<p>Hello, friends. I'm going to be a freshman in the Fall, so I know it's still early, but I was wondering what the advantages/disadvantages are of doing a year abroad instead of a semester. </p>
<p>I'm in Brazil right now, I'm spending the whole summer here, and I've fallen in love with this country. I already speak Portuguese fluently, and I already knew I wanted to study abroad here, but now I'm considering doing a year instead of a semester. </p>
<p>My main questions are:</p>
<p>Does doing a year abroad delay graduation? Or is that something that varies by university?</p>
<p>What year would be best to do a yearlong study abroad?</p>
<p>How does doing a year abroad work in a Southern hemisphere country where the seasons are opposite? If I do September to May here, I'm losing class time during the Brazilian summer vacation. Is that also something that varies by university/program?</p>
<p>Anybody have any experience doing a year abroad? Especially in a country in the Southern hemisphere?</p>
<p>I think I’ve seen you on the GW boards before, so I can make this a little more specific…</p>
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Not necessarily. Look at the type of credit a SA gives you: direct (like you’re taking GW classes) or transfer. If you maxed out on APs at GW (24 credits is the most you can bring), then transfer credit probably isn’t the way to go. However, those 24 AP credits give you almost a year of leniency re: classes, especially if you’ve fulfilled your requirements. If that’s the case, then you can go crazy with electives, which could be filled by your transfer study abroad credits. Does that make sense?</p>
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Personally, I’d go with sophomore spring (for a semester) or just sophomore year in general for a year. You’re limited in top internship opportunities that normally arise in junior/senior year and you’re not bound by job and grad school applications, GREs, etc. Think of it as the hump day of your college career.</p>
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<p>I can’t answer those, but a (GW) friend of mine is doing a year abroad in S. America. PM me if you want to get in touch with her.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot, gdubcolonial. It’s nice to have some GW-tailored information. I was planning on junior year but now that I think about it, you’re right. I’d be missing out on a lot of internship opportunities in DC.</p>
<p>It depends on what type of internships you’re interested in, too. A lot of freshmen/sophomores go for unpaid internships, typically in communications or social media, which don’t really do much for you in terms of skills. State dept and good government internships typically require 60 credits or more to apply (they’re really strict about that number). What industry do you think you might like to work in?</p>
<p>School year in Brazil runs differently than here in the US. If you are a direct enroll student, classes begin after Carnival (arrival in mid February, classes beginning in late February) and end the beginning of July. The next semester begins with arrival in late July and classes beginning early August. This semester’s classes end the second week in December or so.</p>
<p>So, if you choose to study abroad for a full year, second semester of you sophomore year and first semester of your junior year works very well.</p>
<p>A few more points to think about when choosing to study abroad in Brazil:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>In large cities like Rio, the cost of living is rising rapidly and the exchange rate makes it very expensive for a US student.</p></li>
<li><p>If you choose to direct enroll at a university, the grading system is very different. It is not uncommon for US students to take a significant hit in the GPA. Grades that equal an A here can be very difficult to come by…just not the norm in Brazil.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>@gdub, my goal is ultimately to become an FSO, so those State Dept. internships are exactly what I’d be aiming for. I think I’m gonna go with your suggestion and try to go abroad sophomore year.</p>
<p>@seekingknowledge, thanks for all the tips, I know the school year runs differently and that’s my main problem :/. I didn’t know it was possible to do two semesters in two different years like that. I’m gonna ask the study abroad office about that when I start at GW, because that sounds like a much better option. I just didn’t want to waste my time in Brazil by being there during their summer break.</p>
<p>As for the cost of living, I know it’s rising fast and is already quite high, but as I live in DC, trust me, it’s nothing for what I’m used to. I’ve been in Rio for about two months now and I’ve gotten a basic knowledge of the housing market around here. If prices stay where they are (probably not considering how fast Rio is continuing to gentrify), it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.</p>
<p>Once you hit 60+ credits, you’ll be good to go. They sent back my file saying I didn’t have enough credits, even though I was only a class or two away.</p>
<p>Be very aware that studying abroad prior to trying to obtain security clearance can exclude you from internships. Many internships requiring security clearance will not even consider you. They cannot begin the process until you arrive back in the states and it usually lengthens the process. Just food for thought.</p>