It is important that students choose an
appropriate study abroad program to get the most out of an international
experience. Because there are a variety of program types, structures,
locations, and requirements... it is worth the time and effort it takes to find
a study program that meets your individual academic and personal needs.
Study Abroad Programs have distinctive
characteristics, like students, and thus it is important to find the right
"match" between the student and the program. Your friend, or sister,
or teacher may have participated in a program that was "absolutely
great" for them but may not be a good fit for you. Thus, a glowing
recommendation from someone who went on a program is not necessarily the most
appropriate approach to choosing a program.
o Understand your needs and characteristics
before choosing a study abroad program
o Explore several options and compare
program characteristics
o Choose a study abroad program that fits
your needs and characteristics
Your Needs and Characteristics
Ask yourself these questions, and get a
friend or family member to confer with you on these topics.
1. What type of courses do you need to take
(major requirements, major electives, general education requirements or lower-division
courses, electives)?
2. What academic topics do you need (and
want) to study (only your major, or a mix of academic disciplines)?
3. Does your home institution approve
experiential courses (ie, internships, field study, independent study, independent
research, service-learning, touring)?
4. Can you take courses in another language
/ are you sufficiently fluent?
5. Do you have a beginning or intermediate
foreign language skills?
6. Does your home institution have
requirements about the number of weeks and/or contact hours the courses must
fulfill to transfer credit?
7. Would you feel comfortable living in a
fast-paced, urban city where it is difficult to make friends and interact with
locals living in a city?
8. Do you feel comfortable using public
transportation (buses, taxis, trains)?
9. Would you prefer to live in a community
where you can easily navigate your way, and meet local people?
10. Does the weather bother you? Have you
experienced the type of climate common to the host country you are considering?
11. Are you a self-starter, outgoing, and
self-motivated, experienced in exploring new/different situations?
12. Do you prefer functioning in a group
with leaders and/or guides making decisions for you and being surrounded by
others much like yourself?
13. Do you have any dietary, medical or
mental health needs?
14. Do you want to become a
"specialist" in one location (language and culture and history and
current events) or do you want a comparative perspective of several different
places and perspectives?
15. Have your friends or family ever called
you "high maintenance"? Do you have a high level of attention to
conveniences, personal appearance, the newest fads or specific activities?
16. Do you enjoy camping, hiking,
backpacking, "roughing it"?
17. Do you have a good sense of how (and
if) you will use alcohol in a mature setting? Have you ever been disruptive of
others or put your well-being at risk with alcohol?
18. Have you ever traveled before? Outside
the U.S.? If yes, how long and where?
19. How long have you ever been away from
"home" before, away from family and friends?
20. What type of leisure activities do you
enjoy? What do you do with your "free-time"?
Program Types
Direct enrollment - Explore colleges and
universities in other countries, and directly enroll in a study abroad program
that allows "transient" or "international" students.
Exchange - Utilize an established
relationship through your school that exchanges students with another
designated college or university.
Program provider - Participate in a program
administered by an organization offering study abroad support services.
Faculty-led - Participate in a program
administered by a U.S. college or university and taught by a U.S. professor.
Location
Country - Location, geography, language,
population, economic/industrial development, cost of living, food, health and
safety conditions, climate, ease of transportation, etc.
Language - Do you have beginner,
intermediate, or advanced language skills in the host country primary language?
What is the English language fluency of the local population?
Community / City size - Cosmopolitan city,
Urban city, industrial city, suburban city, town, rural community
Host institution - Enrollment size,
percentage of local students and international students, urban campus or
enclosed campus, facilities available, teaching style, language of instruction,
grading/assessment style, academic options, academic rigor, distance from
housing,
Living conditions - Homestay, residence
hall, apartment, house, hotel, with all Americans, with all locals, distance to
shopping, entertainment, school, transportation, shared or not, cost of living,
where will you eat meals?
Here are a few pros and cons of various
study abroad programs
Direct Enrollment
Pros
- Authentic academic experience with
locals.
- Immersion with local students
- Likely to be less expensive.
Cons
- Unfamiliar administrative bureaucracy,
teaching style, support services.
- Unexpected costs.
Exchange
Pros
- Tuition cost will be the same as you pay
on your home campus.
- Your campus has an established contact
person at host institution.
Cons
- Unfamiliar administrative bureaucracy,
teaching style, support services.
- Unexpected costs.
Program Provider
Pros
- Support services established for the
needs of U.S. students.
- You get what you pay for.
Cons
- You pay extra for support services.
- Sometimes isolated/marginalized from host
country people and culture.
Faculty-led
Pros
- Most of the time, accompanied by a
professor you know and trust.
- Take classes that are familiar and
similar to what you would take on your home campus.
- In a group of U.S. students, most often
from your home school.
Cons
- Take classes that are familiar and
similar to what you would take on your home campus.
- In a group of U.S. students, most often
from your home school.
- Faculty not necessarily trained to
provide full-service support and study abroad best practices and standards.
Country
Pros
- Someplace that excites you.
- A pleasant break from your
"home".
Cons
- Not what you expected.
- Do not like the weather, or food, or
living conditions.
- Not comfortable with under-developed
status, OR strategy for political or economic development.
Language
Pros
- Language was less of an obstacle than
expected.
- I would like to learn a new language now.
Cons
- Language was a bigger obstacle than
expected.
- I did not have the level of language
skills I thought I had.
Community/City
Pros
- Love the different shops, restaurants,
activities.
- Just the right size.
- Experienced new activities that I never
knew I would like.
- Transportation was easy.
- Scenic and/or comfortable.
Cons
- Too big or too small for my enjoyment.
- It was hard to meet locals, or make
friends with locals.
- Transportation was not adequate.
- City was ugly, dirty, noisy, boring...
Host Institution
Pros
- Love that it was much bigger or smaller
than my home campus.
- Conducive to meeting local students and
making friends
- Local professor and students were
friendly, helpful and welcoming of foreign students.
- Courses were meaningful and challenging
and motivated me to learn more.
Cons
- Hate that it was much bigger or smaller
than my home campus.
- Not conducive to meeting locals or making
friends.
- Local professors did not like or know how
to deal with foreign students.
- Courses too easy or too hard.
Living Conditions
Pros
- Love my housing.
- Lived close to campus.
- Cost of living was less than the U.S.
- Conducive to meeting locals and making
friends.
- I felt so comfortable because it was
similar to what I am used to, OR because it was new and something I liked.
- Made it easy to focus on academics.
Cons
- Hate my housing.
- Lived too far from campus.
- Cost of living was so much more than the
U.S.
- Not conducive to meeting locals and
making friends.
- I felt so uncomfortable because it was
something I could not adapt to.
- A huge distraction from my academics.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/1686634
by Dr. Sandi Smith
Comments
Post a Comment