I actually did both -- well, one academic year in Malta and one summer program in Senegal. Honestly, they're both very different and which one is better depends on you.
Summer programs are great because you can earn some extra credits over your summer break, and get a really intense, immersive experience. It's also cheaper (in total cost) and a great option for students who have other responsibilities during the year (like a part-time job, sports, or a really inflexible academic schedule). My program was led by one of our professors and this awesome Dakar-based institution, ACI Baobab, and it had a strong cultural education component. It really focused on educating us on life in Dakar and we learned a lot quickly.
On the other hand, the semester-long program I did was direct enrollment, and didn't have that strong orientation that the summer program did. I was able to stay for longer and volunteer while I was in Malta, meet more local friends, and in the cost-per-month sense, it was more affordable. The strange thing is that because of the way it was structured, I felt like it took me 3 months to get the same level of familiarity with Maltese culture as I did in 1 month in Dakar.
I found that the only way I was able to study abroad was to go for a shorter term. That meant studying in the summer. I have two children at home. I was able to study away from them for one month as opposed to a full semester or school year. I was able to get familiar with Salzburg, Germany in the four weeks I was there. I also visited Munich, Vienna, Innsbruck and Northern Italy while I was there.
I personally chose to study about during my junior spring semester. I had internships during the summers and felt with my courses, the scheduling worked out perfectly. Studying during the semester has its benefits. My program was 4 months long (longer than summer programs) so I was able to really feel like it was my home away from home. The summer option allows students who are not able to take time out of their academic year away from campus ( athletes for examples) and give them the opportunity to study abroad as well.
If you have limited time, summer is the better option. I did both a summer program abroad and later did an entire semester abroad. If you really want to settle down and get the feel of a country, the longer you stay the better. Though summer programs are often much more academically rigorous if you go to study languages on account of their short time frame. It depends on what you want.
I would say it depends on several factors - what are you goals for going abroad? Do you want an immersive experience? Are you trying to gain language fluency?
Also, what is your financial situation? Realistically, semester long programs are actually cheaper when you look at them from a week by week cost perspective and they also offer more opportunities for funding through scholarships like Gilman, DAAD, Diversity Abroad, FEA, etc.
Finally, you want to take a look at your academic plan and decide what you can realistically fit into your plan. Is there a program out there that offers you a sufficient number of courses to take abroad for an entire semester. The other issue is that many summer courses are for language student or only offer more general studies courses so if you are looking for the higher level or a specific course that may be an issue during the summer.
Hope that helps.
Answer
I actually did both -- well, one academic year in Malta and one summer program in Senegal. Honestly, they're both very different and which one is better depends on you.
Summer programs are great because you can earn some extra credits over your summer break, and get a really intense, immersive experience. It's also cheaper (in total cost) and a great option for students who have other responsibilities during the year (like a part-time job, sports, or a really inflexible academic schedule). My program was led by one of our professors and this awesome Dakar-based institution, ACI Baobab, and it had a strong cultural education component. It really focused on educating us on life in Dakar and we learned a lot quickly.
On the other hand, the semester-long program I did was direct enrollment, and didn't have that strong orientation that the summer program did. I was able to stay for longer and volunteer while I was in Malta, meet more local friends, and in the cost-per-month sense, it was more affordable. The strange thing is that because of the way it was structured, I felt like it took me 3 months to get the same level of familiarity with Maltese culture as I did in 1 month in Dakar.
I found that the only way I was able to study abroad was to go for a shorter term. That meant studying in the summer. I have two children at home. I was able to study away from them for one month as opposed to a full semester or school year. I was able to get familiar with Salzburg, Germany in the four weeks I was there. I also visited Munich, Vienna, Innsbruck and Northern Italy while I was there.
I personally chose to study about during my junior spring semester. I had internships during the summers and felt with my courses, the scheduling worked out perfectly. Studying during the semester has its benefits. My program was 4 months long (longer than summer programs) so I was able to really feel like it was my home away from home. The summer option allows students who are not able to take time out of their academic year away from campus ( athletes for examples) and give them the opportunity to study abroad as well.
If you have limited time, summer is the better option. I did both a summer program abroad and later did an entire semester abroad. If you really want to settle down and get the feel of a country, the longer you stay the better. Though summer programs are often much more academically rigorous if you go to study languages on account of their short time frame. It depends on what you want.
I would say it depends on several factors - what are you goals for going abroad? Do you want an immersive experience? Are you trying to gain language fluency?
Also, what is your financial situation? Realistically, semester long programs are actually cheaper when you look at them from a week by week cost perspective and they also offer more opportunities for funding through scholarships like Gilman, DAAD, Diversity Abroad, FEA, etc.
Finally, you want to take a look at your academic plan and decide what you can realistically fit into your plan. Is there a program out there that offers you a sufficient number of courses to take abroad for an entire semester. The other issue is that many summer courses are for language student or only offer more general studies courses so if you are looking for the higher level or a specific course that may be an issue during the summer.
Hope that helps.