Studying Abroad
Alvin talks about off campus studies.
Alvin talks about off campus studies.
In my opinion, the prospect of studying abroad is one of the most exciting things in college. Although four years will pass by very quickly at Carleton, I believe the opportunity of spending time abroad is too great to turn down. This week, I wanted to write about why studying abroad should be something that everyone should consider, some information about studying abroad at Carleton, and a little bit about my plans for studying off campus.
I think the most appealing aspect of studying abroad is simply the invaluable life experience that comes with it. For the majority of us, we have spent little (or no) time outside of the United States. Living in a foreign country gives a fantastic outlook into a new culture with new customs, activities, and scenery. Although off campus study programs can be extremely rigorous, many programs incorporate a sightseeing and cultural aspect along with academics. Students are typically able to travel not only around the country in which they are studying, but neighboring countries as well.
Many of us will likely find it difficult to be able to travel abroad for a long time, and doing so in our youth is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Studying abroad can also develop new perspectives on culture, language skills, and intellectual curiosity, leading to improved career opportunities as well as personal development.
Carleton offers programs that span most of the globe, and there are seemingly endless programs that are Carleton-approved that appear to go to practically anywhere on Earth. Studying abroad is extremely popular at Carleton, with 76% of the recently graduated Class of 2018 choosing to spend time abroad.
Whether or not you want to study something specific (Economics in Cambridge, Sustainable Energy Principles in India) or something more broad (such as visiting somewhere as an exchange student), you will be able to find a program that matches your preferred area of study and location here at Carleton.
Although the process of choosing a program may potentially seem slightly overwhelming, advisers are extremely friendly and help to make the process much easier. I don’t have a full grasp on how finances work with studying off campus, but my understanding is that your financial aid package carries over to the program of your choice (at least this is the case for all the programs I have considered). In addition, there are many scholarships that you can apply for and you can also directly apply for aid.
While studying abroad may seem very expensive, from what I’ve seen, colleges in the United States tend to be much more expensive than institutions abroad. This means that your financial aid package will go a long way in supporting you wherever you choose to go.
One thing that makes studying abroad slightly tricky at Carleton is that we operate on a trimester system, while most schools run on a semester system. While most Carleton programs are trimester-long programs, the vast majority of Carleton-approved programs run for a semester (meaning that if you wanted to study abroad for the spring semester, you would miss two terms at Carleton).
In a typical schedule, you would take 6 classes in two trimesters at Carleton, and either 4 or 5 classes in one semester, so choosing to do a spring semester program would put you slightly behind in credits (although AP credits can completely cover the lost credits). As a result, most students who want to study at a semester program go abroad in the fall. This way, you would receive more credits abroad than you would at Carleton for the fall term.
The most common time to go abroad is during junior year, and that is when I’m planning on studying off campus. The two programs I am considering (an exchange student at either the University of Hong Kong or the National University of Singapore) are both semester programs, but since I play soccer for Carleton and it is a fall sport, I have to go abroad in the spring. I realize that I’ve written a lot already, so I’ll stop it here. But I think that studying abroad is extremely important, so I’ll keep you updated with more information about off campus studies and my plans as the year goes by!
Alvin is a west coast kid at heart (coming from San Jose, California), but is excited to be in Minnesota. He plays for the soccer team here at Carleton and loves exercise. If he’s not on the soccer field, in the gym, or out on a bike ride during his free time, he can be found in one of the lounges playing Exploding Kittens, or in the music building playing piano. He is a potential economics major with an interest in computer science and mathematics. Meet the other bloggers!