Basically, I’m in a total rut. I’ve wanted to go study abroad before I even decided where to go to college. For that, I need a letter of recommendation, right? But…
Due to a variety of personal reasons I bombed quite a few classes. I did well in them at first, and I even talked to the professors somewhat (a win for a socially anxious introvert like myself). In some, the professors even expressed recognition for my work as being “above average” or “the best writing they have seen in years”. But in those very classes where I (somewhat) connected to the professors, my performance declined and I ended up barely passing. Some were a flat-out fail.
Then there are the courses where I consistently scored 99+, but in which I barely talked to the professor. These were usually large lecture courses, and I didn’t see the need to talk to the profs too much. [I did talk to some of the TFs quite a bit, pestering them with questions during discussions–but I don’t think they qualify as LOR-writers].
Who would be a better bet?
(Also, please don’t chew me out for my writing. I’m not going to nitpick it for a casual Q&A.)
What year are you in now? Have you visited (even virtually) the study abroad office at your school and confirmed what the process and requirements look like?
My daughter didn’t need LOR’s for study abroad programs. She did need to attend a study abroad orientation, almost a full year before her actual departure for her semester abroad, in order to start the process. And then, each program had its own GPA threshold to qualify. And she needed to have her advisors sign off on her projected plan of study and show that she could make satisfactory progress toward graduation with the courses she planned to take abroad.
Find out where you stand in terms of the actual process at your school - specific requirements as well as timeline. Find out whether your current GPA will qualify you for the program(s) you want or if you need to retake classes that you failed first. Find out whether you need recommendations and if so when you will need them. Maybe you can cultivate some relationships this year.
Also, keep working on connecting with profs and getting comfortable asking for help when you need it. (This includes getting some counseling as well, if you’re not already.) My daughter is a socially anxious introvert as well, and while she did have a good semester abroad overall, she got into some real difficulty with her in-language classes that made the experience more stressful than it should have been, because she wasn’t comfortable pursuing the tutoring and support that were available until she was already floundering. She salvaged it, but seeking out the resources from the beginning could have saved her a lot of pain. You’ll be the same person with the same issues, when you’re abroad, so do everything you can to keep those issues from tripping you up in a new and sometimes intimidating environment.
Let me just ask one thing: Does the Study Abroad involve taking classes in the native language of the country in question (assuming it is not English)? If so, have you taken any college level coures in that language? To continue, if you have experience with the target language, how well have you done in those classes?
If your experience with the native language is limited, you maybe better off NOT doing a study abroad until you get your language skills in the target language closer to Level B1 or greater (as in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels), for one good reason: while you may be taking classes in English (and that could be MAYBE), your interactions outside of class (which would be a majority of your day) would be in the native language. If you have trouble communicating with the locals (for whom English would be a second language at best), your time “over there” maybe more frustrating than exhilarating. And unless you’re into frustration (I hope not!), I wouldn’t recommend a Study Abroad unless you can convince the contact person at your college that you can handle being “almost native” over there…
The study abroad office is overbooked and I have yet to hear from them, but the application website leads me to think that professor recs are necessary.
About the language issue, I’m interested in studying in either Singapore or Mainland China, and I’m fluent enough to pass their language requirements to take courses in Chinese. I’m probably around B2 on the CEFR scale.
Study abroad is an amazing experience but it is also stressful as it takes you out of your comfort zone. My advice is to deal with the issues that caused your academic problems at home.
Professors are used to writing letters for students they don’t know. They will likely ask YOU for a letter explaining why you want to study abroad, what you’re interested in. They will bang out a two paragraph “Joanie took my philosophy class and got an A-” letter in under ten minutes.
Don’t overthink this. They are recommending you for a study abroad program, not testifying about your credentials in front of a Senate committee!!!