Short-Term Study Abroad

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the

mind-Seneca

Information regarding orientation and re-entry logistics for short-term programs

What is short-term study abroad?

Any program less than 8 weeks in duration

January Term (J-term), summer 55.4% of 2006-07 study abroad

participants (up from 52.8% of 2005-06) went on a short-term program*

Allows for maximum flexibility and affordability for a busy student on a tight budget

*Open Doors Report 2008, Institute of International Education

Orientation

When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable.

-Clifton Fadiman

There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.

-Robert Louis Stevenson

Back to Basics

Do you have a passport?http://travel.state.gov/passport> Apply ASAP (4-6 week

processing time)> Requires: Application, proof of citizenship, ID, Two 2 x 2” photos,

fee

Do you need a visa?http://travel.state.gov/travel/> Provides information on visa

requirements on country-by-country basis

Health & Safety

Insurance> Check with your

current provider to see if your coverage applies overseas

> May be available through your program

> Self-purchased plans: Travel Guard, Travelex, AIG, CSA Travel

Study Abroad is No Vacation

Check with CDC and US State Department for travel/health warningshttp://www.cdc.gov/ and http://travel.state.gov/

Educational programs are not tourist agencies; program directors are not tour guidesWhat are your educational and personal

expectations for the program? Short-term means you have less time to get

involved with and adapted to the local cultureLess time online, more time face-to-faceBe proactive in engaging people and seeking

opportunities

Know Before You Go Government and political structure

Democracy? Monarchy? Important political figures

Local currency (and conversion rate) http://www.xe.com

Local religions practiced Languages, Dialects and Tribes Typical daily schedule Attitudes towards gender, race, drinking, sex What not/to wear Voltage/Electricity

Use the resources available to you!

State Dept website, Google, transitionsabroad.com

In-Country

Reverse Culture Shock

• Coming home can be the hardest part. Why?

• You have had a life-changing experience, but expect things at home have stayed the same– Disparity between idealized expectations and reality

– Inability to re-engage in home community

• Four stages of reverse culture shock: – Disengagement

– Initial euphoria

– Irritability and hostility

– Readjustment and adaptation

http://www.studentsabroad.com/reentrycultureshock.html

Stages of Shock

I. Disengagement

I. You prepare to leave your host country and remove yourself physically and psychologically from the community

II. Initial Euphoria

I. Happy to see family & friends again; ready to tell them about your experience

III. Irritability & Hostility

I. Realize that others have changed and that friends expect you to merge back into culture and don’t want to hear your stories

II. Negative feelings towards US culture; reverse ‘homesickness’

IV. Readjustment

I. Life is more routine; culture is more comfortable

II. Time to incorporate time abroad into your future

Incorporating Your Experience Abroad into Your Experience at

Home

• Get involved with multicultural groups/organizations on campus and in the local community

• Host an ‘international dinner’ with food from your host country

• Present at student symposia or cross-cultural forums

• Enter writing/photo contests• Take language courses to maintain skills• Plan to travel again!

Resume Building

Study abroad can show future employers: That you can adapt to new situations That you are comfortable working with people from diverse

backgrounds That you have language/research/service learning experience

Be Specific (List program/university, as well as specific projects you completed)

Example (from www.skidmore.edu)

Study Abroad, Institute for the International Education of Students La Plata, Argentina (1/1999-5/1999)

Completed course work in Latin American culture and society.

Demonstrated willingness to take risks through enrollment in Spanish-speaking curriculum.

Gained fluency in Spanish.

Examined the effect of birth control on population growth in Argentina as an independent research project.

Returning Abroad

• Work– Dave’s ESL Café (www.eslcafe.com)– CIEE (www.ciee.org) or BUNAC (www.bunac.org)

• Study– Long-term (semester or year) program– Graduate studies (www.gradschools.com/international-

programs.html)• Volunteer

– Cross-Cultural Solutions (www.crossculturalsolutions.org/)

– Religious or service learning organizations in your community

The World is in Your HandsTravel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things can not be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

-Mark Twain