sfernb Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 I know this is a bit beyond homeschool, but this daughter was homeschooled! :-) She is considering studying a semester or even a year abroad in college. Anyone have any experience with this recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Where is she considering going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 My son wants to do a year abroad in college as well! So I don't have experience yet (He'll be a senior in highschool this year), but I'm interested to see if anyone else has answers/thoughts/comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey in TX Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 One of our nannies wanted to study abroad, but found it financially prohibitive. She cancelled at the last minute and has regretted ever since. Our former exchange student begins studying in Oslo (her home country Norway), but plans on attending school in Germany or Spain for her final year. I would like to see my own children study abroad for a year. We are such a global society now that they can't afford to live life in a shell anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2abcd Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Some colleges specialize in this. Our son was particularly looking at colleges that offered a study abroad program without adding to his four years;o) The one he chose will have opportunity to go to eleven different countries for a semester and add no extra time to his college experience! It will cost about $1,200 for airfare, etc. and if he goes to Europe he'll want to buy a Euro-pass (I think that's what its called when you can take a train to any of several countries?) I think those are around $1,000. He also has opportunity to study for a year at a German university in the engineering program. That would add a year. At first he didn't want to consider this, but now he is. The students who studied abroad and spoke at a parent informational meeting went on and on about how enriching it was and how it helped them mature and think globally, etc. I think it's a great learning opportunity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 We really would like our kids to study abroad for a semester (or year) when they are in college. I think it would be a great experience. In fact, I would consider sending them to be an exchange student in high school if I thought I could stand to give them up for a year. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2boys Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 I was an exchange student in high school through my local Rotary Club. I spent a year in Brazil and it was one of the best things I have ever done (other than marrying dh and having my kids). I highly recommend a year abroad. No amount of study or travel compares to actually living in a foreign country. I think it is an invaluable experience for Americans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamasteff Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 My DH and I both did a year abroad, as did one of my sisters and one of my best friends. Funny - we all went to English-speaking countries (England and Australia); I know others who have gone to anywhere from Germany to Morocco. BEST thing we ever did. DH and I were dating at the time. He had been studying Spanish, and I had studied German. We wanted to be able to spend time together, so we chose to go to England, though at two different universities. It ended up costing a few thousand $$ LESS than the annual cost at the large university we attended. Met so many people from around the world- 16 years later we are still friends with people in Jordan, Spain, the US and England. We love to go back to visit. (Don't know if you are very religious, but it also had a HUGE impact on us wanting to be "missionaries" - ended up living in another country for 3 years after kids. So, be prepared for your children's minds and hearts to be stretched.) I recommend this to anyone who can do it. Even if it adds a semester to college, WORTH IT. Can I possibly say it more strongly??? :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Just one caution here. I know of a couple of girls who were molested by their home-stay dads while studying abroad. Of course there are plenty of molesters here too but when you are overseas, not knowing the language, you are in a pretty vulnerable place. For one of the girls esp. it was quite dicey with her having to trick the home-stay dad into letting her use a phone so that she could contact the organization and ask for help. And then it was "he says/ she says" while she still had to live in the same house with her molester until they had sorted it out. Now I'm sure (at least I hope) that this is a rare thing but it is something to be wary of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFP Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 My daughter spent a year in Germany--an extra year of high school--through the Congress-Bundestag program. She's been back to visit her host family since and still keeps in touch. Her host sister is in a program in Massachusetts this summer. She took two summer classes in Vienna, with field study in Bosnia and Croatia, the summer after her freshman year and studied in Prague the summer after her sophomore year. She was least happy with the experience in Prague--most of the students had never been abroad before and she said they treated it like spring break in the Bahamas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfernb Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 Thanks for all the replies. Daughter considering it is looking at English speaking countries right now, specifically Scotland (St. Andrews), Wales (Aberystwyth - which I don't even know how to pronounce!) and some in Australia. She is a physics major and is trying to make sure she can keep up with her required classes while abroad. She has a tuition scholarship we would like to retain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 He had a truly fabulous experience. I have always regretted not studying abroad. I was really, truly dirt poor at the time and didn't see any way that I would be able to afford it. Yet I wish I had been able to work it out. I am planning that my children will live overseas somehow, whether through a gap year or perhaps if dh's work takes us there or perhaps a study-abroad option. I would encourage your dd to go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abreakfromlife Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 I think it would be a great experience. I wish I would have been able to do it. I got to spend 2 weeks in France, and I wish I could have done a semester. My brother studied abroad a lot - Paris, Denmark, and traveled all over Europe. He just graduated college a year or so ago, and had such good experiences with studying abroad and planning his own way instead of using the way overpriced programs through the school, that he started his own study abroad company - Panrimo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valerie in MI Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 My own experience was so valuable (way back in 1980) that I'm determined my own children will have this experience, if not as part of a college program, then on their own during a GAP year either right after high school (if they are mature enough) or in the middle of the college years. I got to know one country well but of equal importance was the several weeks spent traveling around alone, on the cheap, using a Eurail pass and staying at hostels and eating nothing but yogurt and bread and cheese on the run from shops because I didn't want to spend time and money restaurants. It gave me such a feeling of self confidence and the ability to travel bravely everywhere on my own without needing to be with a tour group. I would rate my six months of foreign study was by far the most valuable part of my eight years in college. I know that some parts of the world might not be quite as safe or as inexpensive as it was in 1980, but I think this experience is still worth having. Valerie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in C-ville Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 I REALLY hope my kids are able to do this. Sally, I glanced at your brother's site - really interesting. I'm bookmarking it for the future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamasteff Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Thanks for all the replies. Daughter considering it is looking at English speaking countries right now, specifically Scotland (St. Andrews), Wales (Aberystwyth - which I don't even know how to pronounce!) and some in Australia. She is a physics major and is trying to make sure she can keep up with her required classes while abroad. She has a tuition scholarship we would like to retain! It's AB-ur-IST-with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 I know this is a bit beyond homeschool, but this daughter was homeschooled! :-) She is considering studying a semester or even a year abroad in college. Anyone have any experience with this recently? I did this through a local college I was attending - it was a junior college that offered semesters in both Paris and London. I chose London. It was truly a wonderful experience, but I don't know how it would work with something like a scholarship. I think I would check with them first to even see if it is possible for her to consider it at this time. I lived with other students. It was quite a learning experience for me. I would not want my daughter to go by herself though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Thanks for all the replies. Daughter considering it is looking at English speaking countries right now, specifically Scotland (St. Andrews), Wales (Aberystwyth - which I don't even know how to pronounce!) and some in Australia. She is a physics major and is trying to make sure she can keep up with her required classes while abroad. She has a tuition scholarship we would like to retain! If she's looking at applying directly, make sure that she is considering the overseas fees, rather than the UK/EU fees, as they are much higher. The individual university websites should have details of the costs involved. I'm just down the road from St Andrews, so if you need any information, I'm happy to help. For what it's worth, St Andrews is a much better regarded university than Aberystwyth. By the way, it's A-ber-UST-with (soft 'th'). My best friend went to university there. ETA: be careful to work out how her grades will be considered for holding onto her scholarship. The UK grading system is quite different (an 'A' starts at around 70%, but the testing/grading level makes an A hard to get). Best wishes Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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