Study Abroad: Rigorous or Relaxed

The editorial staff of USA Today ran an article last fall in which they argued that study abroad programs in the United States are falling short of the mark. Lax university oversight, unscholarly students, and duplicitous tour operators, they say, are muddying international waters. The article brings up some good points, but it also vaguely impugns low-intensity programs. The key is that low-intensity and poor quality are not synonymous. While de rigueur study abroad programs are valuable for endowing career-minded students with international experience, low-intensity programs have the potential to give direction to students who lack it and my otherwise never find it. Access to study abroad should not be relegated to an exit from the fast track. Nor should it be viewed as a detour. Given a little discretion and forward planning, study abroad can only supplement your college experience, whether personally or professionally. The following are considerations students should take into account while planning a semester abroad.

Location, Location, Location

Your study abroad destination will have a big influence on how you live and study. Don't default to Europe. There are plenty of reasons for both A and B personalities to consider nontraditional destinations, more of which are springing up every year.

Students engaged in a rigorous course of study should consider a program's academic merits first and foremost. Universities are increasingly devising challenging, specialized foreign programs. The catch: these programs are often the most expensive. However, if you need to conduct a semester abroad on a shoestring, it's still possible to enroll at a foreign school with a strong corresponding program but fewer bells and whistles -- your foreign credentials will still stand out on that nascent resume. And don't assume that programs in more developed nations are more prestigious. Highly-skilled programs exist in underdeveloped regions because the need for practical, hands-on innovation is most prevalent the third world. Also, the seeds of many non-profits and social entrepreneurship endeavors are planted in study abroad programs.

Those whose motives are less academic should still put thought into their choice of destination. Many students use study abroad as a platform for travel, so you'll want to consider the costs of a jet-setting lifestyle. While budget airfare in Europe is in its golden age, the cost of living from day to day in European cities can be expensive, especially with our depreciating dollar. Travel in lesser developed nations is more precarious, but daily costs can be nearly negligible. That said, if you're suffering from wanderlust, avoid a country with disastrous infrastructure or strict re-entry requirements (i.e. you have to purchase a new visa to get back into the country).

How Long is Long Enough (or Too Long)?

If your primary reason for studying abroad is to score some foreign credentials on your resume, you should seriously consider spending an entire year abroad. The reason? There's a huge difference between the MBA applicant who spent a semester in Japan and the MBA applicant who spent a year in Japan and actually speaks Japanese. Staying longer means more opportunity to assimilate, dig in and maximize the skills sets you'll return home with. If you can show an employer experience interning (and surviving) with a foreign company, you'll be in a much better position than other applicants.

There's nothing wrong with spending a low-intensity year abroad, but a spring semester abroad is the better bet for students motivated by wanderlust rather than career drive. Travel-related costs, both predictable and unexpected, add up quickly, so it can be difficult to stretch a budget over the course of a year. Studying in the spring will launch you into the summer, when you're free to travel at length, rather than dividing your time between coursework and weekend travel. Doing the bulk of your backpacking during the summer makes further sense because you're more savvy and will have met potential travel mates after a few months overseas.

La Vida Local

Many potential study abroad students are nervous about living with a host family. And for good reason. It can be an unpredictable experience, and by the time most students head overseas, they've been on their own for a while. Independence is easy to get used to, but sometimes a little sacrifice can pay off.

Especially if you anticipate a career with international dimensions, you should sacrifice some liberty for the benefits of a host family stay. Without access to an immersion atmosphere, your language acquisition will suffer. It's just too easy to fall back on English when you live with English-speakers. That said, there's always a chance you'll get stuck with an impatient host family that is unwilling to indulge your poor language skills. If your host family is truly unbearable, whether because they speak English to you or for other reasons, you can likely request a transfer. This is seldom an easy affair, so inquire about the school's reassignment policy before you agree to a host stay.

Americans tend to view Europeans as very liberal, but there are few more socially liberal creatures than the typical American college student. A host family may not appreciate you getting home at 3 a.m. A low-intensity study abroad program will leave you time for an active social life, but a host family's rules can quickly curb your freewheeling ways. Frequent comings and goings can inject your host family's life with chaos, as well. So if you plan to travel frequently and frequent the bars, a dorm or student apartment will better suit you.

Is Your Study Abroad Creditworthy?

Obviously you want your credits to transfer when you return to the States. If you choose to study abroad through another American school because your home university doesn't offer a program you like, do not assume your credits will transfer, no matter how prestigious the program sounds. It sounds petty, but some universities are notorious for refusing overseas credits -- not because they're inferior, but as a matter of course. It's true: some schools are stingy with credit transfers because it means you won't be paying tuition to the institution while you are temporarily withdrawn.

Transferring credits can be a sticky situation for the less studious, as well. A good strategy to secure academic credit if you're basing your study abroad choice on non-academic merits is to fulfill general requirements and electives. However, you should sit down with an academic advisor and make sure each foreign class will actually get you general ed credit. Don't just assume that 20th Century Mexican Art will fulfill your Fine Arts requirement.

Some registrars or academic departments will even request supporting materials from a foreign course (i.e., a syllabus, reading list) before they tell you whether the credits will transfer. The solution: plan ahead. If possible, get a course schedule from the overseas school for the semester you plan to study there, make a shortlist of the classes you want to take, and present them to the appropriate department that will issue the credit at your home university. This will give you time to contact the course instructor overseas to secure a generic syllabus and other evidence of the course's merit if necessary.