Hello,
So I will be a Freshman in College in the Fall. Will be going to Community College since I prefer smaller colleges. There are some studying abroad opportunities at that college.
Do you think in terms of keeping up a good GPA is studying abroad a good idea?
I would love to gain new experience but I do not want my GPA to suffer… or my academic status.
If it is, could you provide your experience with studying abroad?
Thank you.
-I.
There are many types of study abroad opportunities with your schools or with outside companies that work with your school. Not all have a class component but many do. My daughter went to Indonesia for a semester. Did the work they asked her to do which was a lot of writing and learning the language /culture and got an A. I guess it depends on the classes. My sons going to France this summer and taking three classes for engineering. One is a language, one is French history and one has to do with engineering. There is a lot of sight seeing built in the trip so don’t think the classes will be that rigorous.
I really would not worry about grade point. Just pick a trip that speaks to you and enjoy the experience.
The study abroad advisor at your college is going to be the best source of information about specific programs. There is no general answer and most schools offer a variety of programs for you to choose from. Same goes for keeping your academic progress on track. Your college will be able to tell you which programs offer transferable credits and which will effectively be a “time out”.
You are asking the right questions and thinking about the right issues. Good luck!
As the other posters mentioned above, it depends. There are a ton of possibilities. Cost is always a concern as are the courses (meaning academic rigor). My daughter went to the Galapagos Islands as part of her semester abroad and learned a lot and got to stay there for almost 2 months. Talk to other students who’ve done the program if possible and decide if it’s worth it. Visiting other countries and experiencing other cultures is almost always worth it in my book.
Study abroad is a great way to expand one’s ability to appreciate, respect & understand different perspectives.
Great way to improve upon one’s foreign language skills.
Primary decision is about whether you prefer to stay with a host family or in a student dormitory.
My daughter did both and really preferred staying with a host family to see how the locals really live etc. She stayed with two host families at different times in Indonesia and had great experiences.
Study abroad is such a great opportunity but how do I convince my parents that it’s one?
Go to your schools study abroad website. There is usually an explanation for the parents to read and understand the benefits. Also depending on what type its a way to get school credit and have international experience. There look good on a resume also.
“Study abroad” covers a huge range of options. Some are expensive. Some are economical. Some are taught in English. Some are taught in other languages.
One thing that you could consider is studying abroad over the summer. One daughter took a French course over the summer in Canada. She liked it, came back speaking a little bit of French, and it was very reasonably priced. One advantage over France is that it is closer. One advantage over courses in the US is that the local shops and pizza place and tour guides all spoke to them in French.
We also had experience with exchange programs in high school.
We have had very good experiences with studying abroad. We have not had any problems with this impacting GPA.