| It is important that students choose an appropriate | | | | Here are a few pros and cons of various study |
| study abroad program to get the most out of an | | | | abroad programs |
| international experience. Because there are a variety | | | | Direct Enrollment |
| of program types, structures, locations, and | | | | Pros |
| requirements... it is worth the time and effort it takes to | | | | - Authentic academic experience with locals. |
| find a study program that meets your individual | | | | - Immersion with local students |
| academic and personal needs. | | | | - Likely to be less expensive. |
| Study Abroad Programs have distinctive | | | | Cons |
| characteristics, like students, and thus it is important to | | | | - Unfamiliar administrative bureaucracy, teaching style, |
| find the right "match" between the student and the | | | | support services. |
| program. Your friend, or sister, or teacher may have | | | | - Unexpected costs. |
| participated in a program that was "absolutely great" | | | | Exchange |
| for them, but may not be a good fit for you. Thus, a | | | | Pros |
| glowing recommendation from someone who went on | | | | - Tuition cost will be the same as you pay on your |
| a program is not necessarily the most appropriate | | | | home campus. |
| approach to choosing a program.o Understand your | | | | - Your campus has an established contact person at |
| needs and characteristics before choosing a study | | | | host institution. |
| abroad programo Explore several options and | | | | Cons |
| compare program characteristicso Choose a study | | | | - Unfamiliar administrative bureaucracy, teaching style, |
| abroad program that fits your needs and | | | | support services. |
| characteristics | | | | - Unexpected costs. |
| Your Needs and Characteristics | | | | Program Provider |
| Ask yourself these questions, and get a friend or | | | | Pros |
| family member to confer with you on these topics. | | | | - Support services established for the needs of U.S. |
| 1. What type of courses do you need to take (major | | | | students. |
| requirements, major electives, general education | | | | - You get what you pay for. |
| requirements or lower-division courses, electives)? | | | | Cons |
| 2. What academic topics do you need (and want) to | | | | - You pay extra for support services. |
| study (only your major, or a mix of academic | | | | - Sometimes isolated/marginalized from host country |
| disciplines)? | | | | people and culture. |
| 3. Does your home institution approve experiential | | | | Faculty-led |
| courses (ie, internships, field study, independent study, | | | | Pros |
| independent research, service-learning, touring)? | | | | - Most of the time, accompanied by a professor you |
| 4. Can you take courses in another language / are you | | | | know and trust. |
| sufficiently fluent? | | | | - Take classes that are familiar and similar to what |
| 5. Do you have beginning or intermediate foreign | | | | you would take on your home campus. |
| language skills? | | | | - In a group of U.S. students, most often from your |
| 6. Does your home institution have requirements about | | | | home school. |
| the number of weeks and/or contact hours the | | | | Cons |
| courses must fulfill to transfer credit? | | | | - Take classes that are familiar and similar to what |
| 7. Would you feel comfortable living in a fast-paced, | | | | you would take on your home campus. |
| urban city where it is difficult to make friends and | | | | - In a group of U.S. students, most often from your |
| interact with locals living in a city? | | | | home school. |
| 8. Do you feel comfortable using public transportation | | | | - Faculty not necessarily trained to provide full-service |
| (buses, taxis, trains)? | | | | support and study abroad best practices and |
| 9. Would you prefer to live in a community where you | | | | standards. |
| can easily navigate your way, and meet local people? | | | | Country |
| 10. Does the weather bother you? Have you | | | | Pros |
| experienced the type of climate common to the host | | | | - Someplace that excites you. |
| country you are considering? | | | | - A pleasant break from your "home". |
| 11. Are you a self-starter, outgoing, and self-motivated, | | | | Cons |
| experienced in exploring new/different situations? | | | | - Not what you expected. |
| 12. Do you prefer functioning in a group with leaders | | | | - Do not like the weather, or food, or living conditions. |
| and/or guides making decisions for you and being | | | | - Not comfortable with under-developed status, OR |
| surrounded by others much like yourself? | | | | strategy for political or economic development. |
| 13. Do you have any dietary, medical or mental health | | | | Language |
| needs? | | | | Pros |
| 14. Do you want to become a "specialist" in one | | | | - Language was less of an obstacle than expected. |
| location (language and culture and history and current | | | | - I would like to learn a new language now. |
| events) or do you want a comparative perspective of | | | | Cons |
| several different places and perspectives? | | | | - Language was a bigger obstacle than expected. |
| 15. Have your friends or family ever called you "high | | | | - I did not have the level of language skills I thought I |
| maintenance"? Do you have a high level of attention to | | | | had. |
| conveniences, personal appearance, the newest fads | | | | Community/City |
| or specific activities? | | | | Pros |
| 16. Do you enjoy camping, hiking, backpacking, | | | | - Love the different shops, restaurants, activities. |
| "roughing it"? | | | | - Just the right size. |
| 17. Do you have a good sense of how (and if) you will | | | | - Experienced new activities that I never knew I would |
| use alcohol in a mature setting? Have you ever been | | | | like. |
| disruptive of others or put your well-being at risk with | | | | - Transportation was easy. |
| alcohol? | | | | - Scenic and/or comfortable. |
| 18. Have you ever traveled before? Outside the U.S.? | | | | Cons |
| If yes, how long and where? | | | | - Too big or too small for my enjoyment. |
| 19. How long have you ever been away from "home" | | | | - It was hard to meet locals, or make friends with |
| before, away from family and friends? | | | | locals. |
| 20. What type of leisure activities do you enjoy? What | | | | - Transportation was not adequate. |
| do you do with your "free-time"? | | | | - City was ugly, dirty, noisy, boring... |
| Program Types | | | | Host Institution |
| Direct enrollment - Explore colleges and universities in | | | | Pros |
| other countries, and directly enroll in a study abroad | | | | - Love that it was much bigger or smaller than my |
| program that allows "transient" or "international" | | | | home campus. |
| students. | | | | - Conducive to meeting local students and making |
| Exchange - Utilize an established relationship through | | | | friends |
| your school that exchanges students with another | | | | - Local professor and students were friendly, helpful |
| designated college or university. | | | | and welcoming of foreign students. |
| Program provider - Participate in a program | | | | - Courses were meaningful and challenging and |
| administered by an organization offering study abroad | | | | motivated me to learn more. |
| support services. | | | | Cons |
| Faculty-led - Participate in a program administered by | | | | - Hate that it was much bigger or smaller than my |
| a U.S. college or university and taught by a U.S. | | | | home campus. |
| professor. | | | | - Not conducive to meeting locals or making friends. |
| Location | | | | - Local professors did not like or know how to deal |
| Country - Location, geography, language, population, | | | | with foreign students. |
| economic/industrial development, cost of living, food, | | | | - Courses too easy or too hard. |
| health and safety conditions, climate, ease of | | | | Living Conditions |
| transportation, etc. | | | | Pros |
| Language - Do you have beginner, intermediate, or | | | | - Love my housing. |
| advanced language skills in the host country primary | | | | - Lived close to campus. |
| language? What is the English language fluency of the | | | | - Cost of living was less than the U.S. |
| local population? | | | | - Conducive to meeting locals and making friends. |
| Community / City size - Cosmopolitan city, Urban city, | | | | - I felt so comfortable because it was similar to what I |
| industrial city, suburban city, town, rural community | | | | am used to, OR because it was new and something I |
| Host institution - Enrollment size, percentage of local | | | | liked. |
| students and international students, urban campus or | | | | - Made it easy to focus on academics. |
| enclosed campus, facilities available, teaching style, | | | | Cons |
| language of instruction, grading/assessment style, | | | | - Hate my housing. |
| academic options, academic rigor, distance from | | | | - Lived too far from campus. |
| housing, | | | | - Cost of living was so much more than the U.S. |
| Living conditions - Homestay, residence hall, apartment, | | | | - Not conducive to meeting locals and making friends. |
| house, hotel, with all Americans, with all locals, distance | | | | - I felt so uncomfortable because it was something I |
| to shopping, entertainment, school, transportation, | | | | could not adapt to. |
| shared or not, cost of living, where will you eat meals? | | | | - A huge distraction from my academics. |