Foreign Study Winners and Losers: 2006
There are hundreds of student exchange and study abroad programs and organized student tours available. Most programs offer a rich learning experience. However, some don't seem to measure up to their advertising claims. How do parents and students sort through the options? Please share your experience with foreign study. Was your program or tour worthwhile, or just a waste of time and money?
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Three Weeks in Germany
I spent three weeks in Bamberg Germany at an intensive language school. During those three weeks I spent two 1 1/2 hour class periods each mornings and 1 class period each afternoon learning the language.
I lived with a local during the three weeks and paid 87 euro per week. This compares to what I spent for one night in a hotel in Berlin. I did visit Nurenberg and Berlin on weekends. One week of class with a room did cost about what I spent last year staying in hotels.
Bamberg was a great place to spend three weeks with enough to see and do in the afternoon.
The class size varied each week from 5 to 8 people. It is true that the more people in the class the less you learn. Once the class went up to 8 people they did divide the class in two for the second class period.
One concern was that everyone would speak different languages. English was the one common language and was used to explain things the class didn't understand.
Another concern was if I would be prepared. I wasn't and spent the afternoons relearning what I had already learned in the states.
FtWorthGuy2
Ft Worth, Tx USA Wed 12/27/2006
Summer Study Abroad
I highly recommend traveling with a university for a first study abroad experience. While the trips are often more expensive than doing a full semester in an European university, they provide a sense of grounding and help to ease some fears.
I spent 5 weeks in France (mostly Paris) with Arizona State University and had the most amazing time of my life. I followed the trip with an additional 6 weeks wandering around. I agree with the other posters, try and get away from your American friends, but also recognize your own comfort level. I am a rather shy person, so starting my trip with several Americans put me more at ease and made me comfortable in the environment.
Travelling around afterwards is the best decision I have ever made. I went to Spain, Scotland, Germany and Italy before going home. The time spent by myself taught me a great deal about who I am!
One piece of advice I have to offer is to make sure you enjoy the professors who will be leading the trip. You spend a great deal of time with them, and it is incredibly important that you enjoy their company. Also, shop around. If one trip doesn't seem quite right, then it probably isn't. Be picky, it will pay off.
I enjoyed my travels so much that I will be going on another summer study abroad, staying afterwards and come fall semester returning to Paris for a semester long study abroad.
Travel is absolutely the best way to learn ... about yourself and, most importantly, the world around you!
DO IT!
Anna <email>
Phoenix, AZ USA Tue 12/26/2006
Art/Language/Culture study abroad
My daughter is doing a study abroad this summer in Ales, France. The program is combining Art, Culture and Language through Florida Atlantic University (http://www.fau.edu/divdept/schmidt/art/study/index.htm). Any recommendations about how to keep out cost down about flying in and out? She wants to go a little early and stay a week later to travel around Europe but doesn't exactly know where she wants to go yet. Should we just fly her in and out of Paris? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Connie <email>
USA Wed 11/29/2006
Study abroad is a must experience!!
I agree! Spend some time abroad and learn the local language. I lived abroad a number of years ago in Oslo, Norway (for 1 year) and loved it!! I met people from all over the world and it really opened my eyes to the world.
As another reader said, spend time away from your countrymen! You will learn so much more if you can make a few native friends. They will teach you more than you could learn as a tourist or even as a student who only spends time with other Americans, Canadians, etc.
And even if they speak English, you must must make the effort to speak their language or you will never learn. Eventually you will just have to pretend they are not speaking English and keep on speaking their lanuage. If they can respond to you, even if in English, that means they understand you.
So I say do it!! The longer the better!! But even if you can go for 4-6 weeks, that's better than nothing. You will learn more than if you stayed and studied at home.
So, GO GO GO!!
Btw, The University of Oslo was great!! So much fun! Norway is a very beautiful country. But watch out, they speak English very very well, so if you go for language learning, be prepared to try hard- not that the lanugage is hard- just that they will always want to speak English with you.
Good luck and have fun!! You will never forget your experience.
Lori L. <email>
Boulder, CO USA Mon 11/27/2006
Art history/art courses
Looking to do a semester abroad for US Undergrad credits in art. My first choice would be Italy. Any great suggestions?
Lynn
Los Angeles, CA USA Sun 11/19/2006
Ireland
I am excited to say that I will studying abroad for my first time ever. I have traveled abroad, but never studied. I will be in Athlone Ireland for 4 and a half weeks this summer.
Kimberly <email>
Apache Junction, AZ USA Tue 11/14/2006
Living abroad.
If anyone is thinking of studying abroad, I'd say DO IT! There's no good reason not to. I spent a year of my academic life in Italy, and while it wasn't always easy, it certainly changed my life for the better. I now work for a study abroad company, and am doing everything I can go get overseas again! Italy is of course a wonderful place, but I've had friends who went to England, Cuba, the Czech Republic, and even Mongolia. It doesn't really matter WHERE you go, just so long as you get that head-spinning experience of living abroad. You'll never be the same person again. I studied in the IES Milan program, and I loved it. John Ockey, the coordinator, is a wonderful man. My only problem was that I spent too much time with Americans. Get away from your countrymen, if you can! You can always hang out with Americans when you get back.
Elizabeth
Minneapolis, MN USA Wed 11/08/2006
italian language school
For study in italian, check out www.italian.org. There are two schools listed. My husband and I spent 3 weeks of our honeymoon at the one in Belforte all' Isauro, a small town of about 700 residents. Very inexpensive and a marvelous experience. If you go, say "ciao" to Carmelo and Angelo from Tom & Sue Glaser
Susan Glaser <email>
Oakland Park, FL USA Mon 10/30/2006
Best Italian Program
Jamie --- PICK the program, not the location. You can always travel to the location. Italy is not that big.
Frank P. <email>
Centennial, CO USA Fri 10/20/2006
German Immersion
I will be attending three weeks of German Immersion in a few weeks at Treffpunkt in Bamberg. (learn-german.com) They had a page, that I can't find anymore, about questions to ask yourself. For beginners I would suggest starting at your local community college. In Dallas they also have Saturday classes with the Goethe Center. The Goethe Institute exists in several US cities.
Try to avoid summers when everyone goes. (Larger classes) Four semesters of college german equals 16 weeks in Germany so it is intensive. Renting a room from a local is cheaper than a hotel and gives you more chances to use the language.
I know that SMU teaches a German Lite or Travel German. Something similar could be in your area. Look for a german group, ie Meetup.com.
FtWorthGuy2
Ft Worth, Tx USA Wed 10/18/2006
Italian Language Schools
ABOUT ITALIAN LANGUAGE SCHOOLS:
I've attended 2 different schools, One in Florence and one in Bologna. I prefered Florence because the city is smaller, cleaner and Rome and Tuscany are a short hop on the train, Bologna was very cold. TIPS: If you are serious about learning the language live with an italian. If you are a non smoker insist on a smokeless house,
Liz
Cary, NC USA Sat 10/14/2006
Where, in your opinion, is the best place for a college student to study for a semester in Italy? I am an English major, and I have never been to Italy and am having trouble trying to decide on a location to spend 4 months of my life! Any advice is appreciated.
Jamie
Philadelphia, PA USA Sat 10/14/2006
Go north!
I offer the suggestion to investigate universities in Canada. The exchange rate is still favorable against the US dollar and there is the flavor of an international experience while still on the North American continent. My son has been very surprised at the strongly patriotic Canadians and getting an entirely different cultural perspective. Besides that, Queens University offers myriad travel opportunities that differ from "our" traditional junior year abroad in the US, as well as access to more and different countries than we have, too.
Marjorie
Portland, OR USA Wed 10/11/2006
Immersion programs in Spain
I'm heading to Spain this January with my daughter to check out all of the cities where Don Quijote has its schools. My daughter will spend next summer there, in one of their immersion programs. I'd love to hear thoughts on these programs or other Spanish immersion programs, as well as any German immersion programs which I'm interested in for myself. Once we've returned in early January, I'll post what I learned and my thoughts on each of the locales and the facilities we've seen.
Dave <email>
TX USA Wed 10/11/2006