Mar
28
Study abroad
Going overseas or leaving one’s country to study is a common desire of many university students. In fact, some academic advisers don’t consider a college education complete unless a student has spent some time in another country studying a foreign language or learning about a different culture. According to the Institute of International Education, higher education study abroad programs are growing in popularity, with approximately 220,000 U.S. college students, an almost 9% increase from the year before, seeking out these kinds of programs.
The most popular destinations for U.S. students are, in the following order, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain. In 2007 there were roughly 21,000 Americans who came to Spain to study in university programs. Latin America also attracts a significant number of students as well.
Teresa Cordova, a coordinator for Middlebury College’s program in Spain is the featured speaker in today’s podcast. Teresa, a puertorriqueña, talks about the benefits and the challenges of taking a semester or an academic year to study in a Spanish university.
Personally, I think that study abroad programs should be a part of any undergraduate education. I realize that not everyone can afford it and for some majors, perhaps it may not seem particularly relevant, but for students who are majoring in the humanities, business or social sciences, a semester spent abroad can be an invaluable and illuminating experience.
I can’t imagine being a young college or university student and not wanting to study in a foreign country.
When I was that age I spent nearly 3 years overseas courtesy of my Uncle Sam, and it was, to resort to a overworn cliché, a life-changing experience. The linguistic value of that time was greatly diminished by the demands of military service, but it was special nonetheless. I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to have been there as a student instead.
Two decades later, when I began my midlife renaissance adventure with the Spanish language, I spent 3 glorious weeks of intensive study in Guatemala. It was a painfully short time, to be sure, but of enormous value. I returned 3 more times, each time to great benefit, and, Lord willing, I will be going there yet again next winter.
It has been said that to be bilingual is to have two souls, and at this point I am inclined to agree. Learning Spanish– at least to the extent that I have so far– has opened up whole worlds for me culturally, intellectually, socially, professionally, and even politically. I am not who I was a decade ago with the simple addition of a new language; I am a different person in many ways.
The point, of course, is this: If a person in middle age can find that much personal enrichment through such a pinched and hurried overseas educational experience, how much more could a younger person benefit from an extended period of time in a foreign school?
As I said at the outset, I cannot imagine a student not wanting to spend time studying overseas, and I hope that those who may read this will take my advice and go. You will never regret a minute of it.
I completely agree. It’s actually quite tough to find an American college or university without an International Programs or Study Abroad office.
Just by studying abroad in your university years, you will learn about the global economy, multiculturalism, new customs, political differences, and of course new languages. These things are all great assets to your lifelong journey, wherever the destiny may be.
To risk sounding even more cliche, you will learn just as much about yourself as you do about other countries/cultures by studying abroad. I think that is really important, because it gives you a different outlook on life, it teaches you about open-mindedness, cross-cultural communication, and how interconnected the world is. If you truly embrace your experience and take advantage of every life-altering opportunity along the way, you will walk away wanting to share your experiences and the values you learned with others…and you will gain lifelong friendships from it too.
Tom and Jeffrey, thanks for your thoughtful and extensive comments!
[…] #022 - Working abroad Working abroad: Play | Download Here’s Part 2 of my chat with Teresa Córdova from Middlebury College. In this podcast Teresa talks about the ways some American university […]
[…] abroad Working abroad: Play | Download Here’s Part 2 of my chat with Teresa Córdova from Middlebury College. In this podcast Teresa talks about the ways some American university […]