Do Your Homework Before a Semester Abroad

By Brooke Kosofsky Glassberg
September 7, 2006
0610_how_study
What to ask the advisor of the university program that--if all goes well--will change your life.

1. What's the program like?

Who your fellow students are and what courses you sign up for have a big impact on your experience. "Island" programs, like the NYU Center in Prague, are populated by Americans. If you enroll at a foreign school like the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, meanwhile, your classmates will primarily be locals. "When I was a master's student, I took a third of my classes at the University of Florence, which gave me the opportunity to meet Italian students and professors," says Adam Gagliardo, assistant director of Study Abroad Admissions at New York University. "It introduced me to a side of Italian culture that I never would have seen in an exclusively American school."

As for classes, students generally want to learn about the culture rather than simply fulfill a math requirement. To find out more about a particular program, ask for referrals of students who have recently participated. "With the advent of study-abroad blogs and message boards, it's easy to find out the attitude toward well-known programs," says Gagliardo. Also, U.S. News & World Report's study-abroad recommendations are available for free at usnews.com.

2. Where will I live?

The choices include rooming with other students in dorms and a homestay with a family; the second option exposes you to how life is really lived in a country, but can isolate you from other kids. Or you could find your own apartment, where you'll be more integrated into city life; on the other hand, that might mean headaches like utility bills and nosy landlords. In a program called Semester at Sea, sponsored most recently by the University of Virginia, students stay on a cruise ship that drops anchor at 10 or so locations around the world.

3. How much will I have to study?

Students enrolled directly in foreign universities often discover that grades aren't as inflated as at home. Conversely, if you're in a program run by an American university, chances are you won't have to bust your rear. "The professors abroad were more lax, and papers were graded a lot looser than in the States," says Jessica Horne, a recent University of Wisconsin graduate who went to Sydney with a Michigan State University program in 2004. In retrospect, Horne wishes she "had traveled more and worried less."

4. Will credits count toward my degree?

Even if your college doesn't run its own study-abroad programs, it likely has partnerships with other universities in which credits automatically transfer. If you're thinking of going outside your school and its partners, get the program and the courses you plan on taking approved first. "Participating in a program that can't be used for your degree becomes a very expensive vacation," says Susan Thompson, director of International Programs at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Many students save their electives so that they can sign up for whichever classes they like overseas. "I'd always planned to study abroad, so I was careful from freshman year in selecting classes that would apply toward my major," says Melanie LaVia, a Loyola College in Maryland graduate who studied in Florence with Syracuse University.

5. How much will it cost?

Studying abroad isn't necessarily more expensive than an average semester on a U.S. campus. But look closely for what's not covered in program fees: Some include meals, lodging, and even books, while others come à la carte. Also, consider the cost of living at your destination. "I knew Europe would be way more expensive than the States, but I didn't know I'd blow through my entire bank account," says Robin Monheit, a University of Maryland grad who spent a semester in London in 2002.

Your existing aid package may apply abroad, and it's smart to ask for assistance at your school's financial aid office. Also, scour iefa.org and fastweb.com for sources of financing.

6. Do I need a visa?

It depends on the destination and the length of your stay. Each program should spell out the country's visa regulations, but it's ultimately your responsibility to comply. Go to travel.state.gov to double-check what's needed for entrance where you plan to study.

7. Will I fit in?

How much of an effort do you plan to make? First, conduct some research. "Students don't ask enough about the customs of the country they'll be staying in," says NYU's Gagliardo. "They assume things in France or China will be the same as in America." He recommends seeing films and reading books about life in the locale. Still, no matter how much preparation you do, there will probably be an adjustment period. "The most important thing is not to close yourself off from your new reality, but to try to understand it," says Massimo Avuri, who teaches Italian at NYU's program in Florence. "Contact with the people and daily use of the language are of the highest importance."

8. How do I stay safe?

Use good sense, as you would at home: Be alert, dress modestly, stay in groups, and know where to go for help. "There's almost always a 24-hour emergency phone number," says Melanie Andrich, associate director of Rutgers University Study Abroad. "When students are hurt, it's often because they made themselves vulnerable. They get inebriated and walk alone at night, or they're not careful with their wallet or laptop." If you're leaving town to explore for the weekend, tell someone where you'll be. Make sure your health insurance covers you abroad; some programs include basic coverage. Every program should provide a list of English-speaking doctors and dentists, as well as nearby hospitals.

9. Do I have to be fluent in the language?

Not really. But when there, learn as much as you possibly can--you may never have an opportunity to immerse yourself again. "Studying shouldn't be excessive, but constant," says Avuri. "A language isn't learned in a day. Traveling and recreation will augment what's learned in school."

10. What should I pack?

As little as possible, in a bag that's easy to carry--if only because most airlines charge extra for bags over 50 pounds. "The best way to pack is to imagine two weeks of crazy weather and different events," says Rutgers's Andrich. "Bring clothes you can mix and match, layer, and clean easily." Leave expensive jewelry at home. There's no need to stock up on toiletries unless you're picky about brands; everything you'll need will be available. Comfortable walking shoes are a must, and two nice outfits is plenty. Fill your carry-on with vital medications, copies of your passport, and a list of emergency contacts, bank and health insurance info, and your flight itinerary. E-mail the list to yourself and to someone at home, too. And don't forget to bring an open mind.

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There's Something About Sydney: Waterloo

Waterloo's swift turn from light-industrial wasteland to buzzy arts district has happened so fast that the neighborhood isn't even listed in most guidebooks or on tourist maps. But it's only 20 minutes by taxi from the Central Business District (CBD), or a 15-minute walk south of Surry Hills. "This is the new hip bohemian area," says Beatrix Van Dissel, a salesclerk at Salvage, a six-month-old store stocking antiques and intriguing objets d'art, such as a 1920s Argentinian glass candy dispenser. A decade ago, however, Waterloo was nothing but warehouses and a few public-housing buildings. "There would've been no point to come before, unless you wanted to buy a washing machine or whatever," says Barry McDonald, whose Italian-style grocery Fratelli Fresh is an icon of Waterloo's growth spurt. After selling an online-grocery operation to a giant supermarket chain, Barry and his brother Jamie chose a Waterloo printing factory for their latest venture: "We just fell in love with the building," says Barry. Fratelli Fresh's first floor is a mix of blue-collar and upper-crust. While forklifts race around filling orders for Fratelli Fresh's main business--supplying restaurants with produce--women in Chanel shades and riding boots peruse the fruits and veggies. The potato selection alone--more than 10 kinds, including rare types like Coliban Chats, Dutch Cream, and Pink Eye--puts Whole Foods to shame. On the second floor, past stacks of capers and sardines, businessmen and members of the leisure class lunch at Sopra, a cheerful and extremely reasonable white-on-white trattoria with a blackboard menu of paninis, soups, and salads. The most recent addition to the Fratelli Fresh empire is Vicino, an unfinished room filled with pasta bowls and other Italian housewares. Waterloo's other hive of activity, an arts complex known as 2 Danks Street, is a repurposed Kodak factory. The brainchild of Sydney lawyer and philanthropist Leo Christie, 2 Danks Street is home to some of Sydney's best art galleries. "When I first saw the building it was derelict--a devastating hailstorm tore giant holes in the roof--but you could see the bones of it," says Christopher Hodges, whose Utopia Art Sydney was the first tenant. "It had a southern exposure, high ceilings, cement floors--it was perfect for galleries." Five years later, Hodges' gallery of monumental aboriginal paintings shares the building with a handful of respected spaces like Stella Downer Fine Art (contemporary Australian works) and Conny Dietzschold Gallery (an impressive international and local mix). "It's less conservative work than the galleries in neighborhoods like Paddington," explains Claire Taylor of the Dietzschold Gallery. "The giant spaces are better suited to people trying new things." The success of 2 Danks Street has lured more galleries to the area. Gallery Gondwana's vivid, almost psychedelic paintings fill a second-story loft across the street. The art crowd's canteen, the Danks Street Depot, is an airy room with an industrial-style cement floor. Chef-owner Jared Ingersoll serves seasonal, Mediterranean-influenced rustic dishes like crispy polenta cakes and spinach hash with poached eggs. Outside, the clamor of hammers and saws fills the air. It's the sound of gentrification, as more galleries and hundreds of apartments are under construction in the surrounding blocks. "When I started, the whole street was a tabula rasa, and you could park 200 cars on the block," says Hodges. "Now you can't find a space!" Food   Sopra 7 Danks St., 011-61/2-9699-3174, saffron risotto $12   Danks Street Depot 2 Danks St., 011-61/2-9698-2201, hash and eggs $11 Activities   Utopia Art Sydney 2 Danks St., 011-61/2- 9699-2900   Stella Downer Fine Art 2 Danks St., 011-61/2- 9319-1006   Conny Dietzschold Gallery 2 Danks St., 011-61/2- 9690-0215   Gallery Gondwana 7 Danks St., 011-61/2- 8399-3492 Shopping   Salvage 2 Danks St., 011-61/2- 9699-1005   Fratelli Fresh 7 Danks St., 011-61/2- 9699-3161   Vicino 7 Danks St., 011-61/2-9698-7166