Study abroad?

[danielle]

Has anyone's child gone on a study program with AFS or a similar summer/school term program? Reactions? Cautions? Thank you.

Danielle

[Guest Katia]

My dd did the high school study abroad program (England) through Hillsdale College between her junior and senior years of high school. It was fabulous and I highly recommend it. She ended up attending Hillsdale and this trip was a big deciding factor for her.

 

My younger dd is looking at the Italy study abroad through Hillsdale for next summer. The prices are reasonable and the academics are great.

[Starr]

I was an exchange student in Germany for a year when I was 17. It was a fabulous experience for me. I was lucky and am still in contact with my host family. I think you do have to remember that your child will be making decisions on his or her own. It's not like having them at home. I think I would look for a program that has other exchangees in the general area so they can give support to one and other. Also check into the policy if you dc and host family aren't working well together. Is there a local support system in place? I have such mixed feelings about this now that I have a 14 year old. I think my exchange year was very important in forming my understanding of the wider world. On the other hand I'm not sure I want to give up my child for a year and put them into a situation that has more choices than home. :tongue_smilie:

[Gwen in VA]

My dd spent last summer in Holland. I am SO glad that she went, but I am so VERY VERY VERY glad that she was 19 (almost 20) when she went.

 

She had to deal with all kinds of sights, sounds, and situations that she has never had to deal with before. Now, we don't exactly live in the big city, so possibly the hugeness and newness of many of her experiences partially reflects the fact that she is a "small-town girl." But she was very very very much on her own, and I am glad that she had more maturity/wisdom before she went abroad.

 

My ds1 is planning on spending his junior year of college abroad studying at the London School of Economics. We are thrilled that this opportunity is available to him, but we are glad that he will be 20 when he actually spends that time alone abroad. We want him to have as much street-smarts, wisdom, and maturity as possible when he leaves on that adventure.