<p>Has anyone had the experience of a study abroad arranged through OU? If so, how did it go and do you have any advice?</p>
<p>Yep. I studied abroad this past summer. I took Organic Chemistry in Italy and it was fantastic. I absolutely loved it. The chance to get a difficult class out of the way during the summer and getting to explore Italy was incredible.</p>
<p>I highly recommend studying abroad. My biggest piece of advice would be to look early. Don’t just say “I’ll study abroad in my junior or senior year.” That’s not always an option. There is a limited selection of classes you can take abroad, so you have to plan carefully. You can look at OU’s programs at <a href=“https://oklahoma.studioabroad.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.SimpleSearch”>https://oklahoma.studioabroad.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.SimpleSearch</a></p>
<p>When doing that, cross reference it with the degree requirements. For example, I came in with almost all of my gen eds satisfied through AP credits and finished the ones I didn’t during my first semester. Since I am doing a chemistry related degree, there really weren’t many options for study abroad. If I’d waited til later, I wouldn’t have been able to study anything that actually related to my degree, so it basically would’ve just been an extended vacation. So, look at it with your child and see what they want. If they really want to explore, try and save some of their gen eds for over a summer or a semester, if they have that kind of wiggle room in their schedule. I had friends that took very easy classes this semester over in Italy so they were able to go all over Europe. I had a very hard program that meant I didn’t have a ton of time to explore, I did get a difficult class out of the way when I could focus on it though, so that was nice. There are advantages to both strategies.</p>
<p>If you want help, you can tell me your child’s degree and I can try and find something and offer more specific advice.</p>
<p>Also, OU REALLY focuses on directing students to Arezzo. I loved it so much and everyone who has gone there has had a positive experience. I definitely recommend it, if possible.</p>
<p>Thank you, WoolScarves. That was very helpful. D is applying already and is looking at fulfilling a major prerequisite. I was concerned that she should wait until she has another year or two of college before study abroad but it sounds as if sooner (no pun intended) is better. What did you think of the assistance you received in planning and making arrangements? </p>
<p>I thought the assistance was alright. It wasn’t anything overly special, just applied for the program, met with the program adviser and they kind of sent us on our way. If we were accepted, then there was an additional meeting where we got additional details. For my program, they were pretty open and treated us like adults. They left us to make our own arrangements to fly to Italy. They did provide the flight info of the professors so you could fly with them if you chose. I liked this freedom, as it let me go over early with a few of my friends that were also in the program. I know others that stayed late as well. It might be different in other programs, but they made sure you had the basics covered but gave you a lot of freedom.</p>