Study Abroad!—A behind the scenes look by Courtney L. Conner
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Transcript of Study Abroad!—A behind the scenes look by Courtney L. Conner
Presentation by Courtney Conner
STUDY ABROAD!—A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK
LYON, FRANCE (ARRONDISSEMENT 9)
IDRAC-LYON
MUST RECEIVE A FEDERAL PELL GRANT TO BE ELIGIBLE
Scholarships
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS FUND AWARD
• Washington & Jefferson College study abroad scholarship
• Funded by the donations of generous W & J alumni
• Amounts vary from $500-$4,000
• Eligibility:
• GPA of at least 2.5, full-time student, U.S. citizen
• Deadlines: March 15th (Fall) or October 15th (Spring)
THE RICHARD S. PETT ACADEMIC TRAVEL AWARD
• Washington & Jefferson College study abroad scholarship
• Funded in memory of Richard S. Pett by his wife and family
• Eligibility:
• Junior or senior majoring in a foreign language who desires to study abroad
BARBARA RANSOHOFF BURNETT PRIZE IN MUSIC
• Not study-abroad exclusive, awarded by the Washington & Jefferson College music department
• Awarded for excellence and leadership in the field of music, to inspire continuation of musical studies
• Aided in discovery and participation in “Le Marching Band de l’UPI” while abroad
OVERVIEW
• Preliminary steps to studying abroad
• The Process
• The Study Abroad
• Cultural immersion
• The Return
• The Integration of Your Experience
PRELIMINARY TO STUDYING ABROAD
• Be Proactive (think & plan ahead)
• Never too early to start
• Choose where to study based on what you like
THE PROCESS
• W & J administrative procedures
• Initial application
• Study abroad dinner and info. session
• Coordinate enrollment into abroad school
• Acceptance letter
• Credit/course transfers
OBTAINING A VISA FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
• Start the process right away—takes about 2 months to complete all of the steps
• Application through “Campus France”
• about 2-3 weeks alone for processing and approval
• Scheduling a consulate visit (has to be at least 3-4 weeks in advance)
• Region/district
• Be early and remain calm
• Have extra copies of all necessary documents
• Organized with labels and multiple pages stapled
• Follow ALL instructions VERY CAREFULLY
• Don’t forget to get a U.S. Passport if you don’t already have one!
WHAT IS CULTURE SHOCK?
Image courtesy of music.wordpress.com
• Learn about your environment in advance—will you be living with a roommate?
• Make contact and get to know them beforehand
• Always stay open-minded—there are a lot of differences when studying abroad
• Go out and explore—even if you don’ feel like it at first
• Make friends—isolating yourself in an attempt to “escape” will only make you feel worse
HOW TO LESSEN THE EFFECTS OF CULTURAL SHOCK
• Subjects are taught and graded objectively
• Scale from 1-20
• A lot less homework, but… a lot more classes too (10 on average)
• Emphasis on group work through projects, presentations and group analysis
• Majority of grade is based on one final exam at the end of the semester
• National Exams
SCHOOL IN FRANCE
PUBLIC SOCIAL NORMS
• Different in every society
• Things that Americans are not necessarily aware of
• The following behaviors are examples of undesirable American social norms in France:
• Talking loudly on the phone or on public transportation
• Wearing flip flops, sweatshirts or any sort of sports-wear in public
• Openly discussing wages or politics
• Common social references & slang
• Customary dinner etiquette
• Importance of fashion
• Significant desire to preserve traditions and heritage
• National holidays and what to expect in French business interactions
SOCIALLY-DESIRABLE SOCIAL NORMS (IN FR)
Image courtesy of www.barnesandnoble.com
The Study Abroad
Know your climate.
Know your area.
Make a bucket list.
CULTURAL IMMERSION
• “Be a chameleon”
• Higher understanding
• Experiencing rather than observing
• Expands worldview and life perspective
• Doesn’t happen immediately
• Avoid temptation to hang out only with other Americans or international students
• “Do as the French do”
• Rarely fails and certainly can’t hurt
THE RETURN
• Reverse culture shock
• Hard for others to understand what you’ve experienced
• Some will be very interested to hear about your trip and others will not
• Pictures are worth a thousand words
• Make a scrapbook or blog about your experience to share with others
• You may have changed more than you think—it takes a while to readjust to being home
• Numerous websites for parents about how to help and understand a child who has studied abroad
• Easier to see how what you have learned may appear in everyday life
• Finally readjusted to “life as usual,” but a new and better version
• Share what you learned
• Encourage others to study abroad
INTEGRATION OF YOUR NEW WORLDLY PERSPECTIVE
QUESTIONS?