Studying abroad? (how much, high school, universities)

[acutezza]

Hey everyone,

I'm currently a freshman in college, and although I'm not planning on studying abroad till spring of sophomore year at the very least, I've started looking into my options. I've been trying to study abroad since the beginning of high school, but parents and funding haven't allowed that till now. I want to be as prepared as I can, too, and I am currently only fluent in English and competent in French. I've started studying Spanish and Japanese (also Gaelic, but that's not really necessary to go anywhere), and believe I can be competent in these by the time I study abroad. As such, I was looking mainly at France, Japan, and the UK.

However, I went to a study abroad fair at my college a few days ago and was worried that I was setting my sights too narrow and I'd end up being little more than a tourist for a semester. I really want something immersive, and also a college that won't insult my intelligence when I'm taking classes. It'd also be nice to see some scenery (not just run-down cities, or whatev), but I'm not really sure what sort of pickiness that's getting into...

I haven't been overseas... well... ever, and besides being to Canada several times as a toddler, haven't gone outside the U.S. What countries do you recommend looking into, or better yet, specific colleges? (I've heard that universities in Canada are much more equal in quality than the U.S.; is this true in most countries outside the U.S., or is the difference in quality of schools in the U.S. pretty typical of school systems elsewhere?)

Thanks for any advice you might have!

P.S. I really don't consider language a barrier, I'm pretty competent at learning things quickly if necessary. Or, I can take immersion courses there.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Hopefully someone out there in the world will jump in and offer opinions of schools. One impression I get is that universities in Europe do not hold a student's hand the way they do in the States. I don't know about Canada.

I think it's true that different programs can offer very different experiences.
Have you looked at your college's catalog of study abroad programs? You need to think about affordability, too.
Unsurprisingly, the best ones are usually the most expensive. However, developing a relationship with your guidance counselor as well as a trusted professor (my older kid's French prof really helped him find his niche) can help you figure out the right program for you.

[acutezza]

Well, I don't know how much I'll be paying for living, but the college I attend is paying for my tuition, so that's not a concern. They have programs in Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, The Gambia, Germany, Greece, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, England, and Northern Ireland.

[minibrings]

Well the Aussie dollar in the past 7 weeks went from almost par (.98) to the USD down to about .80. so Oz is a bargain, NZ even more so. I'd go with a Group of 8 Uni (Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, UNSW, Monash, Sydney, Queensland, ANU). In NZ, Auckland, Waikato, Victoria, Canterbury and Otago are good.

Going to school abroad really is a personal decision. What is your goal? to perfect your French.. duh, go to France or Quebec. Live somewhere different.. Aus and NZ can do that for you. And just like the US within eachc country some schools are stronger in certain programmes than others. For example, Melbourne and Sydney wil have a stronger programme than Australia National (ANU). For public policy, international relations, ANU is excellent.

Probably best bet would be to talk to a guidance counselor at your Uni in the US

[acutezza]

Yeah, I'm looking mostly for an interesting experience because I feel I'll have other times to perfect my French. I guess I want something that feels authentic and not like a six-month tourist (one reason I've reconsidered London... I've heard that it's quite atypical of most of the U.K./England).

I guess it would also helped if I said my major... I'm currently attempting to double major in Environmental Science and English.