Two months from now, my eldest daughter Kelly is set to board a jet for Beijing. Then for the next eight weeks, she and 49 of her journalism-school classmates at the University of Missouri will work as interns in news media operations for the Summer Olympics.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? You bet. But as I’m beginning to find out, these opportunities to go abroad for study -- and a unique life experience -- are readily available to most college students, including our own daughters and sons at UC Davis.
Check the university’s study abroad program for this summer and you’ll see what I mean. Each course promises an unforgettable adventure. A sampling:
- South Africa: From City to Safari
- Renaissance Florence and the Birth of Modern Europe
- Music and Culture in Latin America
- Documentary Filmmaking in the Caribbean
Sign me up -- for any of them.
Explore the opportunities
While study abroad programs have been around for a long time, it’s clear to me that the number and variety of the courses offered has expanded significantly since my college days.
What’s more, UC Davis has made it easy to investigate these opportunities through its Education Abroad Center. Each weekday, the center offers a “first steps” workshop where students can get an overview of the program and learn how to get involved.
Additionally, the center's Web site provides a listing of all the study abroad classes offered and relevant information, including course descriptions, any required pre-requisites, dates and costs. There are also blogs from some of the students, where you can get a taste of their overseas experiences.
For many, the expense can be a big obstacle to participation. Costs range from $5,400 to $32,000, depending on the destination and duration of the program.
The summer programs tend to be a little less expensive, and of course, financial aid (including loans) is available. But there’s no getting around it: Travel costs money, and so participation will add significantly to your student’s expenses.
Yet it will also add significantly to the benefit our kids receive from a college education.
International experience
As we all know, it’s a global economy. It’s hard to think of any field where some international experience won’t be a benefit. And as they advance in their careers, the knowledge and experience they gain from a study abroad program could prove to be a decided advantage.
Planning ahead is key to making it happen. Aside from cost, the study abroad program can require some juggling of a student’s academic plan to stay on track to complete degree requirements in a timely manner.
For many, a summer program may be the easiest to fit in. For this summer, however, the deadline has just passed -- underscoring the importance of advance planning.
If you think your student would benefit from going places, encourage him or her to stop by the Education Abroad Center, or at least to peruse the Web site to get a look at what’s available and what it takes to participate.
While Kelly’s trip to Beijing will be hard to top, it won’t stop her siblings from trying. Her younger sister, Katie, just got back from a week in the Dominican Republic, where she did volunteer work with a church group.
And her brother, Kevin, a history major at UC Davis, is specializing in Latin America. That’s a pretty good excuse to check out the place.
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