October 10, 2007
Where should university exchange students study in America? Where did you (or should you have) studied?
Many of my students plan to study as exchange students (undergrad) in the US or attend graduate school here. For example, just today, one student told me he would be going to Madison, Wisconsin for a semester.
I've never been to Madison so there wasn't much I could tell him, but it got me thinking. Exchange students face all kinds of challenges. They think the language will be a big issue but if they pass the university interview system I think their English is good enough.
One of the big problems for those not going to a major city (and who can afford to live in New York or Boston these days?) is transportation. I wonder if my student will be able to get around in Madison.
Of course, there are other possibilities as well. Vancouver, Canada is a popular choice for students. And countries such as the Philippines are often less expensive options.
The other question I'd like to ask is where did you go if you did a study abroad program? Or where do you wish you had gone?
Personally, I always ignored the study abroad choices at my university. Now I realize that I was being stupid. There are hundreds of countries where a semester could have really helped me see the world. Some place close like Mexico, some place exotic like China. But I really wish I had experienced Europe during my college years.
Posted by James Trotta at October 10, 2007 1:19 PM | TrackBack
I too did not take advantage of the study abroad programs that were offered at Cornell U. I often wish I had gone to France or Italy to study. The semester of French certainly did not make me proficient, and I didn't take Italian. Somehow, I got sidetracked into Sociology & Anthropology, and Spanish. I visited much of Europe with my parents before college, however, an opportunity I didn't fully realize at the time.
Posted by: Sharon at October 11, 2007 7:11 PMI live in Madison and it is a great city! Lots of restaurants, bars, nature, recreation. We LOVE our Badgers also. You will know if there is a football or basketball game that day because the whole city supports the team by wearing their Badger gear. The campus is huge, but is very easy to navigate. Most people walk or ride bikes around the campus, but if you have to get from one end to the other, there is a bus line that is convenient. If your student wants to go anywhere that is off campus, it could get tricky to get around. There is a bus system, but I dont know much about it. There is also a bus (The Badger Bus - $17 one way - about an hour ride) that goes round trip to Milwaukee every day. From Milwaukee, it is very easy to get to Chicago via the Amtrak also (About $50 round trip). The University of Madison is a great place for your student to get a true Midwestern experience in the US.
Posted by: Kelly at October 11, 2007 7:24 PMI studied abroad in Spain twice and loved it. It's a great way to test your wings and to see what's outside your own little box. You develop an appreciation of the foreign culture of course, but you also begin to see what you love so much about your own country. There are study abroad programs for many, many countries around the world; some programs are University sponsored but there are also independent programs. I strongly recommend that students find one that fits their needs.
Posted by: Maggie at October 12, 2007 11:44 AMThats one of the best things -in my opinion- about Europe - we have "Erasmus". Thats an exchange programme between all European universities. We can just go abroad for a semester, experience living and studying in a diff culture and get the study credits earned abroad transferred to our home university. I am German, went to university in The Netherlands and spent a semester in Warsaw, Poland. Great!
If I were president of the world for a day I'd invent a programme that pays for a semester abroad for everyone thats between 19 and 21. It REALLY broadens your horizon and makes you a better person! ;)
take care!
johanna
From a former exchange student - Zimbabwe to West Texas - the answer to your question James is the student would be better served by opting for a university town. In those places housing is usually ideally situated for walking or cycling to school. The other key point is the community is socially structured to accommadate diverse cultures and nationalities on and off campus - the New Yorks and Bostons are a different story.
Somebody mentioned Bars and Midwestern experience. Pardon me but partying is the last thing on a foreign students plan and we don't know midwest from midriff before we arrive in the US. (See the Tanzanian story).
Lastly for the best results the foreign student should avoid the ethnic 'ghetto' (pardon the expression) but I mean avoid the tendency to find people of the same nationality and move in together. This stiffles assimilation into the local way of life and in particular stunts language skills development.
Well pardon me, but last time I checked, bars do not equal partying. Rather a great meeting place to talk and perhaps have a drink or 2. I know that when I studied abroad I was looking forward to seeing the nightlife of different cities.
The University of Wisconsin in Madison is one of the great college towns in the US. Midwestern or not.
Posted by: kelly at October 13, 2007 1:58 PMHow about going to school to learn a useful skill that will let you get a real job rather then spend your parents hard earned money on your self indulgence.
Posted by: RU89 at October 13, 2007 7:43 PMRU89 - in most countries, maybe even the US, knowing more than one language is a useful job skill. Why do you think parents spend a fortune to send their kids to the US when college in their own country is undoubtedly less expensive? (not sure, but I would think the US has the highest expenses for university study of any country in the world)
Posted by: James Trotta at October 14, 2007 1:09 PMforeign language proficiency has to be the most important benefit of study abroad...choose a country that is an economic player now or in the future, learn the language, and you can write your own ticket...that's why there are literally thousands of english language schools in small villages throughout mexico and why china is being flooded with mba graduates from ivy league schools in the u.s...i believe that one is more successful in a small university in a more remote location and it is dramatically cheaper...it worked for me...
Posted by: hank at February 12, 2008 3:39 AM