Short-Term Study Abroad
Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the
mind-Seneca
Information regarding orientation and re-entry logistics for short-term programs
What is short-term study abroad?
Any program less than 8 weeks in duration
January Term (J-term), summer 55.4% of 2006-07 study abroad
participants (up from 52.8% of 2005-06) went on a short-term program*
Allows for maximum flexibility and affordability for a busy student on a tight budget
*Open Doors Report 2008, Institute of International Education
Orientation
When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable.
-Clifton Fadiman
There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.
-Robert Louis Stevenson
Back to Basics
Do you have a passport?http://travel.state.gov/passport> Apply ASAP (4-6 week
processing time)> Requires: Application, proof of citizenship, ID, Two 2 x 2” photos,
fee
Do you need a visa?http://travel.state.gov/travel/> Provides information on visa
requirements on country-by-country basis
Health & Safety
Insurance> Check with your
current provider to see if your coverage applies overseas
> May be available through your program
> Self-purchased plans: Travel Guard, Travelex, AIG, CSA Travel
Study Abroad is No Vacation
Check with CDC and US State Department for travel/health warningshttp://www.cdc.gov/ and http://travel.state.gov/
Educational programs are not tourist agencies; program directors are not tour guidesWhat are your educational and personal
expectations for the program? Short-term means you have less time to get
involved with and adapted to the local cultureLess time online, more time face-to-faceBe proactive in engaging people and seeking
opportunities
Know Before You Go Government and political structure
Democracy? Monarchy? Important political figures
Local currency (and conversion rate) http://www.xe.com
Local religions practiced Languages, Dialects and Tribes Typical daily schedule Attitudes towards gender, race, drinking, sex What not/to wear Voltage/Electricity
Use the resources available to you!
State Dept website, Google, transitionsabroad.com
In-Country
Reverse Culture Shock
• Coming home can be the hardest part. Why?
• You have had a life-changing experience, but expect things at home have stayed the same– Disparity between idealized expectations and reality
– Inability to re-engage in home community
• Four stages of reverse culture shock: – Disengagement
– Initial euphoria
– Irritability and hostility
– Readjustment and adaptation
http://www.studentsabroad.com/reentrycultureshock.html
Stages of Shock
I. Disengagement
I. You prepare to leave your host country and remove yourself physically and psychologically from the community
II. Initial Euphoria
I. Happy to see family & friends again; ready to tell them about your experience
III. Irritability & Hostility
I. Realize that others have changed and that friends expect you to merge back into culture and don’t want to hear your stories
II. Negative feelings towards US culture; reverse ‘homesickness’
IV. Readjustment
I. Life is more routine; culture is more comfortable
II. Time to incorporate time abroad into your future
Incorporating Your Experience Abroad into Your Experience at
Home
• Get involved with multicultural groups/organizations on campus and in the local community
• Host an ‘international dinner’ with food from your host country
• Present at student symposia or cross-cultural forums
• Enter writing/photo contests• Take language courses to maintain skills• Plan to travel again!
Resume Building
Study abroad can show future employers: That you can adapt to new situations That you are comfortable working with people from diverse
backgrounds That you have language/research/service learning experience
Be Specific (List program/university, as well as specific projects you completed)
Example (from www.skidmore.edu)
Study Abroad, Institute for the International Education of Students La Plata, Argentina (1/1999-5/1999)
Completed course work in Latin American culture and society.
Demonstrated willingness to take risks through enrollment in Spanish-speaking curriculum.
Gained fluency in Spanish.
Examined the effect of birth control on population growth in Argentina as an independent research project.
Returning Abroad
• Work– Dave’s ESL Café (www.eslcafe.com)– CIEE (www.ciee.org) or BUNAC (www.bunac.org)
• Study– Long-term (semester or year) program– Graduate studies (www.gradschools.com/international-
programs.html)• Volunteer
– Cross-Cultural Solutions (www.crossculturalsolutions.org/)
– Religious or service learning organizations in your community
The World is in Your HandsTravel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things can not be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
-Mark Twain
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