Lehigh Valley Colleges and Universities: Study Abroad Opportunities

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As many colleges and universities allow students to petition to participate in study abroad programs with other schools, some of you may be interested in what local schools offer. This map contains links to study abroad pages and program listings of nine colleges and universities in the Lehigh Valley.

Lawmakers Push for Funding to Decrease Study Abroad Disparities

 A recent article in The Philadelphia Inquirer focused on racial disparities in regard to study abroad. According to the article, white students comprise 81 percent of students who study abroad but only 63 percent of enrolled college students. The article points to a few factors for this misrepresentation of American students abroad: lack of funds and fear of racism to name a few.

The article stated, “’Minority students don't need to seek out cross-cultural experiences by traveling to another country because in most cases — especially as students at majority white postsecondary institutions — they already interact across cultural differences every day,’ Salisbury and two co-authors wrote in a study to be published in March by Research in Higher Education.”

Congress implemented the Gillman Scholarship in 2001 to provide monetary resources to Pell Grant recipients to foster a community of study abroad. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is also proposing increased funds allocated to promoting study abroad. "Expanding study abroad should be a national priority," Durbin said. “The future of the country depends on globally literate citizens who are at ease in the world."

The president and lawmakers alike realize the importance of study abroad. Hopefully with increased funding and scholarship opportunities, more students will be able to afford the experience and contribute to being global citizens.

The Beginning: Lehigh's Study Abroad Process

Freshmen and sophomores at Lehigh, this post is for you! Below is a list of steps to take to start planning your study abroad trip. Some of you may be thinking it’s too early to start thinking about this. It’s not!

1.       Attend a Get Started Session. These sessions at held every day at 4 p.m. in Lamberton Hall. This session is required for all students before scheduling a private appointment. In these information sessions, study abroad counselors give basic information about how to apply, eligibility and financial aid. They gave out information on the programs offered at Lehigh to help students better understand their options.

2.       Once you have solidified your desire and eligibility to travel abroad, meet with your major or general advisor to ensure that study abroad fits into your planned coursework for your remaining semesters at Lehigh.

3.       After you attend a session and have spent sufficient time soul searching, you can schedule an appointment with an advisor. This is for you to discuss your individual plans and goals. The specific application process and details of the trip are explored in this meeting.

The deadline to apply for Summer 2011 and Fall 2011 is Wednesday, March 2. Directions to reach the online application are provided by the Lehigh University Study Abroad Office website.

Virtually Traveling Abroad

Sunday. The most productive day of the week. Usually I exile myself to the library for hours to get lots of reading and studying done. Today post dinner I decided it was too cold to venture outside again, so I stayed in my room and told myself I would get work done. Good joke, right?

The night is pretty much over, and the most productive thing I’ve done is participate in a #JRLWeb Twitter chat with students from other universities. The rest of my night was spent on Facebook, stalking my friends who are studying abroad and posting albums upon albums of exciting pictures. I saw Australia, Scotland, London and Spain (again!). When viewing the Spain pictures, I was so excited to see things and places that I actually recognized from my own experiences.

Here’s some advice: Take lots of pictures abroad. Document your adventures so you always have a way to remember them. Don’t forget to give your camera to other people so you can be seen in some of your pictures, too! Another reason to post pictures – the jealous people at home (like me) want to live vicariously through you!

Survey to Evaluate and Improve Lehigh Study Abroad

Today I received an e-mail from Lehigh’s Study Abroad Office inviting me to participate in a survey. The survey, Assessing Students’ Motivations, Learning Outcomes, and Readjustment Home After Going Abroad, is intended to evaluate students’ international travel history, motivations for participating in short courses abroad, self reported perceptions of global competence and how students describe the short courses.

As more and more students are electing to study abroad, the survey aims to understand how programs can be implemented and improved to enhance experiences abroad. As exhibited by Lehigh’s implementation of the Global Studies major, Lehigh is committed to creating students who are global citizens – students who are able to adapt to and appreciate different cultures. The world continues to get smaller as nations become more connected, making global skills a necessity.

By investing time and money into research, Lehigh is taking great initiative to increase the popularity and effectiveness of study abroad. I think the best way to do this is to listen to what students appreciated during their experiences and to what prospective study abroad students want. This survey tackles the first parameter. Something that Lehigh could consider for the future is conducting a study abroad survey for incoming freshman. At such a research-orientated institution it seems only fitting that the university would utilize all its resources, especially the student body.

U.K. Students Study Abroad to Escape Debt

Despite previous protests in London, it seems that tuition rates will increase. Imperial College London became the second English university to confirm that it wants to charge the maximum level of tuition, 9,000 pounds starting in 2012.

This dramatic increase is causing quite concern and controversy. To gain some perspective, I converted 9,000 pounds to U.S. dollars. This came out to be $14,483.74! Yes, this is a lot of money, but compared to my education of some $50,000 per year, this is still preferable!

BBC News implied that with this tuition hike, more students will consider studying abroad for their entire college experience. The video story follows a few British students studying in Maastricht. These students feel much less pressure and hope to graduate debt-free.

This is an interesting prospect for American students: save money by studying in a foreign country for four years. The only problem I see is that college counselors and admissions officers in the U.S. always place such emphasis on geographic location. Ideally you should pick a school close to where you plan on living post education. This helps with networking and overall ease of transition. If you’re brave, why not consider going abroad to escape the ridiculously high tuition prices here? Apparently London will have plenty of vacancies…

Care Packages Keep Students Connected

         HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Today is a day for many to celebrate romantic love. For me today is a day to remind family and friends that I love them. Simple calls and cards suffice, but I’m not going to lie…I love getting packages. Today I got three: a box filled to the brim with candy from my aunt, Hope’s Cookies (seriously the best cookies ever) from my parents and flowers delivered in a Dunkin Donuts box during class from a boy. Even though I am only an hour away from home, sometimes I still get homesick, and it is always nice to receive little gestures that remind me who loves me.

Every semester a few of my sorority sisters study abroad. Each semester, as a house, we mail them care packages. We include personal notes, candy, school newspapers and pictures to help them feel connected. One of my sorority sisters, Ellen, studied in Seville all fall semester. While there she received two packages: one for Alpha Gamma Delta and one from her parents. She said the packages made her happy because there were days when she missed home and American products. “Everyone would be jealous when someone got a package,” she said. As happy as the packages made the students, she also remembered that they made them a little sad because they reinforced that home was so far away. Another girl, Steph, loved getting a little piece of home when she received packages. She said, "My favorite thing in the care package was a giant jar of peanut butter. My sisters knew I couldn't get it in Denmark but was obsessed with it in America."

So today (or this week) reach out to friends studying abroad and remind them that you love and miss them. If you are feeling ambitious, send letters or a package with some of their favorite things. These simple reminders will help them feel closer to home and loved while overseas.

Marketable Skills

Thursday the Lehigh University Study Abroad Office hosted an information session titled Study Abroad: Translating your Study Abroad Experiences into Marketable Skills. The goal of the information session was to learn to incorporate newly learned knowledge and skills on a resume, cover letter and in an interview. Many students forget to include their study abroad experience on their resume, or if they do include it, they fail to explain its significance.

Main selling points include: increasing independence, experiencing cultural diversity, taking risks and overcoming obstacles. Obviously each student had or will have a different abroad experience, but taking time to reflect on those experiences will lead to insight into growth and learning occurrences.

From my personal experience, the trip was much more than traveling or attending classes. It was about being assertive and learning to be calm and comfortable in stressful situations. Learning takes place everywhere – not just the classroom.

A few of my friends and me in front of the Center for Cross-Cultural Study,
the university where we held classes.

What is important for you to remember is that the experience of studying abroad must be translated into skills that will differentiate you from other job candidates. Really talk up real-world skills that you acquired while abroad. On my resume, I wrote:

Study abroad student, Spain, winter 2011
                 ◦ Increased independence by navigating a foreign country and overcoming language barriers.

This fragment can be expanded upon in a cover letter or interview. Including anecdotes or specific examples of ways you did these things is extremely useful because it shows that you are articulate and credible.

Study Abroad to the U.S.

According to Vistawide, around 36 percent of U.S. students who study abroad go during junior year of college. In our country study abroad is almost trademarked as a necessary college experience. Once our parents have gotten used to living without us and trusting our abilities to fend for ourselves, they seem to be ready to ship us off to foreign countries to experience the world. This is not the case in other countries. Many countries see study abroad as a way to learn English – the younger, the better.

A Korea Joongang Daily article reported that recently there has been a decline in study abroad participation among elementary, middle and high school students. Between the years of 2008 and 2009, Korea experienced a 33.7 percent decline in study abroad. The biggest decrease was in elementary school students. The reasons for the drop off may be the global financial situation or improved domestic English education.

As I read this article I was astounded by the huge decrease in study abroad, but mainly I was in shock that elementary school students could leave their families and survive in a foreign country with a language barrier. As a 21-year-old, I talk to my parents every day. Although I was only in Spain for two weeks, there were a few days that I experienced homesickness because I couldn’t make the expensive call home! If I struggled with this after living away from my parents for three years at college, how do kids who can barely cross the street by themselves do it?!

In high school I remember those ever-exciting two weeks when the German exchange students came to visit. You would walk in the hallway and not recognize someone and whisper to your friend: “Do you think that’s one?” I guess as a high schooler the experience would be a good pre-college trial of living away from home. I think the reason most U.S. students study abroad as juniors is because they are one year closer to graduating, and study abroad gives them an extra ounce on fun and freedom. Enjoy it!

Interview with Jena

Many students are starting to firm up their summer plans. Jena Viviano, a junior at Lehigh University, won a scholarship to study abroad in a country of her choice – what an exciting summer she has ahead of her!

Christine: What are your summer study abroad plans?
Jena: I plan to go to London or Italy. In London I would be interning in financial services with a company such as City Bank. If I were blessed to find something in Italy, I would go to Milan and intern in the fashion industry, behind the scenes of the industry.

Christine: Can you tell me a little bit about how you are doing this?
Jena: Sure. I was one of three juniors in the College of Business and Economics to win the Tauck Scholarship. It’s something you have to apply and interview for. It’s a rigorous process, but ultimately you get $10,000 to use to intern abroad in any business field.

Christine: How did you learn about this opportunity?
Jena: I got an e-mail inviting me to a luncheon to hear past participants speak about their experiences. The scholarship wasn’t on my radar before the e-mail.

Christine: So why do you want to go to London/Italy?
Jena: Well, London is known for its financial services industry. The work ethic and the companies are very similar to how it is in the U.S. A lot of the companies in New York are also in London. It would be much harder to work in a place where there was a language barrier. Then Italy is the Mecca of the fashion world. A lot of famous brands are in Milan, so my mentality is “Go big or go home.” Italy isn’t the best for financial services because of how different their laidback culture is, so I’m not sure it would be the best opportunity to learn about business as a whole.

Christine: What do you hope to learn or gain?
Jena: The whole experience will allow me to be more independent since I am going alone. I hope to gain a different way to look at business, a more global view. Every company needs to be global to be successful and having abroad experience will give me a competitive advantage in the job market. I want to learn about the culture and business specifically how they sustain economic stability and how they live day to day.

U.S. Study Abroad Students Evacuated in Egypt

Obviously I am a big proponent of study abroad and its exciting possibilities. Unfortunately for some American students, study abroad has turned into a scary and dangerous situation. After public uprisings against the government erupted last week in Egypt, many American students found their semester off to a rocky start. According to a New York Times article, about 500 U.S. students are studying abroad at the American University in Cairo. Most students have been evacuated out of Egypt, and the semester has been pushed back to February 13. U.S. officials will decide if the country is safe enough for students to return.

The violence of the demonstrations is a main concern of the universities. While it is a shame that these students can’t start their semester, it is more important that they are safe. I think this sends a comforting message to students abroad. Although you may feel hundreds and thousands miles away from home (because you are!), you are not alone. Short phone calls home, Skype sessions with friends and random package deliveries may keep you feeling connected to close family and friends stateside. The welfare, health and safety of abroad students are not forgotten by these close relations, universities or the country in general as demonstrated by the actions taken by the country to assist students in Egypt.

Unexpected Opportunities

Although my Spain program was only two weeks long, I decided to go because I thought that would be my best and only option. Upon returning to school, I was presented with an amazing opportunity. I had been nominated by a professor to apply for the Martindale Student Associates Program. This was quite an exciting prospect and an honor! This program enables students to travel to a foreign country to learn about an economic, business, cultural, domestic or international issue first-hand. After intensive research, the twelve students return to the U.S. and write a journal article about their topic to be published in the program’s journal. This year the program is focusing on Greece!

Only 12 students are selected to participate in this program. Upon applying I knew I had stiff competition, but I figured why not try? Sadly I was not one of the 24 students asked to further discuss my interest in an interview. While this is disappointing, it’s not the end of the world.

It just goes to show you that unexpected opportunities are always around the corner. Keep your eyes and ears open for chances to study abroad and expand your horizons. Some opportunities may fall into your lap. Others might pass you by if you aren’t proactive in pursing them.

What I Learned

My study abroad trip was an eye-opening experience. Not only did I learn about the history and culture of Spain, but I also discovered things about myself. Here are the top three things that I took away from my trip:

1.       I am capable of traveling and living independently. Studying abroad in Spain was the first time I had traveled out of the country without my parents. It was also the first time that I did not talk to them every day. It was weird to be completely disconnected from my family. I am lucky that my parents had previously taken me to Europe, so I was comfortable reading guide books and navigating the metro. When traveling with my parents, I usually just follow the lead of my parents and expect them to figure everything out. On this trip I had to figure out a lot for myself. While this was intimidating, it taught me to be more assertive and independent.

2.       Years of studying Spanish actually taught me something. After the initial culture shock, I was able to understand and speak Spanish. This was so rewarding because it showed me that the time I put into learning Spanish in high school actually paid off.

3.       The busy American way of life is not the only way of life. The relaxed lifestyle of Europeans is very different from our way of life. A simple example: In America coffee is an on-the-go drink to boost our energy to get us through our busy days. In Europe coffee is a chance to sit down for an hour and chat. This laid-back lifestyle is very different from ours, but it is probably a much healthier way to live.