One of the sights to be seen abroad. Photo from web.
“Whatever you do, go away!” exclaimed a SATA professor at this week’s study abroad info session. Eager sophomores packed into Hood Dining Room late Tuesday afternoon, anxiously inquiring about going abroad and the exciting opportunities study away provides. I sat glancing around the table, sneaking a peek at the destinations that other students had their hearts set on. Inevitably, going abroad will give students a chance to gain experience and knowledge in a different atmosphere. Personally, though, the idea causes me a lot of stress. Taking a semester to adventure makes me question what part of education I should focus on as a college student.
As a newly declared English major with a double minor in dance and gender and women’s studies, I have a lot to accomplish on campus. I also took a semester off to work in the fall of 2009, and plan on graduating with my class by completing classes over the summer and adding extra classes to my schedule in future semesters. I am having trouble deciding whether or not the experience of studying abroad will focus my energy on my academics and liberal arts experience, or distract me, overwhelming me with a new environment.
The majority of students here have the privilege of being able to study abroad and do so for good reason: the experience adds to the strictly academic college education, giving students a chance to network, meet new professors and create relationships with classmates from other universities who share similar interests. Still, I wonder if students debating whether or not to study away face too much pressure. Adults (mostly parents) constantly tell me that I have to go away during college because it’s “the time to do it.” But should everyone feel the need to go abroad during these short four years?
I decided to take a step back and reconsider my options. I talked to a few students about their abroad experience, the lovely and knowledgeable Dean Andrea Rossi-Reder and helpful advisors at the Office of Study Away. As I settled into the chair at the table of her welcoming office, Dean Rossi-Reder explained, “Connecticut College has a reputation for sending lots of students on away programs, which is partially why so many students feel the pressure to study abroad. However, study abroad is not right for everyone. For pre-med students and students with multiple majors or minors, traveling abroad may not be a necessary component of their programs or interests.”
Later, I chatted about traveling abroad with Katie McCormack, an energetic advisor in the Office of Study Away. McCormack and I discussed the pros and cons of going abroad and why students may feel that pressure. As I was explaining why I think studying away is a difficult decision to make, she added that the pressure to partake in the programs is often enforced by students and peers, not faculty advisors and professors.
Walking out of Fanning, I realized that leaving campus for one semester is not the only way students can travel while they’re in school. If you feel that you are bound to the New London campus due to a rigorous major, or involvement in a strict seasonal sport, then the Office of Study Away will be delighted to help you apply to go abroad over the summer. Additionally, you can travel after college with the office’s help.
Students should not feel as if they are missing out if they cannot go abroad in the traditional manner. For some, studying abroad may be embodying the mission statement of the school: developing one’s “intellectual, emotional, spiritual and creative” comprehension. It depends on what you think will accelerate your education.
Michael Flint ’11, who had a fantastic experience in Greece, embraced the abroad experience. After hearing him describe his trip, I discovered that you get out of the abroad experience what you put into it. This may seem like an obvious concept, but what I mean specifically is that it’s important for one to set goals in order to return to campus motivated to continue studying. But as Dean Rossi-Reder stated, this is not the case for everyone. Emily Rogers ’11 enjoyed her six-month abroad experience in New Zealand. However, the academic standards differed from those at Connecticut College. “My academics were not as valuable abroad as they are here. You also get more time to complete assignments here,” she said.
This standard depends on the program and country you travel to. Rogers added that although her schedule was not as rigorous, many students who travel to places such as the United Kingdom experience more intense academic expectations.
Gaining insight on the study abroad experience from upperclassmen gave me a sense of relief. While I would love to travel, at the moment I want to explore what is here at Conn. Why do I want to temporarily pass up this wonderful opportunity? Because staying here has equally wonderful opportunities; they are just different ones. One simply needs to do some exploring to find them. Therefore, to restate, “Whatever you do, go away!” I would argue, “Whatever you do, adventure!”
I chose not to go abroad, simply because it wasn’t an interest to me, and I only ever considered it in the first place because I thought it was expected of me. I realized that if I went abroad, I would be unhappy; plain and simple. This is my own personal experience with the process, and sophomores considering studying abroad shouldn’t use my pessimism as a reason not to. Students should never study abroad because they think it’s what they should do, they should study abroad because it’s what they want to do.
As someone who is away right now (in Morocco), I can fully recommend the experiential aspect of going away; I am learning a lot about myself and having a hell of a time. However, there are a lot of cons (no pun intended) that should be considered:
– I will probably not be able pick up another major or minor if I wanted to, because none of what I am doing for the most part is pertinent to my government major, and I will most likely play credit catch-up when I return.
– It is EXPENSIVE to be away (unless, I think, you do a SATA program). Even me, who is in a country where the dollar goes very far (but less so everyday) I am spending a ton of money.
Personally, I am convinced that Conn endorses studying abroad so strongly because it is such a cash cow for the school. We have to pay full tuition for a semester away which is ludicrous. My SIT program that I am on is about $15,000, about $10,000 less than a semester at Conn. No flights paid for by the school, either. I have financial aid which is extremely helpful, but for some of my friends that don’t it really, really hurts their family’s pockets.
I went abroad partly due to the expectation aspect but also because I felt I needed to get away from the smallness of Conn for a bit to really appreciate the place when I return. It’s totally your call, though. Always keep in mind that it will be much harder to travel for an extended period of time later on in life and to really be able to immerse yourself fully in a foreign culture.
I didn’t study abroad for academic reasons. I did, however, visit a couple of friends studying abroad in Europe and have lived abroad since graduation, so I have some basis for comparison.
I agree that studying abroad is overemphasized as a “requirement” for students. For some programs, I dismiss the idea that a semester abroad is an intense self-discovery mission. About half of the abroad experiences I heard about were glorified European vacations, and some of the SATA programs end up being quite insular in nature (students still live and study with other Conn students and professors).
I am by no means rejecting outright the legitimacy of a study abroad experience, but I think students should push themselves a little further if they want to gain the most. I’m sure a four month pub crawl in the UK is great fun, but students should go somewhere exceptionally strange without a Conn soul in sight before patting themselves on the back too much. The students I know who did this gained the most from the experience and learned the most about themselves.
But Emma is right- study abroad is not for everyone, for any number of reasons. Students who don’t want to study abroad should feel no pressure to do so, and those who do study abroad shouldn’t look down on those who don’t.