{"id":1741,"date":"2023-03-28T05:14:43","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T05:14:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/overseas-studies\/?page_id=1741"},"modified":"2023-03-30T20:22:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T20:22:55","slug":"getting-the-most-from-study-abroad","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/overseas-studies\/getting-the-most-from-study-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting the Most From Study Abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Traveler vs. Tourist<\/h2>\n

(Adapted from the University of Alberta\u2019s Education Abroad Handbook)<\/p>\n

Before you depart on your adventure, you should consider what kind of visitor you will be and what you will be carrying as baggage.<\/p>\n

As a tourist<\/strong>, you take your country with you wherever you go, or at the very least, expect it to be there once you\u2019ve arrived. You go to see but not to feel. A tourist may even have a light backpack (although that\u2019s rare), but the preconceived notions and critical outlook through which the world is filtered are often quite heavy.<\/p>\n

As a traveler<\/strong>, you are content to leave it all behind, preferring to call home the place where you hang your proverbial hat. A passport, a credit card, a notebook and a hat are the only burdens of the ideal minimalist traveler. You leave your shopping list, must-see list, travel books, iPod and all preconceived notions of safety at home. Rather than make an impact on the world he or she visits, a traveler tries to absorb as much as possible while passing through.<\/p>\n

Striking a balance between being a tourist burdened with cultural baggage and a traveler with an empty suitcase is difficult to achieve. But those aren\u2019t your only options. You can also become a resident, having the greatest opportunity to absorb a culture and give of yourself to others. If you choose to be a resident, besides the passport, credit card, notebook, and hat, there are three other essentials that take up no room so long as you bring them, but become a terrible burden if you do not.<\/p>\n

First, bring your sense of humor. Without it, you will be doomed to suffer countless maladies, but with it, you\u2019ll gain a sense of perspective, and a cure-all for most mishaps.<\/p>\n

Second, bring empty space and room to grow, a sort of empty suitcase for your psyche. If you leave yourself open, you will discover new things about your new residence and new things about yourself. Some of the space will fill without you even noticing but sometimes you\u2019ll have to make an effort to meet people, try new foods, learn new words, or ask more questions.<\/p>\n

Third, bring a sense of self. Don\u2019t be afraid to challenge yourself or ask yourself why you believe what you do. You are not a chameleon; some things about yourself are special. Be proud of these things because they make up who you are, no matter where you go.<\/p>\n

Finally, be ready to explore new things. The longer your usual ways remain the sole way to fulfill your needs, the more your new residence will seem like a place you\u2019d rather not be. Sometimes it\u2019s nice to go away and feel like you\u2019ve never left home, but ideally living abroad should cause the definition of \u201chome\u201d to grow. If this happens, it\u2019s a good indicator that you packed what you needed and left behind what you did not.<\/p>\n

Goals and Expectations<\/h2>\n

Surveys of students who have studied abroad and rated the quality of their experience indicate that those who set specific goals and fine-tuned their expectations along the way had a richer experience.<\/p>\n

Setting Goals<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just showing up in the host country and going with the flow of attending class and participating in program activities is probably not the best strategy for getting the most out of your experience. Setting concrete goals, and occasionally re-thinking your goals, can add some shape to your time abroad.<\/p>\n

While goal-setting is a very individual activity, here are some examples from previous study abroad students:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • learning all about the cinema industry in Italy with the hope of eventually working there<\/li>\n
  • learning how to make Spanish tapas and other dishes such as paella<\/li>\n
  • making friends with a similar interest in political activism and environmental issues<\/li>\n
  • understanding how manga and anime shape the culture of young Japanese<\/li>\n
  • forming solid friendships<\/li>\n
  • becoming much more fluent in the language of the country<\/li>\n
  • seeing and understanding how racial and ethnic identity are viewed in the host country<\/li>\n
  • learning all there is to learn about rugby<\/li>\n
  • traveling off the beaten path in the host country and seeing things that most tourists don\u2019t get to see<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    How would you go about pursuing the goals listed above or the goals you set for yourself?<\/p>\n

    Fine-tuning Expectations<\/strong><\/p>\n

    As much as we try to embark on new endeavors without building up too many expectations, it\u2019s inevitable that we do have expectations of some sort, whether they are conscious or subconscious. It\u2019s important to reconsider your expectations when your goals continually seem unreachable to the point of frustration and disappointment.<\/p>\n

    Be proud of your \u201cbaby steps.\u201d In the first few weeks, your accomplishments will probably include such lofty tasks as buying a cell phone, riding the subway without getting lost, or exchanging pleasantries with a person at a coffee shop.<\/p>\n

    Here are some examples of expectations that students often find themselves having to fine-tune:<\/p>\n

    a) Expecting to make friends easily with a lot of locals in the host country.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Making friends with locals in your host country can be challenging. Think about how difficult it might be for a visiting student from another country who does not speak great English to make a circle of good friends during a semester abroad at USC. Would you as a USC student go seek out such an exchange student and try to make friends with him or her? What kind of effort would that exchange student have to make? Students in other countries tend to already have a close group of friends and don\u2019t feel the need to seek new friendships, especially with people who will be around for just four or five months. Making new friends can be difficult, but virtually everyone who has made the effort has said that it was worth it, even if the effort resulted in short-term acquaintances rather than lifelong friendships.<\/p>\n

    b) Expecting the experience to be similar to that of a friend or sibling who has already studied abroad.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    You are a unique individual and are responsible for shaping your own experience. If your friend had a great time in a certain city over a certain holiday and highly recommends that you do the same, you may want to caution yourself against expecting the same kind of experience. You may end up having a much worse, or much better, time.<\/p>\n

    c) Expecting to become fluent in a foreign language.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    One semester is a relatively short time in the process of acquiring a language. While everyone\u2019s definition of fluency differs, it is unlikely that a student with two semesters of a language, for example, will attain nativelike fluency in just one semester abroad. Rather than get frustrated and give up if not speaking like a local by the third month, the important thing is to stick with the effort to use the language as much as possible and reward yourself for the real progress that you make.<\/p>\n

    Students sometimes say they want to study in a foreign country because it will \u201cforce\u201d them to use the language they have been studying. More likely than not you will be in a program with other American students and will be free to speak English as much as you want outside of class and\/or your homestay. Using the language will be a voluntary act that is entirely up to you. Rather than hoping the environment will \u201cforce\u201d you to speak, sometimes it\u2019s more useful to think of using the language as a process of opening yourself (and your ego) to new opportunities to express yourself and hear what others want to express to you.<\/p>\n

    Being Open to Difference<\/h2>\n

    Many of the same attitudes that help you appreciate all that a diverse city such as Los Angeles has to offer will help you appreciate and enjoy your time living abroad. Some attitudes and character traits that promote cultural learning are:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • high regard for culture<\/li>\n
    • eagerness to learn<\/li>\n
    • desire to make connections<\/li>\n
    • readiness to give as well as receive<\/li>\n
    • being curious (vs. passive)<\/li>\n
    • being secure (vs. guarded)<\/li>\n
    • being humble (vs. haughty)<\/li>\n
    • willingness to suspend judgment<\/li>\n
    • tolerance for ambiguity<\/li>\n
    • a good sense of humor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      We often become excited about entering a different culture but become annoyed once we get there by many of the differences. It helps to be aware of how your own values and ego shape your reactions to the cultural differences you encounter abroad.<\/p>\n

      Suggestions from Alumni<\/h2>\n

      Do not perceive and judge things based on American standards, but instead take things the way they are. (CIEE, Taiwan)<\/p>\n

      A study abroad program will not improve your language skills for you; you need to make the decision to improve. You need to take control of your own language immersion. Do research and find clubs and activities where you will be with native speakers. (IES, Germany)<\/p>\n

      The best thing to do is take classes you\u2019ll be interested in. (Queen Mary, University of London, UK)<\/p>\n

      It\u2019s not about seeing as much as possible– knowing a place means staying there for a while to explore on your own because guidebooks are for tourists, not travelers. If you have a week, go to two cities, not four or five. You can\u2019t \u201cdo\u201d Paris in a weekend. (Syracuse U. in Florence, Italy)<\/p>\n

      Have fun and live up your time. A great experience involves trying new things, making new friendships and learning more about a different culture. (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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