How to Choose an International Experience
It is important that students choose an appropriate 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 program
that meets your individual academic and personal needs.
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.
- Understand your needs and characteristics before
choosing a program
- Explore several options and compare program
characteristics
- Choose a 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.
- What type of courses do you need to take (major
requirements, major electives, general education requirements or
lower-division courses, electives)?
- What academic topics do you need (and want) to study
(only your major, or a mix of academic disciplines)?
- Does your home institution approve experiential courses
(ie, internships, field study, independent study, independent research,
service-learning, touring)?
- Can you take courses in another language / are you
sufficiently fluent?
- Do you have beginning or intermediate foreign language
skills?
- Does your home institution have requirements about the
number of weeks and/or contact hours the courses must fulfill to transfer
credit?
- 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?
- Do you feel comfortable using public transportation
(buses, taxis, trains)?
- Would you prefer to live in a community where you can
easily navigate your way, and meet local people?
- Does the weather bother you? Have you experienced the
type of climate common to the host country you are considering?
- Are you a self-starter, outgoing, and self-motivated,
experienced in exploring new/different situations?
- Do you prefer functioning in a group with leaders
and/or guides making decisions for you and being surrounded by others much
like yourself?
- Do you have any dietary, medical or mental health
needs?
- 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?
- 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?
- Do you enjoy camping, hiking, backpacking, “roughing
it”?
- 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?
- Have you ever traveled before? Outside
the U.S.? If yes, how long and where?
- How long have you ever been away from “home” before,
away from family and friends?
- 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 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?
|
Type
|
|
Pros
|
|
Cons
|
|
Direct Enrollment
|
|
- Authentic academic experience w/
locals.
- Immersion with local
students.
- Likely to be less
expensive.
|
|
- Unfamiliar administrative
bureaucracy, teaching style, support services.
- Unexpected costs.
|
|
Exchange
|
|
- Tuition cost will be the same as
you pay on your home campus.
- Your campus has an established
contact person at host institution.
|
|
- Unfamiliar administrative
bureaucracy, teaching style, support services.
- Unexpected costs.
|
|
Program Provider
|
|
- Support services established for
the needs ofU.S. students.
- You get what you pay for.
|
|
- You pay extra for support
services.
- Sometimes isolated/marginalized
from host country people and culture.
|
|
Faculty-led
|
|
- 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.
- A group of U.S. students,
most often from your home school.
|
|
- Take classes that are familiar
and similar to what you would take on your home campus.
- 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
|
|
- Someplace that excites you.
- A pleasant break from your
“home”.
|
|
- 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
|
|
- Language was less of an obstacle
than expected.
- I would like to learn a new
language now.
|
|
- Language was a bigger obstacle
than expected.
- I did not have the
level of language skills I thought I had.
|
|
Community / City
|
|
- 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.
|
|
- 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
|
|
- 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.
|
|
- 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
|
|
- Love my housing.
- Lived close to campus.
- Cost of living less than theU.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.
|
|
- Hate my housing.
- Lived too far from campus.
- Cost of living 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.
|
By Dr. Sandi M. Smith, Director of
Institutional Relations, Global Learning Semesters, 2008
