please, don't go on a study abroad trip just because it happens to be "offered". Go when you are ready, for something that you have thought about and really want -- and go in your sophomore or junior year for at least a semester. A year abroad is even better, if you can arrange it - especially if you spend that year in a country where another language is spoken. In a year's time, you can become very proficient in a language, and after living anywhere for a few months, it will start to feel like "home" and you will become accustomed to the culture, making friends among the residents of your host country. Three weeks -- no matter how wonderful --still leaves you as a "tourist" -- and these group excursions are also likely to keep you spending most of your time with your fellow students -- you'll attend classes together, ride the tour bus together, live in the same dorm. That's a great way to get to know a group of fellow U. Delaware students better.... but again, not much of an opportunity to gain the cultural experience that comes with a real study abroad experience.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the input.</p>

<p>I understand what you're saying about being a tourist rather than truely becoming a part of the culture, but I don't see that it is reasonable for me to take a full semester abroad... that's why I have been looking into winter and summer programs. I've found some summer programs which tour around a region(Europe, Australia, etc) for six weeks and you get credits for culture type classes. Looks interesting...</p>

<p>LOL... I agree about the cruise. BUT on a few cruises we've been on you stay in the same place for two or three days which is just enough to see the main highlights but a week or two would always be prefered... but you do what you can, right?</p>

<p>Anyone know about the Semester at Sea programs?</p>

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<p>Well, 6 weeks in the summer is probably better than 3 weeks in winter. Also, depending on the nature of the program and destination, the cost per day/week can come out to significantly less on the longer programs. For example, a program in Asia will have a big portion of the cost for airfare (which is the same whether you go for 3 or 6 weeks) -- but the cost of housing in most parts of Asia is very low, so its very typical that the longer programs only cost very slightly more. Western Europe may be very different though - there, air fare is relatively cheap, but housing can be costly.</p>

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<p>I think a study abroad during freshman year is to soon,JMHO.Also think three weeks is too short.There must be alternative offerings through UDel,this is just the first mailing of many to come.
D did a summer with 6 credits through her Honors College in London,dublin and Edinborough (not U Del ). She loved it, had weekends free and travelled to Paris and Northern Ireland.Other kids went farther. Its a great experience but wait till you're immersed on the campus to scope out whats actually available.</p>

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<p>The U of Pittsburgh is the main sponsor of the Semester at Sea program.....I just read that they are seriously considering pulling their affiliation with the program over concerns about the ship being used for the cruise. You may remember the giant wave hitting ship during the just-finished semester, knocking out power to all but one engine, minor injuries to several students and crew...the shipped managed to limp to port in Hawaii, I believe (this was a big detour from the planned route and took several days' time with minimal power and freaked out kids) and had to dock there for a week or so for extensive repairs.....the classroom time was not affected too badly, but the touring schedule had to be extensively revamped. Apparently, the company that handles the actual cruise had replaced the ship during this last year with one that did not meet some specific standards (may have had to do with being large/powerful enough to withstand the freak wave that occured)...thus Pitt's rethinking of its involvement in the program. I would investigate Semester at Sea very, very intensely before signing on now.</p>

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<p>Hmmm... beachy, I didn't know about all of this! Thanks for the info and I'm off to google the topic right now...</p>

<p>cathymee... I agree about freshman year being early, but the trips and cost of them are the same regardless of when you go... at this point I'm just looking into things and I'm sure my views will change as I get on campus and talk to different people who have done them.</p>

<p>THANKS!!!</p>

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<p>My daughter did a semester in Spain through UDel. All credits counted and overall was a great experience. If you are instate it's a steal. For out of state the price was just a tad less than being in Newark. I think the winter break trips are way overpriced if you are out of state.</p>

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<p>... and, of course, I'm out of state.</p>