MaureenB

I would love to hear other parents' stories of their college students' travel experiences while studying abroad for a semester/year.
Did the student have time to travel around?
Where did he or she go?
Were good tours planned by the foreign university for its students?
Did she stay over to travel on her own at the end of the semester?
Did he or she find good hostels, good travel deals, interesting experiences?
Etc.
Anyone have current experience with study abroad? There's probably a wealth of travel information that could help other fodorites who are planning to send their student abroad.
For example, I recently heard of an agency that specializes in good deals for student travelers: STA (statravel.com).

Catbert

Hi Maureen, I have two daughters who have each done two study abroads. Each did a year of high school through Youth for Undertstanding (YFU). They lived with a family and went to regular public schools; one in Spain and one in France. They each took a trip with their school that was kind of a mini tour of Europe.

Then each did study abroad again in College. The first did a semester in Paris through her University at home. She lived in a dorm, took a couple of trips outside of Paris with the group, and a couple of weekend trips with friends she met there. The second spent a year in Germany, again through her University at home. Her program was really well organized with mentors in the host country to help them with banking, phone, apartment/roommate issues. They attended a 6 week indepth language program and then were into University classes. She did quite a lot of touring in her free time. She traveled both with friends she met in Germany and friends who visited her from home. They have a way of discovering all the right hostels and must visit places. Her University program took her on 2 extended trips.

STA was a resource she used to purchase cheap airfare. Other than that, her University did a great job of facilitating her study abroad. It will probably cost her a semester, in terms of keeping up with her program of studies. But she gained a lifetime of experience (plus a fluency in German).

If you have a kid who wants to do this, I can't encourage it strongly enough. It makes your student a much more global thinker with a real measure of self sufficiency and independence.

yk

Hi Maureen-

I'm not a parent, but I can tell you my own experience (a little over a decade ago).

I spent my junior year abroad in London. I had plenty of time to travel, as the UK university system is quite different - no midterms or any other tests. Only a final at the end of the semester. Some year-long classes didn't even have any exams until the whole year is over. I found myself traveling all the time, except that I didn't have much $ and the Chunnel wasn't built and Ryanair didn't quite exist back then.

My college has a program director at University College London. The director not only organizes events (such as cheap ballet and opera tickets) but also weekend trips to Stratford-upon-Avon, Leeds Castle etc.

During that year, apart from going on those organized trips, I also went to Wales, Scotland, Bath/Glastonbury on my own, and to Norway to visit from family friends over Easter break.

At the end of the year, I went to Paris for a week, then flew Aeroflot from London to Hong Kong - with a 4 day stay in Moscow - yes, on my own at age 20.

That was one of the very best years of my life. I just wish I were born later so that I could take advantage of cheap budget airlines.

isabel

My daughter has done two study abroads in the last two years, last year in London, the year before in Paris. Both were wonderful from both her standpoint and mine. When she was in Paris she studied at Paris Sept, part of the Universitie of Paris, and lived in Cite Universitie, the international dorm complex. They did some local travel (e.g. Loire valley) through the program. She also went to Nice and Corsica during her spring break, Amsterdam with me when I went to visit her, and Sweeden at the end of her stay, with someone she met there who had family in Sweeden. When she was in Lonndon she traveled around England and went to Paris.

The options for travel before, during or after a study abroad program are pretty much up to the individual student. I'm not sure what you mean by "deals". Just as anyone can find "deals" on good cheap(er) lodging, so can a student. There are youth (under 26) fares on some airlines and trains, but these are not limited to someone on a study abroad program.

In my opinion, if what the person really wants to do is a LOT of traveling, perhaps they should just arrange to do a long term (several month?) trip. The advantage of a study abroad program is for the student to live in and experience the area they go to. Of course some extra travel is nice, but not the "main event". The cost of the overseas airline ticket is a relatively small part of the total expense.

kakalena

From Florence my student was taken by her program in Italian Studies to Rome, Venice, Milan, Pisa and Sienna. She enjoyed all the outtings and had a professor along as a guide.

On her own, she went to Munich (Octoberfest) with the school crowd.
She wanted to do more traveling but she was there to study and so I'm glad she did. She has run out of money and so no more travel this time.

She has learned a good deal of Italian and has integrated beautifully into the local community. She says she'll live there some day. Time will tell....

As expensive as you may think it will be somehow it becomes more expensive so be prepared. You experience may vary according to your student.

This particular student's wallet was stolen in a laundromat the first week in Italy and bank account was drained via purchases with an ATM Debit card. Thieves attempted to purchase $7,000 of leather goods but were denied by cc company. Fodorites helped with the aftermath! : ))))

The best thing about an overseas student is that it will give you an excuse to visit them!

grandmere

My daughter spent her jr. year from Penn State in Strasbourg. She loved it and traveled a lot on weekends, breaks, and stayed for an extra month in the summer. She spent her 21st b-day on a 23 hr train ride to Greece (from Munich, where she also attended a Rolling Stones concert!)and also went to UK, all over western Europe. She has a tiny piece of the Berlin Wall that she hacked off with the multitudes who were doing this (this was in '89!). She and friends either stayed in hostels or hotels from the "Let's Go" series when they traveled. Instead of her coming home for Christmas, I went over there, and we spent time in Paris, Provence, and Strasbourg. We called home on Christmas Day, and she burst into tears, missing her dad, brother, and grandparents. I,on the other hand, thought staying in this hunting lodge- turned-Chateau de Chaumontel north of Paris with no dinner to have to prepare was a pretty nifty way to spend the day, just this once!

She enjoyed the experience so much that she returned to France the year after she graduated and worked as an au pair in Lyon, earning a maitrise from the University of Lyon.

In Strasbourg she lived in a dormitory where there were French students and also students from other US colleges, and it seems that she mostly hung out with Americans. However, the year she spent in Lyon, she was not in language classes, but actual univ. classes, and she made lots of friends among the French and other nationalities.

She's been back several times, the last being in 2002, when she was pregnant with her first child, and now they're expecting another in the spring. I keep trying to come up with a plan to get all of us over there together again before too many years pass!

StephCar

MaureenB,

I studied abroad in 1992, and it changed my life. I now have 2 children of my own and I hope that someday they will do the same. I always thank my parents for giving me the opportunity.

I studied in France, and was there 6 months. Classes started in January. Then we had several breaks, for Easter and something else I can't remember. And then I stayed the summer and backpacked.

I went through Via Montpellier. There is also a Via Paris program, but I opted for the smaller town atmosphere. As the name suggests the goal is to really "live" France. I lived with a French family. I took courses at the local university. All courses were in French. I left the US with conversational French and came back fluent. It was hard but I wouldn't have changed a thing. Classes at the university were supplemented by a tutor and a French language course with other students on the program. We were not allowed to speak English. Only after 3 months did I discover one of my French sisters spoke perfect English!

Spending the summer to explore Europe was such a wonderful opportunity. After living in Europe for awhile you begin to feel like you can accomplish anything, or at least I did. So taking overnight trains and navigating around foreign countries was not a big deal.

When I say it changed my life I am not exaggerating. I went back, finished my last year of college and decided to minor in Art History, because I was so inspired by all the art I saw in Rome, Paris, Florence...etc. I also did a double major in French. I have since returned to Europe many times. I found a job that enabled me to speak French and travel. I became addicted to all things Europe, and the more I saw, the more I wanted to see!

I continue to travel (even with 2 small kids) and feel as though if I had not discovered myself and my passion for travel I would be a very different (and much less interesting and interested) person. Sorry this sounds sappy, but it opened my eyes to the world.

MaureenB

Wow-- what great replies. I think everyone lucky enough to have the opportunity to study abroad is blessed!

artlover

Hi MaureenB,

My daughter recently returned from 6 months in Italy. Like others who have posted, her experience was fabulous (and yes, I agree with kakalina--one of the best parts is that you have an excuse to visit them there.

She was with the AHA program in Siena and they had many sidetrips arranged for them including Rome, Venice, Florence, etc. She was there for 6 months and LOVED it and came home speaking fairly fluent Italian. She loved it so much, she got a grant to study endangered species on Limpia. She also travelled to several other places on her own including Amsterdam and London.

And yes, it ended up costing more than we had anticipated, but IMO it was so well worth it.

I was very impressed with AHA and would recommend them (though I'm sure there are other great programs as well).

moldyhotelsaregross

Bookmarking - I'll be back this evening to give you my response. I've done three summer trips.

aggiemom

Maureen - thanks for starting this thread. Our oldest daughter is planning a semester with her university in the Netherlands in her junior year. Our other two (junior and senior in HS) are already thinking about it now, too!

kakalena

This discussion reminded me of an experience with a previous US student who wanted to go to the UK for a semester.

She was enrolled in an excellent University in the States but hadn't looked at the Semester abroad program that carefully when she enrolled as a freshman. When it came time to do the Semester abroad her University program did not support what she wanted to do.

Independently, we found a program in London and worked with her University to make certain that all of the credits she earned would be transferrable.

The easy way to avoid this is for prospective students to look closely at the programs offered by their Universities before enrolling somewhere.

With all of the other considerations in selecting a University, semester abroad programs are often not given much attention.

dorkforcemom

While most experiences have been positive, I'd like to share another perspective. My son participated in a Spanish immersion program for a month through his college during his sophomore year in Costa Rica. The arrangement was that he would live with a family, walk to a school for Spanish classes in the mornings and have the afternoon/evenings/weekends on his own. There were a couple of problems with this plan that we didn't anticipate ahead of time. First of all, my son has traveled extensively with us, is very outgoing, has a strong moral compass (he plans to be a youth minister), and was excited about the journey. That said, here were some of the obstacles: the family with which he lived was not welcoming/friendly to him. I don't know if this was a monetary transaction for them but he bonded with the person they hired to cook. They lived in an area that in which it was not safe to walk to anything in the evenings. This left him isolated & lonely. There wasn't transportation to go to anything. On the weekends, there were opportunities to go with the other students on trips; however, the other college students were only interested in drinking. My son isn't a drinker. Had we to do it over againl, I would have asked specific questions about the living arrangements. Most probably, Europe would have been a better choice for my son (transportation, museums, historical perspetives, etc.)

MaureenB

Thanks for posting the downside, too. It helps to have a heads-up going into the decision. A checklist would be helpful, so you know in advance how much time it takes to get a student visa, and whether or not you have to do it yourself and appear in person at a consulate, etc.
I'm sorry to hear a school didn't support your daughter's desire to travel abroad. Most of them consider it an educational opportunity. And living with a family who wasn't a good fit for the program is the fault of the university in selecting that family. I feel for your son's bad situation. It could have been such a positive experience otherwise, that it's a shame he lost out. Were you able to get any reimbursement from the university?
Another consideration students need to plan in advance is their course schedule, making sure their requirements are met in the 3.5 semesters they'll be on campus. Because the study abroad programs we've seen offer mostly art, history, literature, anthropology, language courses, so students need to plan accordingly to get the credits they need while abroad.
Pre-med students, for example, have to really load up in order to be able to get away for an entire semester. There are shorter summer courses for study abroad, too, and maybe that's the way to go.
Personally, I think we parents should seek out, and take advantage of, 'study' abroad opportunities...
Anyone have a good checklist to offer?

yk

Maureen-

The college I went to has a huge study abroad program. According to its stats, 40% of juniors spent at least a semester abroad.

Because of that, most of the abroad programs are very well organized, and all credits are recognized.

I was a pre-med, and I was able to take biology classes at UCL (University College London), but I actually finished most of my pre-med requirements by the end of my sophomore year - except physics which I saved for senior year.

The "fun" part of my year abroad as pre-med was taking the MCAT in London. There was one exam site in UK, which was in Hammersmith. On the day of exam, I met folks who flew down from Scotland the day before in order to take the exam. The next closest exam site was in Paris, I think.

Our program director in London was able to get me into some "shadowing" position with a surgeon at one of the UCL hospitals.

I'm sure most colleges which offer study abroad programs will have some sort of checklist.

aschie30

Maureen- why direct this questions to parents and not to the students who actually studied abroad?

I have studied abroad twice - once as an undergrad (junior year) and once in grad school - both times in London.

Yes, I had time to travel around. Either during the weekends (at the time, most of the budget carriers we now take for granted were starting up in London) and for a month and a half during the summer before my study abroad program began.

I traveled throughout England, Scotland, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic Austria, and Slovakia.

I suppose there were some tours planned by the University on the weekends, but I'm an independent traveler, so I didn't partake in the tours.

I didn't stay past the semester's end to travel because I did it before, but I know plenty of people who did.

I found good hostels, good travel deals and life-altering experiences. It is a real rite of passage that every young person should experience.

STA Travel has been around for awhile servicing students. I used them quite a bit. There was also Council Travel, but I'm not sure if they're still around.

Bluehour

As you're hearing, study abroad is, for almost everyone I've talked to, the most important thing they did in college. For many, it changes their lives.

But, mom, take a deep breath. This has to come from the kid. This is, for many, their first truly independent experience. The first time they're TRULY on their own, in a strange place where they know nobody, where they have to figure out, every single day, how the simplest things work. Where they are the outsider.
You are not there to help them out. They can drink legally. They WILL be lonely and confused. They will probably even hate it at times.
And they will come home adults.

You must let your child do this on their own. You must let THEM choose the country, the program, the duration.
They will probably decide to travel during and after, but they may well choose some country you think is dangerous, or strange. Students usually make their plans based on where their friends are going, and where it's cheap. They'll figure it out.

Your child's college will have a study abroad office. You can suggest he or she go there and see what appeals.
Depending on what he or she is studying, their department may make this easy (like an art history department with a program in Florence) or hard (the chemistry department may say now way will they transfer any lab credits). But if he or she is motivated, there are often ways around this. I know people who have changed their concentration just to study abroad.

I went on a full academic year as an independent student at an English university. Full year independent is, in my opinion, the way to go. You get so many layers of experience -- it's amazing. You can really become part of the university, the town, the world.

But if the chemistry department won't budge, and all the student can manage is to head off with a bunch of their schoolmates for a 6-week summer program that is, essentially, summer camp with minimal contact with anyone outside the campus, that is still way better than nothing, and very much worth doing.
There's a lot of middle ground though.

And don't just think Europe: People do years abroad in Africa, South America, Asia -- all over.

STA has good deals. And some trip planning advice.

But I'd suggest you and your child read Glimpse magazine, which features writing from JYA students across the country. Look into BUNAC and CIEE. Read the Let's Go guides by Harvard students. Look on the Lonely Planet Web site. The study abroad center will have books, probably peer reviews. And lots of good advice.
And if they go, they should buy an international cell phone to keep in touch.

But in the end, it's your child's call. And as a mom, you have to respect their adult decision, even if you're sure they'll regret it later.

MaureenB

Uh, oh-- one of my pet peeves is when posters assume they should give parenting advice, or read motives into a simple question.
Can we please just stick to the facts and travel experiences?

aschie30

MaureenB-

I have to say now I'm a bit confused as to what you're seeking for "advice" because most of your questions can be answered with yes or no answers.

Setting aside the apparent offense taken by you from some of the posts, I do think Bluehour makes some great points about study abroad.

For instance, I agree that it is a totally life-changing experience - most kids who left came back as sophisticated adults - which is why, I guess, you probably are encouraging your kid to do this, right? And good for you.

My younger brother resisted all manner of encouragement to study abroad (although my parents were only mildly encouraging and quick to defend his decision not to consider study abroad). My brother was also a lot more immature than most people his age. Most of the reasons he cited for not going were silly - he couldn't imagine missing football season, etc. He obviously didn't feel ready to leave his "comfort zone" and quite frankly, my parents encouraged him not to. I often what would have come of him if he was more strongly encouraged - even expected - to go. Would he have resented it? Would it given him the push into adulthood that he needed? Of course, now he regrets not going but I think what he regrets most is not having the chutzpah to go - or having parents that would give him that much needed push. It's a difficult question.

But these issues are inherent whenever someone considers study abroad. The facts and circumstances are sort of collateral to the whole experience.

But I do think Bluehour is correct in that total immersion by studying independently as a University student in a foreign university for one year is the way to go, if possible. But if it's not impossible, than a six-week program as part of an American University is better than nothing, IMHO.

Bluehour

Maureen:
That was a rude response to a well intentioned post about my experiences.

I wish you good luck in your search.