Following are some more tweets by another student "studying" abroad (based off Twitter profile a young, white, female who is studying fashion in Milan):
"Boring class with a teacher I can't understand. Best combo"
"I love study abroad!! #notreallife"
"Slept thru my 1st day of fashion class at 4 pm this will be a good semester"
"Blacked out the first night in Milan and rode the struggle bus thru a 5 hour Italian class and totally acceptable!!" (I'm assuming this has to do with consuming a tad bit of vino or related substance)
Do I think this student is learning and getting something out of her experience? Yes, a little probably.
Do I think she is "studying"? No.
Your thoughts?
While I think you can get so much more out of study abroad beyond just "studying," how awesome is it to be studying fashion in Milan while learning to speak Italian!
ReplyDeleteI think that the fact that students often study abroad in a place where they are at the legal drinking age for the first time in their lives can take something away from the experience they could have had.
After reading all the exciting posts from students studying abroad, and the idea of citizen amabaradorship, emerging yourself in another cutlture and educational system, I am saddened to see waisted opportunity. "Boring class and cannot understand the teacher, best combo" are you kidding me. Why didn't you learn the language before studying abroad? These responses are discouraging to say the least and a wasted opportunity, so I hope you have sweet dreams, after sleeping through your first class, as you probably will sleep through the rest of your life. Very disappointing!
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't necessarily think that it's okay to be blacking out in a foreign country where alcohol (assuming it was some vino) is treated differently than in the US, I do think that this person is more the rule than the exception.
ReplyDeleteWhen students jet off on their study abroad semester, they're going to be studying more than fashion or business or politics. They're going to get an education in culture and in life as well. Thus, I think the term "study" is absolutely still applicable.
I think the student in Milan is actually learning something, but maybe she is utilizing an inappropriate choice of words on her posts. Compare this to college here in the U.S., students partake in some form of partying over the course of their college career and most learn something or other that will benefit them in the future. Milan is just an extreme example of a student learning something new, but is magnified due to the glamorization of actually getting to study abroad.
ReplyDeleteJacob:
ReplyDeleteI think you make an excellent point in that her choice of words and the examples identified does a disservice to the study abroad experience. I know that as a young college student, the social aspects of attending Chico State included a few naps and a few beers but did not define the whole of my experience, just minor detours.
I wonder how those who are getting ready to go and study abroad or thinking about studying abroad would view this post and have any influence in their decision making process. What do you think?
I'm just joing this blog and may be somewhat in the dark about some of the conversation, however I believe I get the overall picture. I wonder what was this student's expectations before making her study abroad journey. Was she properly prepared? If not, I would think having open and frank dialogue with people who have had this opportunity would have made her experience better.
ReplyDeleteJeff:
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I believe the actions of the young lady in Milan would bear no influence as to others studying abroad. It might actually help to bring more young people on board to study abroad because of the enticement of something more than just studying, more like that there is a social life to be had. On the other hand, parents who might have to pay tuition for this experience might think otherwise.
My experience in working with students that choose to study abroad indicates that they are indeed looking for a cultural experience, but they do hope to bring back academic educational value as well. If that educational value is not gained then the experience would be low on the list of priorities to seek. So this students comments might be a deterrent for the students I work with. Now I will admit that I worked with students that have an intense engineering and business focus and many are paying for their own ride or dependent on academic scholarships to finance their education. This may have an influence on their attitude.
ReplyDeleteMore of a concern for me is how this student's behavior will be perceived by the locals in the community and how that will translate into their impressions of the United States. If this student wants to spend her time in Italy blacking out and sleeping through classes that's her problem. She's not a very good Citizen Diplomat and that is a big concern for me when we send such students abroad.
ReplyDeleteThanks to all for the comments! I always like to see such discussions in our field!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your concern as well David. Students need to understand the impression about people of the United States they are leaving. For the people in the countries our students travel to, that have never been to the US, the assumption may be that we all behave that we. I remember speaking with foreign travelers during a visit to Las Vegas. They assumed that all Americans behaved and lived the way people do in Vegas. When we travel we have accountable and responsible citizens.
ReplyDeletey experience in working with students that choose to study abroad indicates that they are indeed looking for a cultural experience, but they do hope to bring back academic educational value as well. If that educational value is not gained then the experience would be low on the list of priorities to seek.I believe the actions of the young lady in Milan would bear no influence as to others studying abroad. It might actually help to bring more young people on board to study abroad because of the enticement of something more than just studying,
ReplyDeleteMore of a concern for me is how this student's behavior will be perceived by the locals in the community and how that will translate into their impressions of the United States. If this student wants to spend her time in Italy blacking out and sleeping through classes that's her problem.
ReplyDeleteI have a question for the users of this blog. As a career services officer I often receive inquiries and emails about international internship opportunities for students. I wonder if anyone has had this same experience. How do you screen these opportunities to decide which are legitimate and which are not. I want to provide information and access to our student body about diverse experiences, however I feel I have the responsibility to make sure what I am sharing is legitimate.
ReplyDelete