Study Abroad Opportunity for DS: Anyone Experience...

[Lynn CC]

studying in another country during college. I know it's pretty popular these days. He is planning on going to China for a year. He's double majoring in Pre-Law/Asian Studies. I get so nervous when it comes to DS (he's our only), I'm not even used to the fact that he's off to college yet! LOL
I thought maybe some of you had some experiences to share?

 

[froglady]

DD spent a semester in India, and will be visiting her bf in Cameroon next month. (he's studying there)

Yes, I was nervous about it, but all in all it was a very positive experience for her. She came back with a more mature outlook on life, and much more appreciation for her family. Now, she's been travelling abroad with different school groups since she was 14, and also has spent weeks away at camp, so this wasn't her first trip away from home. She said that her camping experience came in very handy travelling in a less developed country.

e-mail was a lifeline, as telephone communication is both expensive and unreliable. Most programs have a student center with e-mail access.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

My best friend is in Spain this semester..She left Mid January and will be back the end of May...email and IMs have been our way of communication..She is having a great time from what i can tell!

 

[Jen_in_NH]

I spent a semester in Ireland when I was in college. It was probably the best college experience I had. You really learn a lot about another culture, but you also gain a lot of independence. You learn to take care of yourself when your parents are across the ocean from you.

I can't help you with any thoughts about going to a country where I wouldn't be speaking my native language. I was a science major, so classes in English were a necessity to go abroad.

Definitely encourage him to go. I know my parents had a hard time putting me on the plane, but none of us have any regrets.

Jen

 

[laurie31]

I spent a semester abroad my junior year. It was a wonderful eye-opening experience. Dad says I went over there a little girl and came back a woman.

Money cannot buy the education you get living abroad. I hope my DDs will be able to do it one day.

Laurie

 

[cdrn1]

My DD spent a semester in London. She grew tremendously; I did too! We live in a very small Midwestern town and almost never visited any cities as she was growing up. She loved every minute of it, became more confident and independent; I was amazed when I visited her how well she navigated the city and how comfortable she was with everything. Of course, she went to an English-speaking country and China seems a tad overwhelming to me but she grew a lot just from being away from the familiar and from knowing we were a few hours away if she needed something. She travels extensively for her job now (even China!) and takes it in stride and loves the new experiences, and I am sure a lot of it had to do with her time abroad at age 19.

 

[kdibattista]

My brother, an International Business major (or something like that), is in the Netherlands right now. He left in January and will back in June. He is having a blast and is also planning to stop in Ireland, France and Italy in the next few months.

Although I don't know how much "educational" value it will provide, I do know it is giving him a lesson in life, which in some ways is much more important.

 

[Az Pirates]

I spent a semester abroad.
I chose London as I was interested in Theatre/art history.

As part of our program we were given a 30 day Eurail pass and we were able to break into small groups and travel all over Europe.
I'm sure you don't want to hear all the details about that part. (I have to admit we did some pretty stupid things) We definitely learned a lot though.

All in all it was an amazing experience and one of the best decisions I ever made!

My cousin recently returned from a year in China. He went as a visiting professor. He said he definitely learned to live more simply and it was a real eye opener for him, but he is also really glad he went. He has some great stories to share.

I think it will be a great experience for your DS.

 

[Caradana]

Studying abroad is an incredible experience. My sister spent a semester in Melbourne, Australia and adored it. I was all set to go to St. Andrews in Scotland for a semester, but my stepfather passed away the week I was supposed to leave, so I skipped it. (also, I loved where I was at. I'm not sure if I would've gone either way). Anyway, it forces self-reliance and expands horizons in a big way. It's a fabulous thing.

One thing caught my eye about your post: pre-law. I highly encourage political science or economics over a major in pre-law. Picking up pre-law classes on the side is an awesome idea, but one of the hardest majors to actually get into law school with is ... you guessed it ... pre-law. The same way they'd like to see "biology" over "pre-med", they look for a fundamental track over preparatory work. It sounds like he's doing well in school - that's great!

 

[Brier Rose]

I am SO glad you asked this question!
My DD is only 14, but this is something she really wants to do, so I've been doing lots of research and financial planning.
I can't wait to hear all of the responses!

 

[skuttle]

I did summer school in Paris. My college put on the program...it was three or four teachers from my college teaching the classes and about 45 students. It was THE BEST experience! I went without knowing anyone...I had only been on an airplane once the year before. When I first told my parents I wanted to do it, they thought I was crazy. They realized I was serious when I got a job at a local restaurant in order to save money for the trip! I will definitely encourage our children to do these programs when available as they are wonderful.

 

[Disney Doll]

My niece is in Italy, from Janaury to May, in Florence.

Thus far, it is a MARVELOUS experience for her. She has learned a lot, she has experienced a lot, she has seen alot.

I would highly recommend it if your child has the grades and finances to do it.

 

[Sandy22]

studying in another country during college. I know it's pretty popular these days. He is planning on going to China for a year. He's double majoring in Pre-Law/Asian Studies. I get so nervous when it comes to DS (he's our only), I'm not even used to the fact that he's off to college yet! LOL
I thought maybe some of you had some experiences to share?

The only thing I would worry about is the choice of country. One of my friends just cut short a teaching job in China - she was watched and monitored while she was there - even her e-mails were edited!

If anything went wrong and your DS got into trouble - you just couldn't count on diplomatic relations to help him. If it were my DS, I would insist he choose a democratic country like Japan.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

I've worked with many students who did semesters abroad, and my DH did a semester in England. I regret not doing it when I was in college! I was so focused on getting ahead in my music and being a top voice student that I was afraid I'd miss out if I went abroad for a term. I should have gone - I now can see that people who study oversees for even a semester have a richer experience, stronger character, a better sense of self, and are better equipped to live and work in a "small world" (sorry if I just got the song stuck in anyone's head... ).

I've never heard of anyone who regrets taking a semester to study overseas, but I've heard from plenty of people who regret not doing it.

 

[horseshowmom]

My brother, an International Business major (or something like that), is in the Netherlands right now. He left in January and will back in June. He is having a blast and is also planning to stop in Ireland, France and Italy in the next few months.

Although I don't know how much "educational" value it will provide, I do know it is giving him a lesson in life, which in some ways is much more important.

My cousin has a DS who's in the Netherlands now too - small world! I think he left in January and will be back in June too (not positive about the exact time frame since they live in another state). I'm not sure about his major either.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I did a semester in Brussels. It was incredible and definitely something I would encourage. Of course as a parent of an only child, I think China would bother me, but dd is only 6.
Brussels was incredible and a great jumping off point for weekends all over Europe. I had a plan with my parents that I would phone every Thursday night at midnight so it was 6 p.m. for them. It worked well. This was back in the olden days when there were no cell phones or e-mails.
Good Luck with everything.

 

[froglady]

I spent a semester abroad my junior year. It was a wonderful eye-opening experience. Dad says I went over there a little girl and came back a woman.

Money cannot buy the education you get living abroad. I hope my DDs will be able to do it one day.

Laurie

That is exactly the way I felt when DD returned. She had always been a fairly grounded person, but she became much more considerate and appreciative of others.

 

[Laura]

I spent a semester in London, and I loved it. I majored in English, so going to the UK was kind of a no-brainer. I had considered studying in the UK for all of my undergraduate degree, but I decided it wasn't for me. And I was right--I prefer living in the USA. London was wonderful, though, and it gave me a great perspective on my own country, living in another. To me, if London were in the United States, I'd live there. It feels like a second hometown to me.

I also got to see quite a bit of the rest of the UK, too. Stonehenge, Bath, Wales, Stratford-on-Avon, Cambridge, Oxford. I also went to Dublin and Paris. That was great!

 

[saucymb]

I completed my mandatory 12 semester hour internship to graduate from college in Wales, on a Study Abroad program. We did a lot of traveling before the program began and on the weekends. As much as I loved my WDW College Programs, I have to say my Study Abroad experience was the best time of my life! I can look back and see a distinct turning point - almost to the day - of when I went from being a "kid" to being an "adult" that semester.

When I returned, I went to work for a student-oriented travel agency for two years, then entered the field of Study Abroad professionally with a major university. I have seen so many students struggle with the decision to Study Abroad, but not once have I ever seen a student who regretted their Study Abroad experience. In fact, when they followed up with me or I saw them on campus or somewhere, they were asking for advice on where to go next!

Regarding China, make sure he's going with a reputable company or university and he should be fine.

Oh, and you should really think about visiting him while he's there! My mom visited me and we had more fun that week, traveling by train all over the place. I'm sure by the time you visit, he'll be a fine tour guide!

 

[siouxi31]

I studied in Europe one summer and it was a great experience. Although, Europeans are not too much different from us. I've also been to China for business and while the experience was great, I was also glad to be home. It's too different from home for me. A year is a very long time. However, if my child wanted to go to China for a year and had their heart set on it, I would only give them positive support and most likely not mention that I was glad to be home. If my child asked me what I thought of living in China for a year, then I would go ahead and voice my opinion.
By the way, what part of China would he be going to? If it's somewhere like Shanghai, it's a very modern city and easier to adjust to. I was quite surprised by Shanghai and how futuristic it was with all of the modern buildings/skyscrapers. Nestled in between all of this modern architecture is alot of very old chinese architecture. It's really a unique place. I hope while there your son will also have the opportunity to travel and see some of the closer countries like Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong.
Best of luck to him!