How to do you make the most out of your study abroad experience? When you are new to the study abroad experience, you don’t have the hindsight to know how to make the most of your international opportunity. That is why it is so important to speak to ‘seasoned’ people who have studied abroad or professionals who have incorporated living abroad into their lives or professions. In today’s guest post, we learn that at the core of a healthy and fun study abroad experience is you attitude. There is an adage that says that life is 90% attitude. The same holds true for study abroad, it’s all about your attitude. This guest post is contributed by Kate Cunningham, who writes on the topics of online university rankings. Feel free to send your questions and comments to her email: cn.kate1@gmail.com.
Maximizing Your Study Abroad Experience: It’s All About Attitude
When I was an undergraduate, I studied abroad for a semester in Russia, a country that was as different from my where I attended university as I could possibly think of. While I tried my best to prepare myself for the trip, and even though I had traveled substantially overseas before, nothing was able to fully prepare me for the differences that I encountered. Looking back on the experience, however, I will say that it gave me a much better sense of how to effectively deal with the trials and travails that inevitably come with being in an unfamiliar place. The key to making the most of studying abroad is all contained in how you moderate your own attitude. Here are 4 tips to keep in mind on your first or next study abroad experience.
1. Never compare your home country with the visiting country.
Of course, it’s only natural to base your conceptions of a foreign country on what you’ve experienced before, whether it’s your home or another country you’ve visited. This instinctive mental exercise, however, will severely limit your enjoyment of the host country. I cannot count the times my American friends and I would say, “Isn’t this ridiculous? In America, this would never happen.” Try your best to forget your previous experiences in order to have a more pure, untainted sense of what the culture is really like.
2. Don’t attribute an unpleasant occurrence to the country’s culture.
Just as in your home country, when you study abroad, you’ll invariably run into a frustrating situation, made all the more frustrating by the fact that you are a foreigner. You may have encounters with a few rude people, and it’s typical to make the logical leap that your host country’s people are just “like that”. Nothing could be further from the truth. While of course, some social customs are different (for example, it’s less common for Russians to smile openly in public), rudeness is not a defined cultural trait in any country. Rudeness can be encountered anywhere, and if it happens more often in the country you’re visiting, it probably arises from a web of misconceptions or misunderstandings. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Having dreams of studying or traveling abroad is great. Doing something about it and taking action is what separates dreamers from doers. This week while you are focused on studying for final exams, make an effort to go and visit the international programs office. Your mission this week is to become BF with the international programs office.
It is important to make sure that you know them and they know you and your dreams for an international experience. Consider them as the gatekeepers of all international programs. One of the great things about college is that it lends itself to building great relationships with your classmates, professors, career counselors and the international programs office staff. Gary Hoover, founder of Hoovers.com, a business research company that provides information on U.S. and foreign companies and industries, once said “College is not only about learning, but also about building relationships for later in life”.
Below is a day-by-day breakdown of how to build a relationship and connect with the people that can make your international dreams come true. By spending 50 minutes this week (that’s less than an hour for the week), you will start the ball rolling for an international experience.
Day 1 – Find out where the international programs office is located (Time – 10 min) If you don’t know where the office is located, start by checking at the career service office.
Day 2 – Visit the international programs office (Time – 15 min) Now that you know where the office is located, stop in. The focus of today is to make introductions. Introduce yourself to everyone there, even introduce yourself to one of the directors. First impressions are key when going towards your dream.
Day 3 – Set up an appointment with an advisor at the international programs office (Time – 5 min) Visit the office again and set up an appointment to sit down with an advisor. Make sure to address everyone that you met the day before by his or her names. (By using everyone’s names, you establish a clear relationship with the people that can help you achieve your international dream. People tend to go above and beyond for those people that make an extra effort to be nice and polite.)
Day 4 – Visit the international programs office and research different study and exchange programs available (Time – 20 min) Focus on just going to the international programs office to learn. There are dozens of programs to choose from. Pick up flyers, pamphlets or anything that peaks your interest. Ask the people working there for their opinions as well. Many times the students that work in the international programs office are from different countries. They can provide you with a deeper perspective of what it is like to live and study abroad.
Following our Q&A with Erin Bream, a Fulbright Scholar from July 2005 – July 2006, we compiled a list of international scholarship and fellowship opportunities with their respective deadlines. This is just a short list of opportunities available for undergraduate, graduate and PhD students as well as current professionals. Included below you will find a brief synopsis of the program, what it entails, the duration of the program and the deadline for application. We have included programs whose deadlines have already past as a point of research reference for the following year. If you have any programs that think should be included, please include in the comments below and we will amend our list.
Boren Undergraduate Scholarship Application Deadline: February 10, 2010 Program Duration: From an academic semester to a full year
The Boren Undergraduate Scholarship program provides worldwide undergraduate students with a cultural and linguistic immersion in areas of the world that are deemed critical to the future of national security in the United States. The scholarships are awarded with the commitment of the applicant pursuing work in the federal government. The program allots $10,000 for a semester or $20,000 for a full year.
English Teaching Assistantships (ETA) offer American undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to teach English and foster cultural understanding of the United States in a foreign country. The host country designs the ETA program, therefore programs may vary by country. Opportunities are available in Africa, Asia, Easter Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, Western Europe and the Western Hemisphere. For specific countries involved in the program, pleaes click on the link. Round-trip airfare, a sustainable monthly stipend and limited health benefits are included in the scholarship. Allowances awarded are largely dependent on the cost of living in the host country.
Four awards are given to American undergraduate students to research the impact that music plays as a global force. Applicants may investigate music in the context of culture, learning, social-activism or any area that pertains to the power of music in a society. In addition to the Fulbright Scholarship application, the applicants must submit a Documentation and Outreach plan explaining how they will share and document their research throughout their year abroad. Round-trip airfare, a sustainable monthly stipend and limited health benefits are included in the scholarship. Allowances awarded are largely dependent on the cost of living in the host country.
The Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship provides additional financial aide for American students who are pursuing a study abroad program during the Summer and Fall semesters. The students must be majoring in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Math. The award allots up to $5,000 in financial aide with an average award of $3,000.
The Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affair Fellowship program is designed to fund outstanding graduate school applicants who are pursing a two-year master’s degree program in public policy, international affairs, public administration, or related academic fields such as business, economics, political science, sociology, or foreign languages. The purpose of the program is to provide financial assistant and foreign service mentorship for students who are committed to working in the State Department. Included in the award are tuition, room, board, and mandatory fees during the first and second year of graduate school. Each year’s award also includes reimbursement for books and for travel (one round trip per academic year, up to a set maximum amount).
The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship, established by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, encourages the world’s brightest talent to pursue their PhD degree programs in Hong Kong’s institutions. There is a monthly stipend of HK$20,000 (approximately US $2,600) and a travel allowance of HK$10,000 (approximately US$1,300) for conference and research related expenses per year for a period of three years.
Application Deadline: Past, Applications for 2011-2012 open in February 2010 Program Duration: Varies
Each year, the Traditional Fulbright Scholars Program, sends 800 faculty members and professional abroad. They are charged with the mission to lecture and conduct research in a variety of academic and professional disciplines. The program includes travel and living costs in-country for the grantee and their accompanying dependents.
Northwestern University junior, Asha Toulmin, gives insights to becoming the next 2009 Student Diplomat.
Have you been dreaming of becoming a student diplomat? Well now is your chance. The global education magazine for students, NAFSA: Association of International Educators and Abroad View, is hosting a video contest to crown the next 2009 Student Diplomat.
The Student Diplomat Contest is an annual contest that fosters global thought through study abroad and international experiences. Previous winners include 2008 Student Diplomat Katherine Lonsdorf, a 2009 graduate from Occidental College, and 2007 Student Diplomat Hammad Hammad, a senior at Georgetown University. This year the Student Diplomat contest utilizes video to capture these lifetime experiences through rich media. The contest is open to undergraduate students from across the country that are either currently studying abroad or have studied abroad since Spring 2005. Not sure what to talk about in particular? Students are encourage to draw upon their study abroad experience and understand how this has shaped their perspective as a global citizen, helped to foster peace or cross-cultural understanding. The videos should be no longer than three minutes.
Entries are due by 11:59 p.m. EDT, November 6, 2009. Expert panelist chosen from Abroad View Foundation and NAFSA: Association of International Educators will select the finalist videos. The videos will then be posted on November 17, 2009 to the Contest Site where everyone can vote on their favorite video. The winner and 2009 Student Diplomat will be crowned from a combination of winning the popular and panelist votes. The 2009 Student Diplomat will receive a $300 cash prize and the title of “2009 Student Diplomat”
Here are the important points to remember:
Be crowned the “2009 Student Diplomat” & win $300 cash by submitting a 1-3 minute video about your study abroad experience.
Make a video about how this experience has enriched your global perspective or how you made a positive impact on the local community abroad. *Quality, relevance to the theme, and creativity will be key evaluations.
Deadline for submissions is November 6, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Finalists will be posted on the Contest Site on November 17, 2009.
The winner will be chosen from the finalist by the panel of judges and the community.
***About NAFSA: Association of International Educators – With nearly 10,000 members, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to international education. Abroad View, the global magazine for students, seeks to foster global understanding and cultural awareness among study abroad students and international students.
College gives you the environment to accumulate the necessary tools and skills to be a successful working professional. An international internship simply adds to your toolbox. What is it though that makes an international internship so important? Obvious reasons like gaining work experience and building your resume, have been ingrained in our heads as appropriate justifications. Digging deeper however is a subtler and yet equally if not more fulfilling reward of interning abroad.
Having come back from my year long trip after college, I was sent this video by my boyfriend, as a reminder of why we decided to embark on our gap year. As I was brainstorming topics for this post, it dawned on me that interning and living abroad is not just about expanding your cultural and professional horizons. It is about discovering who you are in the process. The story, the images and the music of this video continue to inspire me every time I watch it. What I learned most in all my international experiences, be it when I was a high school student, a young professional or a gap year traveler, is that every country that I have lived or traveled to, are part of my journey of self discovery.
That is the essence of an international internship. Over the years I have spoken to many students and professionals who share international living and working experiences. The common theme is the awareness that they have developed about themselves. The advantage of living and working in another country is that it forces you to discover new things every day. Every day therefore becomes a journey. Buying milk is journey. Riding the bus to see your new friends is a journey. Asking for directions to where you live is a journey. By learning to think outside of your cultural and professional box, you are opening yourself to new beginnings. An international internship opens you to yourself.
*Disclaimer: Going Global does not directly endorse Louis Vuitton. This video is strictly for education purposes.
Choosing an international business degree with the hopes of landing an international career after graduation is no longer a surefire action plan for students. With the current economic climate, being proactive before graduating and doing an international business internship is the best course of action. The only drawback is that a majority of internships abroad fall out of the private sector. No to fear. Business students are armed with all the necessary tools to get a business internship abroad.
Here are some tools and tips to add to your search:
Photo by geishaboy500; creative commons license.
1. Identify large multi-national corporations that have their headquarters or subsidiaries abroad.
Find the companies that are best suited to build your work experience. Use resources like Wikipedia and Google to identify these corporations. Large names like, Sony, L’Oreal, Unilever, Shell, etc all have offices in multiple countries. Start by identifying those larger names and work through their website for internship possibilities.
2. Investigate opportunities with Consulate Offices abroad.
The Consulate Office functions just as any other business would with the exception that they are representing a country rather than any business in particular. Start by checking the State Department website. Depending on the country that you would like to work in, you may be eligible to apply to a Consulate Office different than your home country. This will depend on the individual Consulate Office. Also note that Consulates typically are located in the capital city or a major cities in that country. Assess whether or not living in a major city for you internship is what you want.
4. Utilize your college alumni network.
The alumni network is a powerful web of people that have already experienced where you are in your search for a business internship. They are eager to share job-hunting advice and their experiences leading to an international career. Quite often, the international alums may occupy positions of influence overseas and can facilitate an internship more quickly. The key as always when networking is to demonstrate your value, even though you may not have a long list of experience, through your humility and passion for the experience.
5. Find someone who has already done either an international business internship or had an international career.
Identify which professors, alumni or outside professionals would be good to have an informational interview. Start by speaking to the alumni office, the career center or the professors who teach international centric classes (i.e. foreign language, literature, music, etc).
6. Consider offering work unpaid.
In the recent e-book, “Recession-Proof Graduate” by Charlie Hoehn he emphasizes the advantages of offering unpaid work. According to Hoehn, unpaid work has the ability to “rapidly advance your career path and find work that you actually care about.” This alternative eases the legal process (e.g. working visas) and demonstrates how committed you are to a private sector internship abroad. Negotiate in free housing or a small living stipend.
7. Meet with people face-to-face in that country.
For a productive and efficient trip, identify the companies that interest you the most in that country. Make a list of the business associations and expatriate networks. Start reaching out to these groups before you leave and make personal contacts. Once you arrive abroad, visit the businesses; go to lunch with people from the expatriate networks, etc. Another helpful tool is to speak with the local international schools. Express that you are visiting and interested in pursuing an international internship in the private sector. They are quite often very willing to help.
8. Follow up! Follow up! Follow up!
The nature of the expatriate community is to be extremely helpful. Approaching these groups with humility and enthusiasm for an international business internship will open more doors for you. Their time is valuable so be respectful and mindful of this. By following up on your conversations with them, you will demonstrate your business skills and your dedication.
The private sector offers an enormous amount of possibility for an international business student. Use the search not as a task for your internship but as a journey to achieve your international career. What is most exciting in the expatriate community is building that base of like-minded individuals who share a passion for culture, history and traveling. Start building that base today.
Joining the ranks of the international working community is something that can be started before leaving your home country. Luckily school just started and it’s the perfect time to begin preparing for an international internship. Being an expatriate quite often encompasses having a curiosity for international topics such as politics, culture or language. Bearing that in mind, this semester increase your chances of scoring an international internship by exploring those curiosities and adding them to your resume. Multi-national companies are always looking for people that have an affinity to an international life and working culture.
These 7 suggestions are the perfect ways to jump start your marketability on the international scene this semester.
1. Get a passport.
As basic as having a passport may sound, only 34% of Americans have a passport. If you are planning to do an international internship, begin preparing the most important document in order to travel abroad. Getting a passport can take anywhere between 4 to 6 weeks. Visit your local courthouse to get a hard copy of the paperwork or simply process online at the United States Immigration Support. Bonus: The earlier you do this, the less you have to worry about it. Plus if you need a special visa for your internship program, you will already be half-way there by having a passport.
2. Join an international club at school.
This is a great way to start exposing yourself to an international community while still at home. Because of the international membership of these clubs, it is the closest assimilation of being an expatriate. This will help to broaden your cultural perspective as well as to expose you to new ways of thinking. Bonus: Network with internationally minded individuals who may have connections abroad.
3. Seek out someone who has already done either an international internship or had an international career.
The best way to learn about an international internship or career is through the power of asking questions. Use your schools’ career office resources to identify which professors, alumni or outside professionals would be good to have an informational interview with. The benefit of doing an informational interview is the ability to have a one-on-one session with someone who may be a gatekeeper for an international internship opportunity. Bonus: Building your international network before leaving for your internship.
4. Determine which country and companies have the best suited internships for your area of study.
Choosing the right country and company for you international internship is integral for a good experience abroad. Start conducting your research now about where you would like to live and work. Remember to factor in the work and cultural differences in your assessment of an international internship. Depending on the company or program, the deadlines are dated 6 months ahead. It would be wise to start planning now in order to give yourself the best opportunity possible. Bonus: Knowing what you want earlier than later increases your chances of getting the internship you really want. Who wouldn’t want to work and surf in Sydney?
5. Start learning a new language or increasing your proficiency in a given language.
Your most powerful asset while living abroad is your ability to communicate in the language of the host country. While certainly not necessary, it is a great way to navigate the country as a more seasoned temporary resident. Bonus: Most multi-national companies look more favorably on individuals who speak more than one language. It adds to your international marketability.
6. Visit the international center for more information about programs offered through your school.
You know that building that you are not quite sure who goes in it but you always see people coming out of it and it says “International Center”? That’s where you need to go this semester. The staff is always willing to help point you in the right direction for an international internship. Bonus: The staff has hindsight over the programs and internship opportunities that would give you the best experience.
7. Connect with international professionals through sites like LinkedIn, InterNations.org or Expatica.
Your online network is just as valuable as your offline network. Use these social networking sites to build connections with professionals in multi-national companies that interest you. Not only are the connections valuable, but you can also start building your international professional credibility to a wider range of people. Bonus: By focusing on building your international marketability through your language skills, international clubs and other activities, you increase your likelihoodof being chosen as an international internship candidate.
Creating your international personal brand helps you get one step close to the international internship or career of your dreams. These are just some ways to begin that process. Experiencing working abroad is a truly enlightening adventure. Gaining momentum before your time abroad makes it that much more exciting. Get started today!
Going Global is the leading provider of country specific career and employment resources for individuals interested in working outside of their home country. More than 500 universities around the world currently subscribe to Going Global for use by their students, staff and alumni. We provide Country Career Guides, USA City Career Guides, corporate profiles for the world's leading employers and a job search database with over 500,000 worldwide job and internship listings. You can learn more about us at Goinglobal.com.
