study abroad info

January 19, 2006 5:01 PM

Studyabroadfilter: I am a student at Texas Tech University and I am planning on studying abroad this summer but I do not know where to go. What do yall think?? I was thinking Spain, Italy, Norway, or Scotland. Please let me know if anyone has had prior experience with this type of program and what yall thought of where you went. Thank you very much.

If you have visited these places or any others please rate them from best to worst in your opinion and why. Thank you for your help.

posted by flipmiester99 to education (20 comments total)

Spent part of my childhood living and going to school in Scotland. Loved it. I have been to Italy, Norway and Spain. Loved them all.*

I spent one summer studying in England (and working on archaeological excavations in Roman Britain), as well as two summers studying in Rome and digging at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Loved each experience.

What would you like to study in Europe. That would/should factor into where you might consider going.

*-Italy is one of my favorite countries. Beautiful country; wonderful people; great art, food and wine...
posted by ericb at 5:09 PM on January 19, 2006

I am studying business and will graduate with a double major in busines management and business marketing.
posted by flipmiester99 at 5:14 PM on January 19, 2006

At first blush -- London School of Economics Summer School comes to mind. Great school, great city.
posted by ericb at 5:23 PM on January 19, 2006

I went to Mongolia and it was good.
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:27 PM on January 19, 2006

Spent a year in London and a semester in Vienna with my family when I was a kid and loved it. Spent a whole year in Norwich, England my junior year of college and had the time of my life.
posted by scody at 5:32 PM on January 19, 2006

Travel is such a gas, especially at your age. There is no wrong choice here. What do you hope to get from your study abroad experience? Professional skills? Language ability? Party? What is your major, what kinds of things are you interested in?
posted by LarryC at 5:32 PM on January 19, 2006

LarryC....I will graduate with a double major in business management and marketing. I would like to gain professional experience for sure. My main focus is to go abroad, study and have the best time I could possible have before I graduate. I am definatley intersted in the party scene. I love beautiful scenery as well. I want to experience things that I would not be able to in the United States. Interested in music, scenery, good people, great times and memories I will never forget.
posted by flipmiester99 at 5:46 PM on January 19, 2006

I spent my summer in Armenia - it was amazing.

Do something that is going to help you in your career though- internships are best.
posted by k8t at 5:50 PM on January 19, 2006

Talk to a Study Abroad Advisor! They can help you make the decision based on your priorities: location, price, living arrangements, opportunities for travel, etc. and based on the strengths of the programs that Texas Tech offers.

As a pushy study abroad advisor myself, I would encourage you to go somewhere outside Western Europe - places like Madrid or Florence are full of American college students already. A lot of students come back saying, "It was great! I met kids from all over the U.S.!" I always wish they'd come back saying, "It was great! I really got to know [Country X] and its people!"

Since you're preparing for a career in business, it could be useful to have experience in China or Japan. Or if you're planning on working in marketing in the U.S. it would be useful to be familiar with Latin American cultures.

Enough free advice from the Internet - go set up an appointment with the experts! ;)
posted by srah at 5:56 PM on January 19, 2006

Talk to your professors and see what they think. You might be able to set up an internship, especially if you go somewhere English speaking. Scotland is gorgeous beyond belief, and the people very friendly and fun. But Srah's suggestions are good too.

Just don't be this guy.
posted by LarryC at 6:12 PM on January 19, 2006

Good friend of mine studied at the University of Leuven in Belgium. Great philosophy program, phd in brewing, and the city has more bars per square foot than anywhere else in Europe. Or so they say. The only part of Belgium I didn't hate.
posted by Football Bat at 6:12 PM on January 19, 2006

Go, just go. That's all the advice I've got. I won't bore you with stories and I haven't been to all of the places on your list, so I don't want to sway you on way or another. They all could be great (Italy and Spain are amaizng, but I'm sure Scotland and Norway could be great, too).
posted by zpousman at 7:39 PM on January 19, 2006

Don't pass up the chance to spend some time in a non-English speaking environment. (Glasgow doesn't count... quite.)
posted by Aknaton at 8:30 PM on January 19, 2006

Belgian universities seconded, for the reasons above. I'd recommend Ghent over Leuven, but they are both good. The Gentse Feesten alone are worth it.
posted by phrontist at 9:35 PM on January 19, 2006

I also agree with srah: Go to a country outside of Europe! I just got back from a semester in Tokyo, and I loved it -- it was an amazing experience. I had previously thought about going to London instead, and I am so glad that I didn't -- in the future, it will be much easier for me to live/travel in England than it would for me to do the same in Japan.
posted by katherine at 10:49 PM on January 19, 2006

Each of those countries has lots to offer, but there all ahve parts which are less attractive. Decide what sort of thing you want, e.g. city living, close to nature, etc. Get some idea of what a place might be before you go. In Italy for example, Milan is a major city but its industrial and not very attractive and isn't likely to compare with Florence or Rome. In Scotland, Edinburgh is generally preferable to Glasgow but both offer pretty easy access to beautiful landscapes (and Glasgow has better shops). If you do want to spend time in a non-urban environment then you would have to give consideration to Norway.
You might also bear in mind that many (most?) Norwegians speak English so you get a non-English environment but don't miss out on communication totally. Of course you also have to consider Norway is more expensive than the Southern European options.
posted by biffa at 4:12 AM on January 20, 2006

Language is going to be the biggest factor in your enjoyment. If you have a good speaking knowledge of the language, it will be easier. It doesn't matter if the study abroad program is only in english, to really get the best experience without feeling like an outsider you need to have a good understanding of the language. Most problems of students studying abroad are culture shock. While culture shock goes well beyond the language, lack of communication is a big stress factor.

The second largest problem that students have is being so far away from boy/girlfriend/family for such a long time. Even a few months can seem like forever for many students.

Try to prioritize what your expectations are and then see a counselor or advisor. Also remember that different university study abroad programs will be vastly different, so get advice from people who traveled there previously. Without knowing the specifics of the city and or program, it is impossible to give any advice.
posted by JJ86 at 6:14 AM on January 20, 2006

Not to make this more difficult, but I would break it down by cities.

For instance, I'd rather be in Florence than Glasgow, but I'd pick Edinburgh over Naples.
posted by MasonDixon at 7:05 AM on January 20, 2006

Breaking it down by city is a great idea. I've lived in all the countries you listed except 1 - here is my completely biased opinion:

Scotland: I have visited but not lived (though I have lived in London). Easy because of the language and a great bar/social scene. That said, the UK is a country you're probably likely to go to anyway at a later point in your life, so I'd probably pick something else if I were you.

Norway: Well, I'm from Norway, so I'm biased, but I will tell you it's a great country. Almost everyone you encounter will speak English, but you'll still have a very different language/culture to experience. Business is booming there and there is lots to learn. However, it is *really* expensive.

Spain: Spanish is of course an incredibly useful language and well worth immersing yourself in. However, be prepared that few people speak English. Also, I imagine you'd be able to learn more about business in either Scotland or Norway. However, the people are very nice and there's a great social scene, especially in cities like Barcelona and Madrid.

Italy: Italy is just fantastic. I absolutely love it there - it's one of my favorite countries. Business-wise, I imagine it would be similar to Spain. However, the people can't be beat and the social scene again is great.

Of the 4 countries you named, I would probably rank them like this:

1) Norway - for the uniqueness and great business learning opportunities plus ease of communication - but NOT if money is a big issue.
2) Italy - for the experience of the country!
3) Spain - for the immersion in the language.
4) Scotland - no offense to the Scots!
posted by widdershins at 9:55 AM on January 20, 2006

I'm a couple weeks into my study abroad semester in London (at Goldsmiths college - I came from CMU in Pittsburgh), and so far I'd recommend it, aside from the really high cost of living. I study English and music, and I'm finding it very comfortable here. YMMV.
posted by ludwig_van at 12:26 PM on January 20, 2006