study abroad options

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My only thought is don't stay with a family. Live in a dorm and look after your own independence.

+1 I've heard experiences from a number of people who did homestays and the experiences seem to vary widely -- it could become your 2nd family or they might never talk to you and just grudgingly provide the bare minimum. Better to be in a dorm IMO

This. I’ve done two home stays. One I was in high school and the family was ok but not great. The second one the family seemed to begrudge our presence. The other American and I living in the house moved out after a month into a group house with a couple of other students (who luckily were native to that country) and that was so much better.

You definitely should not assume that because your daughter is living with an adult in a home stay that that adult will provide any emotional support or help. That’s pretty unlikely. It’s more likely to be a “rent a room” situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. Thank you for all of the helpful comments.

To answer, DC is interested in any Spanish speaking country, likely Spain but open to Latin America, too - also sees benefits to going by someplace English speaking in order to get a more substantive classroom experience. That said, when we looked at the programs, DC got excited seeing Copenhagen, Japan, etc so who knows. DC is hoping for a smaller city like Salamanca instead of Madrid, or Oxford instead of London.

You don't study abroad in search of a "substantive classroom experience" unless you're a complete nerd. That's not at all what it's about. Go to a Spanish speaking country and immerse yourself.

[Anonymous]

Any thoughts on choosing which semester spring or fall? We’ve heard that one positive for spring is the chance to do some traveling with friends in late spring/early summer. what about the weather—say for Copenhagen—would fall or spring be better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. Thank you for all of the helpful comments.

To answer, DC is interested in any Spanish speaking country, likely Spain but open to Latin America, too - also sees benefits to going by someplace English speaking in order to get a more substantive classroom experience. That said, when we looked at the programs, DC got excited seeing Copenhagen, Japan, etc so who knows. DC is hoping for a smaller city like Salamanca instead of Madrid, or Oxford instead of London.

You don't study abroad in search of a "substantive classroom experience" unless you're a complete nerd. That's not at all what it's about. Go to a Spanish speaking country and immerse yourself.

Some students choose to study abroad at Oxbridge for that very reason. Those 8-week terms can be brutal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any thoughts on choosing which semester spring or fall? We’ve heard that one positive for spring is the chance to do some traveling with friends in late spring/early summer. what about the weather—say for Copenhagen—would fall or spring be better?

Thinking only about my own daughter - she will want to be home for Thanksgiving. It’s a big holiday for our extended family, and for her emotional health, better to be in the US for fall, away for spring (doesn’t care about Easter at all).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any thoughts on choosing which semester spring or fall? We’ve heard that one positive for spring is the chance to do some traveling with friends in late spring/early summer. what about the weather—say for Copenhagen—would fall or spring be better?

Thinking only about my own daughter - she will want to be home for Thanksgiving. It’s a big holiday for our extended family, and for her emotional health, better to be in the US for fall, away for spring (doesn’t care about Easter at all).

I loved both of the Thanksgiving I spent abroad. Had a huge dinner with both American and international friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. Thank you for all of the helpful comments.

To answer, DC is interested in any Spanish speaking country, likely Spain but open to Latin America, too - also sees benefits to going by someplace English speaking in order to get a more substantive classroom experience. That said, when we looked at the programs, DC got excited seeing Copenhagen, Japan, etc so who knows. DC is hoping for a smaller city like Salamanca instead of Madrid, or Oxford instead of London.

You don't study abroad in search of a "substantive classroom experience" unless you're a complete nerd. That's not at all what it's about. Go to a Spanish speaking country and immerse yourself.

DC intends to be a political science and economics major (DC is only a freshman), so many of the classes on international politics and economics sound very interesting to him, and his Spanish skills are not at a level that he could get in depth if the classes are taught in Spanish. Also, his own college has a program in Oxford which sounded fantastic to him (although it is a full year, which does not), and the program in London focuses on economics including an internship. If this makes him a nerd, slap the label on.

[Anonymous]

I know a polisci major from Colgate who did the winter and spring terms at Pembroke College, Cambridge if your kid doesn't want to do the full year, which is understandable. Any chance your kid attends Williams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a polisci major from Colgate who did the winter and spring terms at Pembroke College, Cambridge if your kid doesn't want to do the full year, which is understandable. Any chance your kid attends Williams?

My friend's DD did the same program for economics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. Thank you for all of the helpful comments.

To answer, DC is interested in any Spanish speaking country, likely Spain but open to Latin America, too - also sees benefits to going by someplace English speaking in order to get a more substantive classroom experience. That said, when we looked at the programs, DC got excited seeing Copenhagen, Japan, etc so who knows. DC is hoping for a smaller city like Salamanca instead of Madrid, or Oxford instead of London.

I lived in Spain 🇪🇸 for years and highly recommend Salamanca. It’s a wonderful university town with lots going on and she will love it.

[Anonymous]

You don't mention if this is a consideration, but back when I did a semester abroad, my financial aid only carried over to some of the approved study abroad programs. So I went on one of those. The trade-off was that the program I was on did not integrate our classes into a local university and instead taught the study-abroad Americans separately. I would have preferred to be in class with local students. So that is one thing to think about as you sort through options.

In terms of facilitating other travel, I think spring semester (if your child is thinking of only one semester) is preferable. If the program has a spring break, the weather will be improving in most northern hemisphere locations (or if they are in Europe or Japan and ski, that could also be an option), and traveling with your rail and hostel card after classes end in the summer is a fantastic growth experience. If they go somewhere in the southern hemisphere, that changes of course .... but post-program summer travel would back into the December holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a polisci major from Colgate who did the winter and spring terms at Pembroke College, Cambridge if your kid doesn't want to do the full year, which is understandable. Any chance your kid attends Williams?

Pembroke is a college at Oxford not Cambridge (unless there is one at each?). They must mainly have international students because most US college study abroad programs at Oxford seem to be at Pembroke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. Thank you for all of the helpful comments.

To answer, DC is interested in any Spanish speaking country, likely Spain but open to Latin America, too - also sees benefits to going by someplace English speaking in order to get a more substantive classroom experience. That said, when we looked at the programs, DC got excited seeing Copenhagen, Japan, etc so who knows. DC is hoping for a smaller city like Salamanca instead of Madrid, or Oxford instead of London.

You don't study abroad in search of a "substantive classroom experience" unless you're a complete nerd. That's not at all what it's about. Go to a Spanish speaking country and immerse yourself.

DD, Econ & math major, studied at London School of Economics. She lists it at one the most amazing experiences she’s had.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a polisci major from Colgate who did the winter and spring terms at Pembroke College, Cambridge if your kid doesn't want to do the full year, which is understandable. Any chance your kid attends Williams?

Pembroke is a college at Oxford not Cambridge (unless there is one at each?). They must mainly have international students because most US college study abroad programs at Oxford seem to be at Pembroke.

There's one at Cambridge too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. Thank you for all of the helpful comments.

To answer, DC is interested in any Spanish speaking country, likely Spain but open to Latin America, too - also sees benefits to going by someplace English speaking in order to get a more substantive classroom experience. That said, when we looked at the programs, DC got excited seeing Copenhagen, Japan, etc so who knows. DC is hoping for a smaller city like Salamanca instead of Madrid, or Oxford instead of London.

You don't study abroad in search of a "substantive classroom experience" unless you're a complete nerd. That's not at all what it's about. Go to a Spanish speaking country and immerse yourself.

DC intends to be a political science and economics major (DC is only a freshman), so many of the classes on international politics and economics sound very interesting to him, and his Spanish skills are not at a level that he could get in depth if the classes are taught in Spanish. Also, his own college has a program in Oxford which sounded fantastic to him (although it is a full year, which does not), and the program in London focuses on economics including an internship. If this makes him a nerd, slap the label on.

Honestly, if his Spanish isn't good enough to take classes in Spanish, I would send him to England. Let him nerd out there.