The Abbey Program

[Kirby]

Has anyone been a part of this or know someone that has?

It's a program where a college student goes to France for the spring semester to study. My DD heard a pitch for it this week and has decided that it's just the thing that she needs to do.

 

[DVCLiz]

Has anyone been a part of this or know someone that has?

It's a program where a college student goes to France for the spring semester to study. My DD heard a pitch for it this week and has decided that it's just the thing that she needs to do.

It looks like it's a specific study abroad program through that university - is your daughter a student there? She probably would get a better picture talking to some alums of the program at her school, or to the professors.

My daughter studied abroad for a semester during her junior year and it was a fantastic experience for her. I'm very much in favor of international travel for students if at all possible, and the school programs are often better-priced and have more options for students than a traditional vacation trip. Hope you can work it out for her to go!!

 

[Kirby]

It looks like it's a specific study abroad program through that university - is your daughter a student there? She probably would get a better picture talking to some alums of the program at her school, or to the professors.

My daughter studied abroad for a semester during her junior year and it was a fantastic experience for her. I'm very much in favor of international travel for students if at all possible, and the school programs are often better-priced and have more options for students than a traditional vacation trip. Hope you can work it out for her to go!!

It's actually based out of the University of Mississippi and they contact other colleges looking for students who would like to participate. Since the group going to France is made up of students from multiple campuses, I was hoping to hear from someone that might have been connected with the program somehow.

 

[scrapquitler]

There is a facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!...ng-semester-in-France/345993042827?ref=search

Actually, there are a few. Maybe you can get some info by reading these groups.

 

[DVCLiz]

It's actually based out of the University of Mississippi and they contact other colleges looking for students who would like to participate. Since the group going to France is made up of students from multiple campuses, I was hoping to hear from someone that might have been connected with the program somehow.

Oh, sorry - I looked it up but just saw that college listed.

I don't have any specific information about it but if you'd like to ask any questions about the general abroad experience I'd be glad to answer from a mom's perspective. My daughter spent 5 months in Quito, Ecuador and it was life-changing for her in many ways. Of course, I'm glad she's not there today since the President was attacked and there are police in the streets, but all in all it was a wonderful experience for her and she came home speaking Spanish like a fiend!

 

[Kirby]

For the most part, I don't mind my daughter going. It's her dad that is having a problem with it. Also, the cost. She can only go if she can come up with the money. We don't have it to give her to her. I'm meeting her halfway tomorrow for lunch to see what kind of information she has been given and to talk about it some more.

 

[scrapquitler]

My daughter spent 5 months in Quito, Ecuador and it was life-changing for her in many ways. Of course, I'm glad she's not there today since the President was attacked and there are police in the streets, but all in all it was a wonderful experience for her and she came home speaking Spanish like a fiend!

I spent my Junior Year of High School in Quito But now I am thinking I have to go read the Quito newspaper now. I haven't heard about this yet.

 

[scrapquitler]

For the most part, I don't mind my daughter going. It's her dad that is having a problem with it. Also, the cost. She can only go if she can come up with the money. We don't have it to give her to her. I'm meeting her halfway tomorrow for lunch to see what kind of information she has been given and to talk about it some more.

Have her talk to the financial aid office at her school. When I spent a semester in Spain at a program endorsed by my college, my financial aid package covered the cost of the semester tuition and program fees. The only part my parents and I had to come up with beyond what my normal costs for the semester would have been was the airfare and spending money.

It might not always work that way, but it certainly can't hurt to ask!

 

[NHdisneylover]

I have no experience with the program at all, but to ease your husband's mind i thought I would chime in that i spent my sophomore year in high school as an exchange student to Spain. It was an amazing experience and I am so very happy my parents had faith in me and let me do it. A lot of who I am today (good things) came from that year.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

If I'm not mistaken, one of my DH's friends did the Abbey program about 20 years ago.

He thoroughly enjoyed it and reccommended it to anyone. But it did seem pricey, at least to me, a poor college student. Of course, back in our day, college kids also actually were considered adults and went off to Europe without chaperones or assistance and backpacked across hostels on a few bucks a day, eating cheap and seeing the sights, so it didn't seem as good a deal at the time as I think it would now.

 

[golfgal]

I think every college student should spend a semester abroad. If it is a school sponsored program, financial aid will help cover costs if she gets that. I don't know of a college that doesn't have some kind of study abroad program.

 

[Kirby]

Thank you for your comments! I've been making a list of questions for her to ask her advisor/financial aid/ trip coordinator. It is a bit pricey and one of my biggest concerns is that the classes she takes will all apply towards her major. But then, it's pretty cheap compared to the trip my nephew took to England. He went on a school sponsored trip during the summer a couple of years ago for two weeks and it cost him $5,000.

 

[Kirby]

I met my DD halfway between school and home for lunch and we discussed the trip. I gave her a number of things to find out. If her grant and student loans can all get applied towards the trip, it's a doable thing.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Two of my ds's did a study abroad. DS1 went to college at American University and did a semester abroad in London. DS2 went to college at Seton Hall University and did a six week study abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Both of them still say it was the best experience of their lives! They were able to travel while they were there. DS1 went to Ireland and Holland and
DS2 traveled to Italy while he was there.