Study Abroad....

Hey, in case you haven't noticed, I'm kind of new around at these boards. So, I figured I would start up a topic to see what you guys thought about this matter...Anyway...

Has anyone else studied abroad? If so, where did you go, how long were you there, what were you studying, etc., etc.?

Well, for me, going to Japan has always been a dream. When one of my friends told me that he was going to study abroad in Paris (focusing on International Business), I was kind of inspired to look into different programs at my university to see what was available. Initially thought my university, i went on a two week program to my schools sister city in Japan. That experience was so great, that it solidified my desire to want to actually spend at the very least a semester overseas in Japan.

So, in the Spring of 2007, I headed to Saitama University (about 30 minutes away from Tokyo) in Japan for what would be my final semester for my undergraduate degree. Since my Japanese wasn't really that great, I was put into an intensive language program and also took some classes that were available in English. Anyway, the experience I had was phenomenal, maybe even life changing. It was my first time actually living on campus (previously, I went to a community college in my city, and then commuted to university), and that whole aspect was just great. Getting to meet people from different countries, as well as hanging out with other Japanese students was just a complete blast. I learned alot about myself and also realized a lifelong dream that I had. It was just fulfilling.

So, if any of you guys are thinking about studying abroad through a program at school, I would highly recommend it. It's a wonderful experience and it helps give you a better world view. And in terms of price, believe it or not, for me, the price was nearly exactly the same as it would have been for me to live on campus and go to school. I payed tuition directly to my university back home. The only real extra I had to pay for was my plane ticket. Anywwho, if any of you guys are even considering studying abroad, I would say go for it.

My major was history, and mainly American history at that (my university started getting a better East Asia program as soon as I was pretty much finished!), and my studying abroad had absolutely nothing to do with my major whatsoever. As a matter of face, in my case, I didn't even need the credits! Ha!

Definitely look at your new school and see if they have any kind of study abroad programs. If they have anything, obviously, then the next thing to do is to make a decision about where (of your choices) that you want to go. Of course, take pricing and that into account. In regards to keeping on track with your major, studying abroad doesn't have to be a year long thing. You can also do it for a semester. That way, you could possibly get some elective classes out of the way before you graduate and be in a cool place while you're doing it.

But yeah...Check into your programs first. And again, I would bet that even though you have a specific area of study, there is a need for some elective classes. I'm tell you, studying is a really great experience. It was probably one of the best experiences I've had in my life. For real!

Ishida said:

I want to, but probably cannot afford it. I want to go to Japan actually, it'd be wonderful for me even though I'm heavily introverted and probably will not make friends.

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You know what? I thought i couldn't afford it, either. Check your school and see if they have any study abroad programs. It's possible that you could be lucky like I was. It cost me the same price as it did if I were to go live on campus at my university. The only difference cost-wise I had to pay for was a plane ticket. That's not bad at all.