Well, there are better ways to do it, and better times to do it, but study abroad is valuable even under the “worst” circumstances (living and studying with other Americans, traveling with other Americans, and avoiding contact with locals or time alone.)
And don’t get me started on those $50,000 full-year abroad experiences (which would cost you maybe $10,000 on your own). DO NOT buy into the hype that study abroad has to cost a fortune (it absolutely does NOT) and that paying a college loan for 15 years in order to go abroad is “worth it”. The truth is that that is what we tell ourselves in order to make those loan payments and we don’t want to hear that we could have saved thousands of dollars by sending a few emails.
I hope to save thousands of students from those student loans–and assist thousands more who avoid study abroad because of the cost–by sharing tips to help them avoid the unnecessarily expensive programs in favor of more relevant, meaningful, and in-depth cultural experiences.
Right now, I’m working on a section in my book, The World Is Your Campus (Random House, spring of 2009) about study abroad for those who are in high school. And though it is common to wait until the junior year of college to study abroad, the truth is that there are a whole lot of reasons why it is far more transformative if you do it when you are 16 or 17. (hint: it’s a brain thing) I’ve had plenty of opportunities to see my own daughters’ transformations at 16 and since I live abroad, I also see how the average 21-year-old American experiences a semester here. Honestly, it’s like night and day. Both have their benefits, but the high school exchange blows the college semester abroad out of the WATER.
But that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone, nor does it mean that you should feel bad if you never go abroad until you’re out of college. I know some very globally-aware people who did the straight four years of high school and then four years of college and never even stepped outside the US border until they were 22 or older…and they definitely made up for lost time. (You’ll read their fascinating stories in my book!)
The point is that there are a lot of options in terms of timing and many, many ways to get a global education that allows you to really understand more about yourself and the world.
Zandria has written a blog post about her college semester abroad in Amsterdam–and has included some bits from others as well–on this post. It’s a good little sampling and I appreciate that it seems like most of the students were not moving in an American bubble the whole time–they lived in a dorm with students from around the world, for example, or in home-stays. I’m always glad to hear about study abroad experiences that allow students to really get away from their own culture, especially as the trend is to become more fearful and therefore more contained and controlled in all aspects of the trip.
My book will offer specific tips about how to do study abroad on your own or with groups that are NOT US-based. Of course, if you’re not likely to go abroad UNLESS you can do it in the safety of friends and others from your college, well, that’s better than not going at all! But I heartily encourage all travelers to find time to explore on their own and connect with locals as much as possible.
Is there a right way to study abroad? Well, I guess it’s up to each person to pick their own path. The good news is that you DO NOT need to spend a ton of money, so if that’s your biggest obstacle, rejoice! There are simple and creative ways to do it–and live in a nice place with locals or foreign students–for as little as the cost of a plane ticket and about $2000 per semester.
Really!
1 Comment
March 5, 2008 at 1:56 am
I agree — the best study abroad experiences are definitely the ones that allow the traveler to live and interact with people from different cultures. I’m glad you enjoyed the post!