Study abroad is easy and a good way to increase one's grade point average! True or not true? Discuss...

I posted this question over on IHEC Blog's Facebook page a short time ago and there wasn't much discussion so I thought I would post here to see what people think.


I typically post a study abroad related tweet of the day on IHEC Blog's Facebook page and I find the most interesting and provocative tweets to come from the students themselves who are preparing to study abroad and those who are currently studying abroad or those who have recently returned from study abroad [there is some great qualitative data on study abroad out there on Twitter that is worth mining if you ask me!]   As the autumn semester/quarter comes to an end I have seen an uptick in tweets about grades and grade point averages and my interpretation of all of these tweets is that the students feel study abroad is easy and provides a boost to their grade point average (GPA).  Following are two such tweets that helped form my analysis:

"SERIOUSLY. Why do study abroad grades not count towards my GPA. 3 As and an A- sofar. 3.92 GPA. I would love that to count thanks. #fuckk"

"can't bring myself to study when i know i only need a 20% to pass the class #studyabroad #passfail"

If I were to poll my study abroad colleagues here in the U.S. about the academic rigors of study abroad programming I anticipate an overwhelming consensus that high academic standards and expectations are well established across the field and that the majority of programs are not a GPA boost.  


Conversely, if I were to poll current/recent study abroad students I anticipate an overwhelming consensus that #studyabroad is indeed a GPA boost.


What are your thoughts on this...and what's up with a course that requires 20% to pass?!?!?


For the record, study abroad was indeed a rather large GPA boost for me as I received some of the best grades in my college career while I "studied" in Valladolid, Spain.  I'm not saying I didn't learn anything when I studied abroad.  In fact, I learned more when I studied abroad than I did in any other semester during my college career...

Abroad101 and IEM Study Abroad Launch $10k China Scholarship Giveaway

Abroad101, the world’s first and largest website featuring study abroad program reviews, has partnered with IEM Study Abroad to offer its first scholarship contest. The “$10k China Giveaway,” which launches today, will grant three lucky students 10,000 dollars worth of scholarships to IEM’s China program in Shanghai, promoting the mission of President Obama and Hillary Clinton’s “100,000 Strong” initiative.

“Abroad101 is committed to helping as many students as possible study abroad by providing insider program reviews for students and universities alike,” says Michael Stone, President of Abroad101. “Given our mutual efforts to promote meaningful international experiences, we are thrilled to support ‘100,000 Strong’ by partnering with IEM to offer a scholarship to encourage more students to study in China.”

Launched in May 2010 by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the “100,000 Strong” initiative is, “a national effort designed to increase dramatically the number and diversify the composition of American students studying in China.”

In a recent statement, Hillary Clinton affirmed, “Today, more than ever, there is a global understanding that no major challenge can be resolved without the active engagement of both the United States and China. That is why President Obama has called upon the nation to build up a cadre of Americans knowledgeable about Chinese history, culture, and language.”

Grammy-award winning musician and producer will.i.am has also become a supporter of this initiative, confirming that, “In order to become responsible global citizens, young people need to experience the world around them. Kids from underserved communities rarely have the opportunity to study and travel abroad, and we want to change that.”

Michael Vu, VP of Programs at IEM Study Abroad, states, “IEM’s Study Abroad participants often refer to their time in China as among the most transformative events of their lives. Whether relaxing at Xing Wei College, touring China’s most historically diverse cities (such as Shanghai, Suzhou, Xi’an and Beijing) or interning in Shanghai with a cosmopolitan corporation, IEM Study Abroad students are deeply immersed in Chinese culture.”

Abroad101 is a popular destination for students to find the perfect study abroad program for their needs. Vu reaffirms that, “Prospective study abroad students already visit Abroad101 to locate exactly the kind of unique and exemplary programs that IEM Study Abroad works so hard to offer – programs that strike a happy balance between flexibility and structure, cultural immersion and cohort participation, adventure and comfort.”

Students can enter the “$10k China Giveaway” contest through October 17th at: http://www.studyabroad101.com/iem-china-giveaway

About Abroad101:

Abroad101 is a review website and online marketplace for the $40B International Education industry. Founded in 2007 by Tufts, Harvard, and MIT graduates, Abroad101’s mission is to promote global citizenship by fostering the most meaningful study abroad experience for all students through technology innovation in higher education. Abroad101 empowers universities with its free market-leading online evaluation tool and provides an advertising and student recruitment platform to global program providers. Abroad101 is a 2010 winner of the MassChallenge global startup competition. To learn more, visit http://www.studyabroad101.com.

About IEM’s China Program:

The IEM Study Abroad China Program presents a blend of East and West unique to the Study Abroad market. Students study at Xing Wei College, where they are able to survey and explore Chinese culture from the structural comfort of a familiar curriculum. At the same time, students participate in the outstanding IEM Peer Mentorship Program. This program intensively pairs each student with a Chinese counterpart who actively introduces that student to the finer points of Chinese culture. IEM Study Abroad has worked hard to ensure that the China experience is one filled with academic challenge, breathtaking excursions, a full schedule of fun activities and memories that will last a lifetime! To learn more, visit http://www.iemstudyabroad.com.