BEST PRACTICES FOR STUDY ABROAD
MAXIMIZING YOUR EXPERIENCEFacilitated by:
Lance Askildson, Ph.D.Assistant Provost for Internationalization
David Younger, M.A.Associate Director for International Programs
INTRODUCTIONS & CREDIBILITY Who we are…
Leaders, experts and scholars in intl studies What we know…
The cognitive and behavioral correlates for good vs bad study abroad experiences
Why you should care… We can help you help yourself to a much more
meaningful and impactful study abroad experience
SOME PRELIMINARY REFLECTIONSIn small groups of 4-6, answer the following questions:
1. What is the purpose of study abroad? Its expensive, relatively risky and involves considerable discomfort. So, why apply to go? What do you expect to get out of this experience?
2. What do you anticipate will be hard or challenging about your study abroad experience? Cite 2-3 examples.
3. What are your goals for your study abroad experience? What do you hope to accomplish/learn/achieve? Cite 2-3 examples.
4. How do you expect to achieve your goals for study abroad while avoiding the pitfalls that you anticipate? How will you accomplish this in your short time abroad? (Efficacy vs Efficiency)
WHY GO ABROAD? To learn outside of the classroom. It’s that
simple.
Keri Matwick, 2009 SLA Grant & ND Alumnus
BEST PRACTICES: 7 CORE STRATEGIES1. Articulate clear and feasible goals for yourself2. Make progress towards these goals before
departure3. Anticipate and prepare to navigate challenges and
surprises4. Stay away from people/s and things you know and
push yourself outside of your comfort zone5. Get out and do something new everyday that
helps advance your goals in a meaningful way6. Develop a mechanism by which to systematically
reflect on your learning every day/week7. Take time to unpack your experiences and apply
them to your life when you return to the US
1. ESTABLISHING GOALS FOR YOUR SA In order to maximize your outcomes for study abroad, you
need to set clear learning goals/outcomes for yourself now This will allow you to “hit the ground running” and not spend
your first weeks orienting yourself & creating a plan Think about your goals functionally: Both in breadth and
depth. What do you want to do vs. just know/understand? What sort of attitude(s) or disposition do you want to
cultivate? Know why you are studying abroad: What motivates you
intellectually and practically; should not be mutually exclusive What, specifically, do you hope to get out of this experience?
Write down your top 3 goals now. Be explicit. Take a moment to sketch out your goals now and compare them
with individuals near to you
2. MAKE PROGRESS ON GOALS NOW Start preparing for language/culture flood by
watching/reading TL media to gear up Research the country, region and city where you will be
living Make social networking connections with locals Identify key resources to advance your goals:
Museums / libraries / universities to visit Historical or cultural sites/events to visit Professors / leaders / students you wish to meet Businesses or professional contacts to make Political organizations to engage or observe Opera houses / music venues to attend Intramural sports clubs / student clubs to join Service organizations / churches to volunteer
Prepare a schedule of activities for your first 1-2 weeks in country now, using this research
3. PREPARE FOR CHALLENGES Understand and be prepared to navigate
culture shock and homesickness Talk to other returnees to make sure your
goals are realistic (# of friends) and adjust accordingly
Think through responses for safety, health and security threats now so you can avoid panic
Local challenges? Transportation? Climate? Cultural attitudes towards women/Americans?
4. STAY AWAY FROM WHAT YOU KNOW Avoid Americans and/or fellow ND students
outside of classtime – be creative Cultivate daily interactions with at least one
local outside of your school/university Push yourself to try new things (foods,
activities, social norms) within reason Limit social networking and communication
back home to reasonable levels Limit exposure to American
culture/media/lang Cultivate a greater tolerance for ambiguity in
order to allow yourself to take social-psycho risks (again, within reason)
5. DO SOMETHING NEW EACH DAY Simple but brilliant rule of thumb
Do something new every day Make a list of all the small and big things you
want to do and use it to get out of your local school/home environment every day
Make sure that these activities advance your goals in some discrete way – targeted activities
Great way of making measurable progress and addressing #4: Stay away from what you know
6. REFLECT ON YOUR PROGRESS If you don’t make time every day/week to
systematically reflect on what you have learned and where you are headed: You may lose/forget a lot of your insights/gains
Many of these insights will help you advance further You may not realize how much progress you are
making and may become unnecessarily discouraged
You may not realize that your current approach to SA is not working until it is too late
Keep a journal, set aside time once a day/week to sit in a coffee shop/bar/restaurant/sheesha lounge to cultivate some self-awareness on where you have been and where you are likely going…
7. THINK THROUGH YOUR REENTRY Don’t waste your experience by forgetting to
unpack your experiences when you return Reflect upon and apply what you have
learned for your future personal, academic and professional trajectories
Talk to people who can help you leverage and implicate your intl experiences in some way
Find ways to stay connected/practice your language or cultural gains, if you want to do so
Study abroad should be transformative and have some/enormous impact on your life… if done right
WHY USE MAXIMIZATION STRATEGIES? Because they make a significant difference:
Improving both efficacy and efficiency Because you have a limited timeframe in
which to achieve your goals Because they will help you to better cope with
study abroad immersion as a whole Because they are often simple and easily
applied once they have been raised to a level of awareness and practice
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Lance Askildson ([email protected]) David Younger ([email protected])