As the fall semester begins, many Aztecs may have ambitious goals for the coming school years, one of them being studying abroad. San Diego State offers more than 350 education abroad programs in more than 50 countries for students from any major to choose from.
“I would encourage all students in all majors to take advantage of the opportunity (to study abroad),” International Student Center Education Abroad Advisor Ryan McLemore said. “It’s something that we feel will dramatically improve their life down the line,”
He also said one of the benefits of studying abroad is the way it makes students marketable when applying for jobs. McLemore said it’s something students can use on their resumes, cover letters and during job interviews. Other advantages studying abroad provides for students is individuality, self-reliance and experience in cross-cultural communication.
McLemore stressed that the most important step of studying abroad is to start planning during freshman year. First matter of business is to get a passport, then start searching for information.
“When they are a freshman would be ideal to come visit us for an information session, get registered online and just begin researching the process,” McLemore said.
He said once students go in for an information session, they should start thinking about the right program and location for their major. This will allow students to apply their second year to study abroad junior year.
One of the common concerns about studying abroad is that it’s not affordable. However, McLemore disagrees and said there are certain programs and locations students can choose from that are more affordable than others.
“There are a lot of affordable programs where students can go for a long time and it may not be more expensive than staying at SDSU,” McLemore said.
An example of this is studying abroad through the California State University International Programs, which are academic year-only exchange programs for CSU students that pay regular tuition and fees. Through this program students that study abroad in Sweden would pay an estimated amount of $18,360 for tuition, room and board in addition to other expenses and fees versus the CSU fee of $23,566.
[quote]Take advantage. Don’t wait until you graduate or are about to graduate.[/quote]
Another concern about education abroad is that it delays graduation. However, this is not the case. McLemore said if students plan their trip during their first year of college, they should not fall behind. Before selecting a program, students should meet with their academic advisers to find the right academic fit or complete satisfaction of degree requirements.
Spanish senior and study abroad student Shannon Roberts used the International Student Exchange Programs when she traveled to Spain. She said she “had a wide option of schools, making it easy for me to imagine my destination during the application process.”
During her first months in Spain, she spent her time with a host family and then later moved into an apartment with Spanish students. Roberts said the experience was definitely a culture shock from being American because of the slow pace of the Spanish culture. However, she said, “It was the experience of a lifetime.”’
Read “Studying abroad is the experience of a lifetime.”
For those looking to study abroad, McLemore suggests taking full advantage of the opportunities studying abroad offers and to plan ahead.
“Take advantage. Don’t wait until you graduate or are about to graduate and then say, ‘You know, I wish I’d taken advantage of this,’” McLemore said. “So we really encourage students to plan ahead and seize the day.”
For more information on studying abroad, visit the ISC Education Abroad website.
