The Essential Guide To Studying Abroad

This book is a pivotal how-to-guide on flourishing when studying abroad and achieving career success. Covering all aspects of the international student experience, the book encourages young people to perform their very best in their new environment. It also advises how to use international studies to commence a fulfilling career.

Every student who wants to succeed in the global economy should study abroad. And every student who is considering studying abroad should read this book! Packed with practical "how to" information offered in a fun and engaging style, this valuable hands-on resource includes 100 easy-to-follow tips and dozens of real-life stories. Each chapter features useful quotes and anecdotes from a diverse collection of students, advisers and professional from across the country. -- from back cover.

Every year, thousands of students participate in study abroad programs located in the United Kingdom. In this book, Holly Carter provides a guide to help ease the mystery, confusion, and frustration associated with studying abroad. Designed for student use, this book contains pre-departure information, tips for students in the first two weeks, advice for studying and living in the UK, and information about returning home and readjusting.

"This year, over ten million people will go abroad, eager to find the perfect blend of adventure and altruism. Volunteer travel can help you find your place in the world--and find out what you're made of. So why do so many international volunteer programs fail to make an impact? Why do some do more harm than good? Learning Service offers a powerful new approach that invites volunteers to learn from host communities before trying to 'help' them. It's also a thoughtful critique of the sinister side of volunteer travel; a guide for turning good intentions into effective results; and essential advice on how to make the most of your experience."--Amazon.com.

Inside information and frank opinions from the best possible source--students themselves--makes this a one-of-a-kind guide to over 300 of the most rewarding study abroad programs. Useful tips on everything from what to pack to transferring credits combine with the inside scoop about topics such as social life and housing for a truly comprehensive guide to what could be the most rewarding experience of a student's life. Photos.

Studying abroad is one of the most educational and transformative experiences a student can have. That is, when it is done right. In a Strange Land: A Student's Guide to Studying Abroad is the essential guide for students studying abroad, helping them plan for and make the most of their time overseas. It will help students understand the benefits of studying abroad, articulate goals and cultivate the right mindset prior to leaving, and avoid common social, personal, and academic mistakes students make when abroad. Drawing from experiences as a student studying abroad and, later, as a study abroad program leader, this book provides humorous anecdotes and practical advice on how you can have a safe, enriching, and rewarding experience abroad. If you're thinking about studying abroad or already in the middle of your trip, In a Strange Land will show you how to have a fulfilling, meaningful, and transformational experience.

Written for study abroad practitioners, this book introduces theoretical understandings of key study abroad terms including “the global/national,” “culture,” “native speaker,” “immersion,” and “host society.” Building theories on these notions with perspectives from cultural anthropology, political science, educational studies, linguistics, and narrative studies, it suggests ways to incorporate them in study abroad practices. Through attention to daily activities via the concept of immersion, it reframes study abroad not as an encounter with cultural others but as an occasion to analyze constructions of “differences” in daily life, backgrounded by structural arrangements.

A central purpose of this book is to question the claims commonly made about the educational benefits of study abroad. Traditional metrics of enrollment increases and student self-report, and practices of structural immersion, are being questioned as educators voice growing uncertainty about what students are or are not in fact learning abroad. This book looks into whether these criticisms are justified—and what can be done if they are.The contributors to this book offer a counter-narrative to common views that learning takes place simply through students studying elsewhere, or through their enrolling in programs that take steps structurally to “immerse” them in the experience abroad.Student Learning Abroad reviews the dominant paradigms of study abroad; marshals rigorous research findings, with emphasis on recent studies that offer convincing evidence about what undergraduates are or are not learning; brings to bear the latest knowledge about human learning and development that raises questions about the very foundations of current theory and practice; and presents six examples of study abroad courses or programs whose interventions apply this knowledge. This book provokes readers to reconsider long-held assumptions, beliefs and practices about teaching and learning in study abroad and to reexamine the design and delivery of their programs. In doing so, it provides a new foundation for responding to the question that may faculty and staff are now asking: What do I need to know, and what do I need to be able to do, to help my students learn and develop more effectively abroad? Contributors:Laura BathurstMilton BennettGabriele Weber BosleyJohn EngleLilli Engle Tara HarveyMitchell HammerDavid KolbBruce La Brack Kris Hemming LouKate McClearyCatherine MenyhartR. Michael PaigeAngela PassarelliAdriana Medina-López PortilloMeghan QuinnJennifer Meta RobinsonRiikka SalonenVictor SavickiDouglas StuartMichael Vande BergJames ZullWhile the authors who have contributed to Student Learning Abroad are all known for their work in advancing the field of education abroad, a number have recently been honored by leading international education associations. Bruce La Brack received NAFSA’s 2012 Teaching, Learning and Scholarship Award for Innovative Research and Scholarship. Michael Paige (2007) and Michael Vande Berg (2012) are recipients of the Forum on Education Abroad’s Peter A. Wollitzer Award.