Foreign Study Winners and Losers: 2008
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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AFS International
AFS International is designed primarily for high school students, but it also facilitates volunteer opportunities for adults. They have programs in over 50 countries. I studied in Argentina and it was wonderful -- I was the only American in a city of 100,000. It is a true immersion program! Highly recommended!
Michael
Grand Rapids, MI USA Mon 12/22/2008
College Exchange Programs
My younger son spent several quarters abroad through the University of Washington's International Programs and Exchanges. He paid in-state tuition while studying in Bath, Sienna, and Munich. There are hundreds of colleges and universities in the US and around the world that participate. The University for Foreigners in Sienna was not, so he wound up paying local tuition as well as the concurrent enrollment tuition at the UW, but it worked out to be about the same.
Joe Frost <email>
Seattle, Wa USA Sun 12/07/2008
Pau, France for the Fall Semester
I will be studying in Pau, France for the entire fall semester with USAC (University Study Abroad Consortium) next year. I have always known that I wanted to study abroad in college, so getting accepted into the program has been a dream come true for me. French is one of my majors, and I know that I will come away after living there for 3 1/2 months with not only an increased knowledge of the language and culture, but an appreciation for travel and cherished memories that will last a lifetime! :)
Caroline
Las Vegas, NV USA Thu 12/04/2008
Not Western Europe
Doesn't anyone study outside of Western Europe? I thought Rick Steeve's fans would be a little more creative by seeking out less frequented cities. Check out Istanbul!
Bruno Hauptmann
Atlanta, GA USA Mon 12/01/2008
Study Abroad Extended
I enjoyed Ireland so much during my summer study abroad, that I enrolled in the university full-time to finish the remaining 3 years of my degree. The international student fees were about the same as out-of-state fees for the university in the U.S. that I would have transferred to after my year at community college and summer study abroad. The expereince was amazing! I made wonderful friendships and even met my now-husband in Ireland; I met people from all over Ireland and Europe, had the opportunity to travel around Continental Europe and Ireland, and received an excellent education at the same time. I attended the American College Dublin for study abroad and undergraduate studies, and the University of Ulster for my post-graduate studies.
Courtney <email>
Austin, TX USA Sun 09/14/2008
IES!!
I studied at IES Vienna institute and I had the time of my life. The staff and professors were whole heartedly dedicated to their work and my accommodations were amazing. I would recommend IES in an instant. Reading some of the past posts, perhaps the Siena IES program wasn't quite to IES standards but their older programs are the best. They also have quite a selections of programs. I couldn't have gone with a better study abroad program. I still miss Austria everyday!
Cara B
Philadelphia, PA USA Thu 09/11/2008
Immerse yourself!
I studied abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and loved it so much I ended up transferring. My advice to students taking on the adventure of studying abroad is this. It's too easy to meet other American students and only hang out with them. Edinburgh has one of the best Sports Unions and Societies programs in the UK. I took advantage of this, and joined the Hillwalking Club, a conservation society, and the Equestrian Club. Through Hillwalking I got to walk in beautiful parts of Scotland, make memories that will last a lifetime, such as Burns Night at a Youth Hostel in the West Highlands, and meet some amazing people. I got to compete for Edinburgh through the Equestrian Club, and meet people from other Universities. I went to some projects in the conservation society and got to see parts of Edinburgh I wouldn't otherwise have gone too. Your study abroad experience is what you make of it. In other words, you get out what you put in. Go for it - I guarantee you'll have the time of your life, and make memories that will last a lifetime!
Emma <email>
Edinburgh, UK Sun 09/07/2008
Law School Abroad, a Must!
I never studied abroad during my undergraduate studies, but I did when I was in law school at Seattle University. Paying law jobs after the first year are rare (at least in Seattle), so I, like many first year students, studied abroad.
Many schools have programs, mine was through Georgia State School of Law in International Commercial Arbitration. My school gladly accepted the credits. We were based in Linz, AU and traveled all over the region (Prague, Venice, Budapest, and Vienna) with all transportation included.
I had friends study in Dublin, Warsaw, Paris, Copenhagen, Moscow etc. etc. You name it, there's a law school program there that's probably cheaper than your law school credits.
Tyler
Seattle, WA USA Thu 07/17/2008
Packing for study abroad- it is NOT like vacation travel!
I would suggest that those going on field schools or study abroad NOT try to "pack light" (as compared to the usual vacation traveling advice) if they're going to be at a single place for more than a few days. The extra weight from the "non-essentials" may be a hassle for traveling around, but might be a life-saver once you're living there.
Sometimes an item most people would leave behind will make all the difference in comfort and ease of living. In my case- it was a small, battery-powered fan that made sleeping possible in the agritourismo where I stayed. Also, if you have a favorite product for hygiene or personal use, it might not be available where you're going (as I found). I wish I'd packed more of the hygiene products that I usually use.
Finally- most study abroad programs will suggest what to bring- follow their suggestions!!!
Bob
Lakeland, Fl USA Mon 06/30/2008
Cheap flights for students, Stateside or in Europe
I just found a website that has discounted flights for students and faculty: www.studentuniverse.com (there was a link to it from the Orbitz.com website). I found a one-way, direct flight to Rome and saved at least $100 off the absolute cheapest airfare I had found elsewhere (which, being as I have to fly during the most expensive time of the year, was a lifesaver).
Ann
USA Sat 06/07/2008
ISEP
Check if your school is a member of the ISEP program. If it is, this is definately one of the cheapest ways to study abroad. You pay the exact same amount you would if you just stayed at home for the semester, even for room and board, except that instead you get room board and tuition on your host country. All you have to buy extra is the plane ticket and health insurance. You won't get the "program" stuff like organized visits and such, but I've found that where I am- Rennes, France- you can find the exact same thing through the university's foreign student office or the equivalent. Basically an affordable way to get a great exchange experience.
Sarah
Leonardtown, MD USA Wed 05/07/2008
estonian language and culture
if you want a real UNIQUE study abroad experience, id say check out the Tallinn Summer Schools Estonian Language and Culture Course. I participated in it last year and had a blast! They took us to the Viljandi folk music festival which is one of the best Ive ever been to. Estonia has a good location to so its easy to travel to Russia, Finland, or Latvia before or after the course.
heres their website if anyone is interested
(http://www.tlu.ee/?LangID=2&CatID=2164&ArtID=7976&action=article
CB <email>
Wash DC, DC USA Mon 04/28/2008
Study Abroad at The University of Oxford and The University of Cambridge
I spent my junior year abroad reading (studying) English and Philosophy at St. Catherine's College, University of Oxford and my friend spent her JYA at Cambridge. We both went through Butler University's program (Institute for Study Abroad), which was terrific. They offered lots of support in the application process, scholarships to help fund your JYA, and trips to different locations in England during your semester/year abroad, including a short home-stay with an English family upon your arrival. I had amazing tutors, including the late Jonathan Wordsworth, who is a direct descendant of William Wordsworth and held the same privileges as all fully matriculated students did, including access to the Bodleian Library for research, etc. I highly recommend the program for those who would like to attend a particular college at either Oxford or Cambridge, as often American universities do have exchange programs with certain colleges but you might want to be in a different one than your university offers.
Jaime
London/Seattle, WA USA Wed 04/23/2008
DENMARK
DIS, the Danish Institute for Study Abroad, is a great program for foreign study in Denmark! There are hundreds of courses to choose from. You do take classes with American students studying abroad in the program, but if you try hard enough you shouldn't have trouble meeting the Danes. Denmark is a really underrated place - I highly recommend DIS! Go visit www.dis.dk!
D
PA USA Sat 04/19/2008
Study and Soccer in Germany
Football/School Exchange Program.
My son plays soccer and wanted to play in Europe so i googled and eventually found FARA. He went when he was 15 and is there now and has nearly completed a year. He did not know a word of German and is speaking quite fluently after 8 months. Michael the President organises everything and my son has had the experience of his life. His fees were half the price of others and i highly recommend the organisation and the experience.
Donna Mantello <email>
Mel, Vic Australia Sun 04/06/2008
UWO European Odyssey
I was a student at UW Oshkosh, and they offer a really cool program where we studied abroad for a semester, travelling to the major European cities. We started in London, then to Paris, Athens, Florence, Rome, AMsterdam, and ending in Berlin, spending about 3 weeks in each city. The destinations change year by year, but this has got to be the best study abroad trip I have ever heard of as far as how much you get to see and experience. The classes were art and history credits, mainly gen-eds. Unfortunately the trip may not go this year due to not enough people signing up. The total trip costs, including all the spending money I brought, came to about $15,000. When you consider you will be living in hostels and budget hotels, eating out daily, and doing tons of really cool activities for 4 months, this is a great deal!!! I made the great friends and had the best experiences of my life!!! Oh you do not have to be a student at UWO to attend, just contact the staff if you are interested. UW Oshksoh European Odyssey http://www.uwosh.edu/oie/abroad/odyssey.php
Anna <email>
Madison, WI USA Wed 04/02/2008
TESC Study Abroad Programs
My son attends the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. At TESC you enroll in a "program" each quarter instead of individual classes. The programs are cross-disciplinary. This year, as part of the year long "America Abroad" program, he is interning for 3 months in South Africa with an NGO that does advocacy work for AIDS orphans and people with AIDS. This is real world work--one of their clients died within the last week--and incredibly rewarding. Other program participants are interning with NGOs in Thailand and Guatemala.
I can not say enough good things about Evergreen's study abroad programs. Last year my son did their Ireland program, which involved learning the language, as well as history, culture and economics. He spent 6 weeks in Dingle.
RickaG
Puyallup, W USA Fri 03/07/2008
Don Quijote including partner schools
My daughter (20) visited three Don Quijote schools last summer, and was very pleased with the Don Quijote owned schools (Salamanca and Barcelona) but not with the partner school in Valencia. She went to that school last, and didn't feel they provided the support or quality she had expected. The others she raved about.
Dave <email>
Grapevine, TX USA Sun 01/27/2008
Summer Italy Program
I googled Siena and came up with this page. My university had a summer program where we were able to take history and art history classes. We were put in apartments through the Siena IES center which were fine except that there was not enough housing for us - it was a disaster. The staff at IES was not helpful at all and the director seems to hate Americans. I saw the Paris kid's comments and I wish I had had that experience - this was not a semester and only 5 weeks but I agree with everybody else - research programs if you can and go with established programs. The IES Siena center is not one of them - but Paris does seem to have a pretty good staff from what the other girls say.
Villanova, PA USA Fri 01/25/2008
Spanish Immersion Courses
From my own personal experience, I highly recommend don Quijote. I spent five weeks in Madrid and three weeks in Barcelona and I absolutely loved the experience. You have a choice of staying with a host family or you can share a flat with other students. Although these programs tend to be popular with the college-age crowd, don't let your age (if you're past 25) stop you from learning. This program accepts all age groups and there will always be a diverse age-range of students amonge the crowd of the "young ones". I participated in this course in my late 30's and I had a great time, too, so you are never too old to learn. Don Quijote also offers immersion courses throughout Latin America as well.
Elaine <email>
Dallas, TX USA Thu 01/17/2008
Archaeology field schools
I might suggest that people also consider archaeology fieldschools. They can be a lot of fun, you get to help make discoveries, and they are often not limited to college students. You can find lists at several locations, for instance:
http://www.shovelbums.org/
http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10016
http://www.saa.org/public/news/field-lab.html
(Two of these are search engines for fieldwork opportunities.)
They are generally open to volunteers, and experience is often not necessary.
Bob
Lakeland, Fl USA Sun 01/13/2008
Harlaxton College, Grantham, England
For a semester abroad, check out Harlaxton College in Grantham, England. It is owned by the University of Evansville, but many other colleges/universities partner with UE to send undergraduate students. The program encourages students to travel throughout the British Isles and Europe. I attended some time ago and the experience changed my life forever. It is definitely worth a look!
Don
Fort Lauderdale, FL USA Sun 01/06/2008
IES Paris, again!
I would like to agree with the poster below me, I too, went to Paris with IES and had the time of my life! The classes were great, and I stayed in a lovely host home. I understand that everyone's experience is different, and it sounds like the Siena program was new, so it may be best to go with a well-established program, where you can read a lot of reviews or even contact former participants. I must say, though, that I found the IES Paris staff to be wonderful. On one occasion, I had a horrible night and (I'll spare you the story!) couldn't get back to my apartment, and one of the staff members invited me into her own home for the night. They were caring and generous, and I couldn't have had a better experience!
Amanda
Washington, DC USA Thu 01/03/2008