STUDY ABROAD

WHY STUDY ABROAD?

Which Program Is For Me?

By Dr. Cathy Eberhart, Vice President for Academic Affairs - Schiller University

My third-grade class read the book, If I Were Going, by Mabel O’Donnell, which concerned itself with imaginary journeys to places in Europe and Africa. I made the firm decision to go, too, but on a real journey. I never asked, “Why?” When I was a junior in college, I studied in Germany for a wonderful year.

In the meantime, as someone who works professionally with students who are contemplating studying abroad, I constantly address the “why” question, seriously. It’s an easy one to answer. There are myriad benefits to spending time in another country and in another culture. Becoming proficient in another language, honing intercultural people skills and broadening your experiential horizon are some of the more obvious ones, which can later parlay themselves into employment opportunities in the international arena.

There are other benefits that are perhaps less obvious. Of course, you learn about other people, their different points of view, their cultures, artistic works and foreign landscapes, but you also become more sensitive to differences and more appreciative of them. The excitement of recognizing this inner growth in yourself, as well as the satisfying feeling of achievement when you have negotiated travel, living and study arrangements in a foreign country and perhaps in a foreign language, make you almost inevitably a person who is and feels more capable and self-sufficient than you were before the study abroad experience.

Which program is for you? Now that is the difficult question. Study abroad programs fall into several broad categories. There are those that involve studying in another country with a group of students and with a professor from your home institution. Another type of program involves enrolling as a student in a foreign institution. Some programs aim primarily at language training and those in which the subject matter is taught in English, and there are programs that combine elements of these. Some programs are a few weeks and others are for a full year. Visit the study abroad counselor’s office and find out about available programs. No study abroad office at your school? Talk with your academic advisor and look on the Internet.

Make a list of what you want from your abroad program and how much time you can devote to it. Be realistic. You cannot become fluent in a language in three weeks. However, if you have a good basic knowledge of a language, then a three-week total-immersion program may give you a jump-start to fluency. Or, you may decide that language acquisition is not your main goal, but that you are more subject-oriented. Then one of the many programs taught in English or a program in, for example, the United Kingdom might be the right one for you. Can you spend one or two semesters away? If so, do you want to enroll in a foreign institution? Are you more interested in Latin America, Europe, Africa or Asia? No matter what you decide, have a wonderful time!