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Foreign Study
Foreign Study.....Does your program pass the test?*Foreign study can be one of the most wonderful experiences in an undergraduate career. Traveling and studying in a foreign country is very educational, and increasingly businesses and industry are hiring college graduates because of their international experience. Each year the number of programs increases. Government sources indicate that this trend will increase, and this year, tens of thousands of American students are choosing to study in a foreign country. Valuable and exciting as foreign study is, choosing the right program from among the thousands that are available can be difficult. This brochure is designed to help you make that choice. Ask these questions about any program you are considering.
Will your own university give you full credit for participating in this foreign study program even if it is run by another university?
Do most participants actually receive the number of hours of credit that the program advertises?
Does it last longer than three weeks?
Does it have a waiting list of persons who want to participate if space becomes available?
Is the administrative fee or overheard charge for the program $50 of less?
Has the program been operating for at least three years?
Is the cost of breakfasts included in the program price?
Are there some group lunches and dinners, but mostly you choose what and with whom you will eat lunch and dinner?
Will you be living with a foreign family or in a hotel with a "foreign" flavor?
Will you be living together with other program participants as a group as opposed to being spread out and living in small sub-groups or alone?
Is the brochure describing the program free from jargon and unspecified generalities?
Is the price "all inclusive" (no add-ons, or all add-ons are clearly described; none is better)?
Have you read the "fine print" in the brochure?
Will formal classes be held during the week (MF) for at least one hour per-day for each credit hour given?
Is the professor/coordinator willing to do none or very little research during the program (none is better)?
While you are abroad and participating in the program, will the professor/coordinator be living on-site and be available on almost a 24-hour basis?
Is the professor/coordinator extremely knowledgeable about matters other than the courses in the program? For example, can he suggest good places to eat, sites to see, and activities for free time?
Does the professor/coordinator seem genuinely interested in answering all of your questions and dealing with your concerns?
Does the professor/coordinator avoid "hard sell" tactics?
Does the professor/coordinator avoid criticizing other foreign study programs?
Is there an extensive (but at the same time not overwhelming) preparatory program prior to departure?
Is the professor/coordinator regularly available for advice about air tickets, rail transportation, and general questions about travel abroad, and does he seem to know what he is talking about?
Is the program a total living-learning experience where you will work with the professor as opposed to being just like an American college course (where the professor "disappears" after class ends) taught in a foreign setting?
You should be able to get answers to all of these questions, and if you cannot, be very cautious. To score the test, count one point for each "YES," and use the following scale:
| 22 or higher = Probably an outstanding program 18 - 21 = Acceptable 15 - 17 = Not recommended less than 15 = Absolutely no |
Now that you know the program's score, read on to learn the reasons behind that score.
CREDIT: Let's begin by talking about credit. First and foremost and above all else, before enrolling in any foreign study program, be absolutely certain that your own university will give you full credit for your experiences, and get certification to that effect in writing from an authorized official before you go. Almost as important is determining how much credit the typical participant usually receives from participating in the program. Some programs advertise "you can earn 9 hours or 12 hours of credit" when in reality few students ever manage to earn more than 3 or 6 hours. Don't fall for this bait-and-switch.
No two study-abroad programs are the same even though knock-off imitations of the good ones are common. Virtually anything even remotely related to a foreign country of which college personnel and entrepreneurs can conceive has been advertised as a study abroad program. They range from heavily escorted bus tours of a few weeks duration to studying at a foreign university for a year with no contact at all with other American students. Some involve dispatching a group of American students to a foreign university where they take classes with foreign instructors for a semester; often there is an American faculty member sent along as a coordinator. In others, a group of American students travels to a foreign location for a month or so where they are instructed by American instructors. There are programs, sited in foreign locations, in which the instruction is shared between foreign and American instructors. In some programs, the American instructors are from "your own" university; in others, the American instructors are from other universities. Be assured of this: no two foreign study programs are alike. If someone suggests that Program A is just like Program B, he is not telling you the truth.
LONG OR SHORT, BIG TOUR OR GO IT ALONE? It is not really possible to say which is best. There are economies of scale in being with a group, and the longer the program lasts, generally the lower the cost per-day, but the greater the overall cost. Programs lasting less than three weeks in length tend to be more like "vacations" than international living experiences. Look for programs with a waiting list. Popularity often means that others have also looked into the program and have found it attractive.
COSTS: Foreign study is almost always more expensive than is domestic study, and choosing an international study program is a major financial decision. Consequently, a lot of the following discussion is related to money.
Be suspicious of "overhead charges" and "administrative fees" imposed by the office at your own university which processes your application. Many university study-abroad offices act as brokers and agents for other university's foreign study programs, earning a commission on all that they "sell." In addition, they often charge you a fee for having provided you as "a customer" for the other university's program. Ask about these fees, and be prepared for a lot of double talk because they won't want to admit that they do this. $50 is typical and probably fair, $100 is high, and over $150 is absurd.
Don't pay to be a guinea pig. "Practice makes perfect," and programs that have been around for a long time usually have foreign contacts and tried-and-true practices that many other students have enjoyed for many years. New programs are almost always "thin" with too little to do, and they have "bumps." How much do you want to put up with these conditions? Try to go with an established program. At least, a new program should offer you a significantly lower price in return for your willingness to take the disorganization.
MEALS: Almost all good foreign study arrangements include breakfasts in the program price, and this is quite helpful in a foreign setting. Other meals may be included. "All (or most) meals included" sounds good at first, and it usually saves a little money, but it can become tedious. When you choose to eat at a restaurant instead of at your prepaid meal site, you may feel as if you are wasting money.
LODGING: A good program will be able to tell you exactly where you will be living. Living with a foreign family is probably among the best experiences because of the immersion it affords. Living in a group is the hallmark of really good foreign study programs, and being housed individually or in small groups all over town is awkward and may be dangerous in some foreign locations. Having to live in an apartment or a flat in a foreign country is probably among the poorer experiences, for you almost always end up "living just like I did at home "shopping at the super market, cooking your own meals, sitting around at night, watching TV. It might save a small amount of money, but is living like that why you went abroad? Living in a foreign hotel can be a very pleasant alternative, and if you shop around it is not that expensive.
THE PROGRAM'S CLAIMS: Read the program brochure VERY carefully. How does it look snappy or amateurish, too professional? Does the program sound like fun, or does the brochure read like a tedious college course outline? Remember, the program is not likely to be much better than its advertising. What sort of a person does it appear to be aimed at? Is that you? It is very important to read the fine print very carefully and be sensitive to the true meaning of the language in the brochure. In the program brochure, there should be a section (usually near the end and in fine print) called "Included." This is ALL that you are contracting for; all of the other "highlights" and "experiences" and "wonderful things" that the professor and the brochure describes may or not materialize. "Minutes away," can actually be sixty minutes! "Nearby" and "within walking distance" are relative terms.
PROFESSOR-STUDENT RELATIONS: Sometimes called the most important ingredient in any program. Foreign study offers an opportunity for close professor-student interaction and the opportunity to learn together with your professor in an exciting setting. This close teacher-student relationship is one of foreign study's most attractive characteristics. Many foreign study professors appreciate this opportunity to get to know their students better than they would in a campus setting. Others, however, have no such motivation. They want to take the "American system of college learning" abroad where they teach their classes, hold brief office hours, and vanish. At worst, the only reason they are engaging in the foreign study activity at all is to get you to pay their way to the foreign country where they can visit with their colleagues and do research. In an ideal program, the professors are more concerned with helping you and your learning than with any other activity "you come first" they hold to a regular schedule of daily class instruction, they schedule a large variety of activities to fill non-class time, they live in the same site along with you, and they are constantly on call for advice and emergencies.
How much in-class instruction will you receive? It may sound nice to have mostly free time and little instruction, but more than in almost any other educational experience in your life in foreign study it is you who are paying the full cost of your instruction. Almost all foreign study programs are "self supporting." That is, the actual program participants pay the professor's salary plus all of his expenses including air fare and a living allowance, and any other program expenses. There is no state subsidy or underwriting of the experience. When the professor holds very few classes while he is off socializing with his friends or "doing research," you and your fellow program participants are paying for it.
The opportunity to carry on research in a foreign country is often the bait that is used to entice an American professor into teaching courses in foreign countries. Most American universities value research more than teaching, and it is understandable that the professor would want to do some research. But you are paying for his services, and it is reasonable to expect that he will spend almost all of his time teaching and advising and helping you rather than conducting his own research. (Don't expect to get a truly straight answer on this topic, but try.)
While it is understandable that the professor may need a little more comfort and space, living away from where you live is a problem and a potential danger in a foreign study program. When the professor is living in a nice apartment removed from the students who are living in dorms, morale may suffer. Further, in a foreign setting, it is preferable to have the professor on-site for emergencies.
Some weak foreign study programs are short of students up until the last month or two before departure. This is often the one and only time that the professor has ever had to recruit students, and in order to do so he will try to put his best foot forward. But there is no need for a hard sell, and you should not have to listen to one. Be suspicious if the professor comes on too strong about all that you will learn and how much fun you will have. Also be suspicious if he spends time criticizing other programs rather than describing his own. Good programs sell themselves with minimal help from the professor. A foreign study program with a waiting list means either a well organized trip with a good reputation or a genuinely nice professor or both.
If you follow these guidelines, you'll probably be part of the large group of American students who each year have a wonderful foreign study experience. Just remember this last piece of advice, not only when you choose a program but also while you are studying abroad: "If it sounds too good to be true, it is."
Bon Voyage!
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