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Study Abroad Newsletter - November 2007
In this issue:
- Upcoming Events
- Application Deadlines and Scholarships
- Choosing a Study Abroad Program
- Preparing to Study Abroad
- Featured Study Abroad Location of the Month
1) Upcoming Events
See http://www.muohio.edu/international/events.php for more information on these events.
- November 3 – Passport Fair – Oxford Post Office (5145 Brown Road), 10am-2pm. The Oxford Post Office is served by the Blue and Green Miami Metro lines.
- November 12 – “Short Term Alternatives” workshop – Office of Career Services, 5-6pm Hoyt Hall. Information on not-for-credit short-term jobs, including international work and teaching opportunities.
- November 14 - Human Rights and Social Justice Fair - 10am-4pm, Shriver Center Multipurpose Room. Office of International Education will have a table at the fair with information on study abroad programs focusing on human rights/social justice.
- November 14 - Political Science Study Abroad Information Session - 5pm-7pm, 204 Harrison. Come and learn about study abroad options for Political Science, International Relations and Diplomacy/Foreign Affairs majors. Study Abroad Advisers, Political Science Adviser and returned students will be on hand to present information and answer questions. Refreshments will be available!
- December 3 – Study Abroad Orientation Session (for students going abroad in spring 2008 ONLY). – 212 MacMillan Hall, 4-5:30pm
2) Application Deadlines and Scholarships
This list includes extended deadlines from our partner providers, but not their original deadlines. If you are interested in applying to a particular program for spring 2008, check the website or contact the provider to see if they’re still accepting applications!
- November 1: Extended deadline for some spring 2008 IFSA-Butler programs - Argentine Universities Program, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Universidad de Costa Rica, Universidad Nacional, Lancaster University, SOAS, University of East Anglia, University of Essex, University of Nottingham, University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh Parliamentary Internship, University of Stirling.
- November 1: Extended deadline for some spring 2008 CIEE programs - Stellenbosch, South Africa; Santiago, Dominican Republic; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Barcelona, Spain.
- November 1: Extended deadline for some spring 2008 SIT programs - Indonesia, Jamaica, Mongolia, Samoa and Vietnam.
- November 5: Deadline for Student Teaching Abroad, spring 2009. Contact Ellen Hill, Director for Student Teaching & Field Experience, for more information.
- November 15: Extended deadline for some spring 2008 IFSA-Butler programs - Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Massey University, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
- November 15: Extended deadline for some spring 2008 IES programs - Buenos Aires, Argentina (Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced only); Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, Australia; Vienna, Austria; Santiago, Chile; Beijing, China; Quito, Ecuador (Area Studies & Language Program only); London, England (Study London program only); European Union program (US/EU passport holders only); Nantes and Paris, France; Berlin and Freiburg, Germany; Dublin, Ireland (Irish General Studies program only); Tokyo, Japan; Auckland and Christchurch, New Zealand
- November 15: Extended deadline for some spring 2008 Alliance for Global Education programs in China
- November 16: Extended deadline for the 2007 Human Rights and Social Justice Writing Contest
- November 30: Extended deadline for some spring 2008 AustraLearn programs - Application deadlines for programs in Australia (except University of Melbourne and Monash University) have been extended to November 30. Melbourne, Monash and New Zealand programs retain original November 15 deadline.
- November 30: Extended deadline for some spring 2008 IFSA-Butler programs - Griffith University, James Cook University, Southern Cross University, University of Adelaide, University of Sydney, University of Western Australia, University of Auckland. Other Australian universities may be added to this list later - click the link for more information.
- December 7 – Deadline to apply for MUDEC summer program
- December 15: Extended deadline for some spring 2008 IFSA-Butler programs - University of Technology, Sydney.
- January 25: Deadline to apply for Study Abroad Credit Workshop Scholarships for summer 2008.
3) Choosing a Study Abroad Program
You may already be planning to study abroad, but haven't yet chosen where you'll study. Here are some criteria to use when selecting a study abroad program:
- Courses offered: Make sure that you're selecting a program that will enhance your studies here at Miami and will offer you the courses you need to graduate on time. Make sure that Miami can accept transfer credit from your program, too! You may choose to work toward the requirements for your major, Miami Plan or thematic sequence while studying abroad. Make sure you've thought this out before selecting a program!
- Host city/country: How much do you know about the culture and history of the places you're considering? You should have at least a basic understanding of these things before you leave, but it may also help you decide between the different locations you're thinking about. You can do some basic research online or by consulting travel/culture guidebooks (such as Culture Shock, Lonely Planet or Let's Go). You can also think about whether you'd rather be in a large capital city or a smaller one, and whether you'd rather be in an out-of-the-way location where you won't meet as many Americans or in one of the cities where study abroad students flock.
- Immersion experience: Immersion experiences range greatly on study abroad programs. Would you like to be in a situation where you are completely immersed in another culture (and/or another language), or would you rather be in a study center where you take your classes with other American students?
- Cost: When considering the cost of a study abroad program, there are many things to take into consideration. How does it compare to the cost of a semester at Miami? How does it compare to other study abroad programs? Do your Miami scholarships or federal aid apply? Are additional scholarships available?
- Living situation: Some programs offer host family stays (which are especially helpful for practicing the local language), while others offer housing in residence halls or apartments. If you have a particular living situation in mind, that may make a difference. Consult with the study abroad provider or their website to find out what housing situations they offer for their students.
- Opportunities for extracurricular activities: There are many opportunities to learn things outside of the classroom. Some study abroad programs offer internships or volunteer opportunities. Some may offer better access than others to sports facilities. If you're interested in traveling around your host country or to neighboring countries, access to public transportation may be something to consider.
Remember that stepping outside your comfort zone and challenging yourself to try new experiences are important parts of studying abroad. Sometimes things that seem scary or difficult at first are the experiences from which you learn the most. Try something new and different! We don’t expect you to meet all of these criteria, but here are some things that could make a study abroad program more challenging and rewarding:
- 3.00 GPA or higher for admission to the study program
- Semester-length or longer study program
- Program located outside Western Europe
- Direct enrollment in a foreign university and taking classes with host country students
- Taking classes taught in a foreign language rather than in English
- Studying a foreign language in class at least 10 hours (semi-intensively) a week
- A majority of other students in classes are not Americans
- Living in a host country family or with host country roommate in a dormitory or apartment
- Taking at least one upper division course in your major degree program
- Taking area studies courses for the world region in which you are studying
- Being immersed in the culture through volunteer or student activities or a professional internship
- Undertaking an independent study or research project about the host country or region
Please remember that speaking to a study abroad adviser is the best way to get started on choosing a program! There are a lot of options out there, but we can help you sort through them and find a program that will challenge you to learn and grow.
4) Preparing to Study Abroad
Are you studying abroad in Spring 2008? Have you turned in your Transfer Credit Approval Form and your Study Abroad Declaration Form? Do you need to complete a Consortium Agreement for the Office of Student Financial Assistance? For more information on the procedures to study abroad, please set up an appointment with a study abroad advisor and consult http://www.muohio.edu/international/applying.php to find out if you're missing anything. We can only invite you to our Orientation Session in December (http://muohio.facebook.com/event.php?eid=2418093001) if we've received a Study Abroad Declaration Form, so please get those in as early as you can!
5) Featured Study Abroad Location of the Month
Iguazu Falls
by Kyle Lochridge
"I chose Latin America because I wanted to learn how to speak Spanish outside a Miami classroom and immerse myself in a different culture. In my research, I found that Argentina was much more than just a Spanish-speaking, soccer-obsessed country with good beef and tango, it was everything I wanted in a substitute for Oxford. Although I studied in the wild city of Buenos Aires, I also got the chance to travel through the rainforests of Iguazú, ski the Andes in San Carlos de Bariloche and white-water raft in the wine country of Mendoza. Without a doubt, the six months I spent in South America with my amazing host family were my favorite six months in college and I think all students should take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad."
- Dave Schieferstein (Finance), studied in Buenos Aires, Argentina through CEA
Argentina offers great opportunities to work on your Spanish (beginning to advanced) while studying a variety of different subjects, including Business, History, Political Science, Studio Arts, Human Rights, Music and Anthropology among many others. Most programs are based in Buenos Aires, a cosmopolitan city that combines Latin American and European cultures. While the universities are in this urban setting, you also have the opportunity to travel and explore the mountains, vineyards and smaller towns of Argentina and to travel to other South American countries during your vacations.
This monthly newsletter is brought to you by the Office of International Education. Please remember: if you wish to subscribe, unsubscribe or read this issue online instead of through email, you can do so at
http://www.muohio.edu/international/sa-newsletter.php
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