globaled – Page 80

Is your family nervous about you going abroad? There are, of course, many reasons why your family is a little uneasy with you jet-setting around the world. First, they may have never been to the country or can even contemplate what life will be like in the country you’re going to. Second, they may have never studied abroad themselves and so the experience to them seems foreign. Third, they won’t be able to contact you as easy as they can here. Fourth, you’re just out of the nest and that in general makes them worried. For all of these reasons and the many others that come to mind, I’ve come up with great ways to combat the anxiety while you’re gone. My family felt the same way, so I know these work!

1) Keep your family in the loop at all times!

2) Give them all of your contact numbers, i.e. Office of International Education, Program phone/email, in-country contacts, host family’s phone/email, etc….

3) Show them the DU Study Abroad website—they can check out the family tab, read stories from other students who have studied in your country and stay plugged in throughout the process

4) Set-up regular times to chat with them, either over the phone, through email or on Skype—and stick to them!

5) Don’t feel afraid to assert yourself when you’re family is overwhelming you with issues back home—set a time that you will talk to them, tell them you love them and that you’ll talk soon

6) Keep a blog, so that your family can stay clued on to your life abroad.

7) Take tons of pictures and upload them to your blog, flicker, Facebook, or another website that they can see and get excited about.

8) If you make travel plans, try to let your family know, because they will probably be glued to the news making sure your country isn’t annihilated!

9) If something does end up happening in your country, even if you are nowhere near it or at all involved, send your family an email verifying your safety!

10) And….don’t forget to get them a little something before you leave!

Don’t forget…your family loves you and you love them!! Go enjoy every moment abroad!

Kelsey Guyette, OIE Peer Advisor

When I was checking out universities as a college senior, one of the main criterion that I was looking for were excellent study abroad opportunities. I had done a fair amount of travel as a child and teenager, and I knew that I wanted to branch out and explore more of the world through hands-on, cultural immersion experiences.

However, when it came time to decide where to go abroad, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the options available for me. At DU, there are over 150 partner programs to choose from in 58 countries, and an endless number of unaffiliated programs! I was suddenly facing the paradox of choice – loving the many opportunities available for me, yet also completely overwhelmed by the options. I jumped around quite a bit – looked at Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Northern Ireland, Botswana, and South Africa. I have a feeling that the study abroad coordinators were getting a little weary of seeing my name on their calendars!

I attended numerous advising sessions, both group and individual, but it was the time that I spent by myself, pouring over program websites, university course listings, and international news sources that ultimately helped me choose my program in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It ended up being the perfect program for me.

Studying abroad is a big choice, and just because your friend has found a great program for them, that doesn’t mean it’s the right program for you. So often people will determine where to go abroad based on the experience of a friend, family member, or close acquaintance, and though it may end up being a great fit, don’t be afraid to research for yourself! Take the time to read over program fliers, websites and course descriptions. The Office of International Education also has a great list of recent returnees that can talk with you about their experience, and though it is their experience, they can give you a little taste of the student life and culture for the area that you ultimately choose.

Also, read international news sources – there’s nothing worse than showing up in a country and realizing that you don’t know anything about their current events! Americans also don’t have the greatest reputation around the world in regards to their understanding of foreign policy and world events; read up on the area that you choose to go to so that you can have intelligent conversation with locals about their country. I purposely rented a bunch of movies on South Africa (Cry Freedom, Serafina, Tsotsi) and read Nelson Mandela’s biography in order to have a better understanding of the history of the country that I was soon going to call “home” for five months.

My research paid off – not only did I have an incredible experience, but when I had hard days during my time abroad I remained confident in my choice to be there because I knew that I had put in the proper time and effort to determine the right type of program for me. I had the opportunity to live with local students, intern at a children’s home, join the university’s “mountain club,” hike all over the Midlands and Drakensburg Mountains, explore other parts of South Africa and Lesotho, and make tons of friends through a local church. My study abroad experience was so incredible that it didn’t really end – I ended up going back to Pietermaritzburg the following summer to go on a mission trip to Zimbabwe with my South African church, which also gave me the opportunity to visit my friends both in South Africa and Zimbabwe. When I hopped on a plane to Pietermaritzburg for the first time, I never imagined that my life could have been impacted and changed so drastically, and in such positive ways. I honestly could not have asked for a better study abroad experience – for me. Take the time to research and find the best type of program for you!

Christina Hunter, DU Alum, Office of Internationalization Staff

Tag: globaled

Family Pressures? 10 ways to get your family excited about Study Abroad!

Before you go… do your research!