Summer enrichment tother than internship???

Parents Social Lounge
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<p>My S is a undergraduate freshmen in a Business program. He came home Christmas, roaming about his plan in the coming summer vacation (this is his only off term vacation because of his program structure). </p>

<p>In the last two summer, he got internships in two financial corporations. So he does not want to work again this summer. He is planning to make a one/two month trip going abroad to European or Asian countries to explore , getting more understanding about the real world and himself.</p>

<p>I wonder if any other alternatives besides traveling that are good for him like taking courses (what courses?) in other countries? doing volunteer work...etc ? If he chooses traveling, how to enlighten him that he is not going to traveling solely for traveling, that is how to get a more possible fruitful result from his travel experience? Thanks.</p>

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<p>Travel can be a wonderful experience, and as long as he's paying for the travel (which I think would be appropriate), I'd suggest letting him do what he wants to. If he's expecting you to foot the bill, however, if he were my kid, I wouldn't agree to that, but would expect him to find some way to financially suppport his trip.</p>

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<p>Your student might want to see if it's possible to get an overseas internship. Often, these are available for highly experienced undergraduates who are doing well in their majors and have had other internships.</p>

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<p>If he's interested in learning a language, he could enroll in a one or two month intensive language program overseas. Some program have homestays, so he could learn more about the culture of where he stayed.</p>

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<p>Does everything have to be a resume-builder these days? I'd be furious if my parents suggested that I couldn't travel just for the sake of seeing/understanding the world, and instead had to have a "reason" for doing it.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the responses. Moneywise, he will pay himself for the travel as he saves some money from his previous 2 internship.</p>

<p>He likes to study a language or culture in an Asian or European country, and I went through some of the webs like study abroad...etc. The info I got seems vague, so could anyone have any suggestions or experience that can share with me?</p>

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<p>recycle, I strongly endorse the idea of experiencing an alien culture -- the more different from home the better. It is difficult for an individual traveler, especially a teenager or young adult, to get out there and immerse. Thus it's easier to join up with an organized group.</p>

<p>There are zillions of summer programs available; the problem is too many choices. What I'd suggest is that your son first settle on a country or two. If his international experience has been limited then, again, there will be too many choices as each place will have a lot to recommend itself. So spin the globe, point to an area, then start researching what is available there.</p>

<p>I can recommend the following organization for relatively low cost well run programs that offer a good balance of culture and fun. My son did two of their month long itineraries and met interesting and intelligent fellow students and adults and learned a lot (even about the Asian country where he had lived for 10 years).</p>

<p><a href="http://www.artis-tours.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.artis-tours.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>He could combine this with an adjunct of language study, adventure travel, or just tourist travel in the area.</p>

<p>Personally I think "traveling solely for traveling" can be enlightening if the traveler slows down and observes what is less obvious. For example, come to Java where I live. Spend a couple of weeks at a hostel or homestay in the heartland. Visit the 9th century Buddhist and Hindu temples while listening to the Islamic call to prayer. Investigate the water sharing systems for rice cultivation. Stop into a 21st century factory making $200 sports shoes. Buy a bunch of bananas at the market and get change that equal 0.0001 US$. Go to an elite resort where a cappucino costs more than the waiter makes in a week, but the architecture is awe inspiring. Trek up to the caldera of a smoldering volcano. Stroll through a village flattened by an earthquake and see homes being built by USAID out of bamboo. Attend an all night village festival and watch the shadow puppets in the flickering torch light. Be mesmerized by the gamelan.</p>

<p>Believe me, you can't experience that and not come to a better understanding of what your professors are talking about in economics, philosophy, religion, geology, political science, history, art, music, you name it.</p>

<p>Good luck and let us know how he does.</p>

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<p>Sly Si, I second your observation. It really should be okay to just have fun! </p>

<p>One of the best times of my life was a trip my friend & I took just prior to the start of our final semester at school. We drove from Detroit to Montreal, where we visited friends. We the met some friends in Bar Harbor, Maine. After a few days, we drove through NH, VT, and NY, simply stopping to see things that interested us. We slept in national parks, in the reclining seats of my Chevette. We saw ET at the drive-in when in was released, drank wine by the campfire, ate fried chicken from a bucket, talked about our future plans, and just generally had a terrific time. We drove up Mt. Washington & had lunch at a fancy resort we stumbled across. We stopped to see Franconia Notch. We crossed Lake Champlain on a ferry. We saw Lake Placid, the site of our favorite Winter Olympics. We stayed a couple nights at Victoria U in Toronto --- we were almost out of money after paying our $10/night rate, but we were fortunate, because it was a national holiday & they had 10 cent hot dogs in the park. We had just enough money left for gas & the toll at the Bridge to the USA (we didn't have credit cards!). I wouldn't trade that totally "useless" trip for anything educational!! Maybe the fact that I went to a co-op college would make some think it was acceptable for me to have a non-working trip. However, I strongly believe that there is more to life than a resume. Friends & fun have an important place. More than 25 years later, I still remember this wonderful trip --- and while my friend is living in China, I am still close to her. Life is all about balance.</p>

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<p>Thanks. My S will travel on his own. He is interested in Asian countries like Japan...but on web seems to have so many choices...beside the cost, what are the criteria to make a good decision in term of safety, having a wonderful and valuable experience for him in selecting the summer program? Any practical experience you can share?</p>

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<p>I suggest not visiting any country that's on the state Dept's list of countries to avoid.</p>

<p>As for getting a valuable experience -- any travel experience can be valuable. What people get from travel depends on their own personalities.</p>

<p>Safety? Basically the same street smarts that allow one to travel in the U.S. will work abroad. Any adult needs to acquire those street smarts. Particularly with adults who'll end up in any kind of professional job, there's a good chance they'll have to travel for their job, so they need to acquire street smarts now. This includes females! IMO the best time for people to acquire these smarts is when they are college age or younger because they are more likely to listen to advice, and change their behavior accordingly. </p>

<p>There are many travel guides one can find with excellent safety info about specific countries. ONe also can search the web.</p>

<p>The time to learn street smarts is not when one is 28 years old and being sent to Detroit or NYC on one's first work travel experience. Well before that, one needs to know how to select a safe hotel, get around safely, etc. Work certainly won't teach you these things, and if you have only a day or so notice about your travel, you won't have time to learn those things.</p>

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<p>In a gloabl economy, trevlling is very much a business investment, but like northstarmom said, kid should be footinga portion of the bill too. This includes even doing chores around the house and helping or getting money in outside scholsrhips or even utilizing their own saved money or from their income earned through a job.</p>

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<p>If he's interested in Japan, it's my understanding that crime is practically nonexistent, so safety there probably won't be much of an issue. Japan is insanely expensive, though.</p>

<p>Does your son's school have an office of international studies? They probably could help your son find some sort of summer language program. This is the website for study abroad at my school. <a href="http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/oie/sab/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/oie/sab/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>As KK, says Japan is very safe but also one of the most expensive countries in the world. You CAN travel on the cheap in Japan but it takes some creativity. For good value I'd suggest China or Southeast Asia -- Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam. There are also a lot of college kids traveling in these areas so it's easy to make friends as you go.</p>

<p>The intinerary would depend on what he's interested in doing -- e.g. climbing mountains, attending cultural events, exploring cities, visiting temples. The internet has a wealth of information so it's easy to put together a rough itinerary with at least a few nights' accomodation confirmed. After that he can give over to serendipity.</p>

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<p>Quote from momrath ------ 'I can recommend the following organization for relatively low cost well run programs that offer a good balance of culture and fun. My son did two of their month long itineraries and met interesting and intelligent fellow students and adults and learned a lot'</p>

<p>If possible, could you give me some insightful info about your kid's experiences, and I would like other parents' input on their kids' adventures...thanks</p>

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<p>Check the study aborad office at his college for ideas. Also, many colleges accept credit from other institutions. Your son should think about a course--with a little travel added on t o the front and back.</p>

<p>My older son did two summers of immersive mandarin in Beijing. My younger son will do the same this summer. If your son has an interest in Asia--China has significant business opportunities. My older son is trying to put together a summer course in Europe with senior thesis research in Afirca and the Pacific Islands.</p>

<p>You son should look into a round the world ticket....</p>

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<p>Traveling alone in Japan without being in a program is possible but will take some organizational skill. chiefly he has to plan his itenery carefully so that he has a place to stay. Japan, unlike Europe, is not a common traveling destination for youths, and hence lacks the infrastructure. What he needs is to find host families at various places that will take him on and give him advice on where to visit. That your son shows this initiative is a very positive thing in itself. Best of luck to him.</p>

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<p>My S spent a summer in Beijing and made excursions from there the summer before his senior year in HS. He had no trouble getting around, arranging trips, etc. He will return this summer for an advanced immersive Mandarin course (he speaks it pretty well right now). I think going somewhere and just hanging out can be as valuable, or more so, than taking a course. I am hoping he gets a chance to travel to Europe the next summer.</p>

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<p>I'm in the same boat looking for good summer programs which is sponsored by university scholarship. I don't want to go here and there just to kill time. I want to maximize and make use of the scholarship to its fullest, webs provide good info but word of mouth suppose to be the best, any parents' suggestions?</p>

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<p>i second crazy4ivy's request...i'm looking to go abroad somewhere over the summer, and i'd love to take a class or two over the summer at a university. a catch is that i definitely need any sort of financial aid that i can get (most preferably not a loan). any other suggestions?</p>