Monday, February 23, 2009
Students who study abroad graduate in four years more frequently than students who do not, according to data from the Office of Institutional Research and Planning.
Myth #1: Students can’t study in certain academic disciplines or professional schools
“This is a myth believed particularly by students entering professional schools and other departments such as the sciences. Students pursue coursework abroad in all academic disciplines and professional schools. The key for these students is to start planning early in their academic careers so they can find the most suitable options for studying abroad. With help from the students’ academic advisor and the expertise of the study abroad staff, every student can find a program that fits into their curriculum.”
Myth #2: Studying abroad is too expensive
“Expense of a program is something students and parents always are concerned about — particularly in our current economic environment. Fortunately, financial aid and scholarships are available. When students start planning to study abroad they should also begin budgeting for the program. The Office of Study Abroad has budget worksheets that help students create a financial plan to cover expenses and there are also financial aid advisors on staff to help. The program advising staff offers each student plenty of program options so they can choose an affordable option. In fact, many programs are very comparable to the cost a student would spend on the Lawrence campus for a semester or academic year. In addition, many out-of-state students are not aware that when they study abroad they pay the equivalent of in-state tuition rates so it may be cheaper for them to study abroad than to stay on campus.”
Myth #3: Students must speak another language
“The fact is that there are a lot of programs available in English, not only in Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, but there are also English-speaking programs in countries such as Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Sweden. The majority of summer programs have courses taught in English, such as the European Cultural Studies program that travels to Belgium, France and Spain.”
Myth #4: Students don’t have time or must remain on campus for all four academic years
“For students that are on a set academic plan and have to spend the majority of their time on the Lawrence campus, short-term programs ranging from summer programs to spring break and winter break programs are a great option. For example, an impressive number of architecture students, 34 total, participated on the Architecture in Asia program during winter break 2009 and experienced first-hand numerous architectural sites in Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea.”
Samantha Danna, Hot Springs, Ark., junior, will graduate this December after just three and a half years at the University. Danna studied abroad in France the summer after her freshman year and will study abroad for eight weeks in Dublin this summer. Danna said her study abroad experiences would actually help her graduate early, not prolong her graduation.
“Studying abroad, if anything, helped me graduate in three and a half years,” Danna said. “It helped me take summer classes, but abroad — which is better than taking classes at KU or at a community college somewhere.”
Robert Lopez, outreach coordinator for the Office of Study Abroad, said the notion that students cannot both graduate in four years and study abroad was simply not the case.
“OIRP states that students who have participated on a study abroad program graduate in four years at a 53 percent rate,” Lopez said. “This is compared to a graduate-in-four of 27 percent for students who do not study abroad.”
Sue Lorenz, interim director at the Office of Study Abroad, said that to make sure students stayed on track academically through their study abroad experiences, overall planning was essential.
“Students who are thinking they might want to study abroad, we certainly encourage them to start investigating early, even if it might not be for a few years,” Lorenz said. “Even as a freshman, start investigating. Early planning is a good thing.”
Danna knew she needed four semesters of a foreign language to graduate with her degree. She said she took one year of foreign language at the University and finished the rest of her foreign language requirement during her study abroad experience in France.
Danna said she came back to the United States from France a completely changed person.
“I had such an amazing time,” Danna said. “It’s hard in the real world to travel, when you have to work. You can’t take a month off work to go travel, but you can do that now. It’s the best thing I’ve done at KU so far.”
The application deadline for Summer 2009, Fall 2009 and 2009-2010 academic year study abroad programs is March 1.
— — Edited by Liz Schubauer
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Comments
Data shows study abroad myth is untrue
Myth #5: People will actually read more words crammed in a smaller space
Data shows study abroad myth is untrue
Studying abroad is too expensive “Expense of a program is something students and parents always are concerned about — particularly in our current economic environment. Fortunately, financial aid and scholarships are available."
Way to totally ignore the fact that studying abroad is too expensive. "Oh, this isn't too expensive, you can get a loan to pay for it!" doesn't actually mean it's not too expensive.
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