Would a 7 week summer program or a fall semester abroad be better?
Submitted by Alyssa Melton on 09/09/2016.
Question Details
I had been planning to go to France this upcoming spring, but due to financial barriers and me not wanting to miss out on important courses offered at my school at that time, I decided to do the summer program instead. However after looking at it, I'm not sure that 7 weeks is a long time so I've been considering waiting until the fall semester and going that whole semester. I am just anxious to leave and finally go abroad, and next fall seems a lifetime away. Any input would be greatly appreciated :)
Answer
Going for a semester would be better than doing a summer program. Even though it is in the fall, you will have time to save up more money and also get more out of the country you are in if you are there longer. For the important courses that are offered at your school, see if the school you will be studying at in France has a similar course that can count as the course that you need. On your transcript when the credits transfer, it will show as it being the course from your university and not the name of the course from the school in France. But if there aren't any classes at that university that a professor can sign off as being somewhat equal and you absolutely need those classes, then the summer program will be your best option. If you don't necessarily need them, go for the fall semester. I understand how you feel about wanting to go abroad, but you'll feel better once everything is in order and you have landed at your final destination!
Hi,
It really depends on what your goals are for going abroad. If you are going to gain better language acquisition than going abroad for a semester is better. If you are going abroad to take courses for your major or minor you can go during either period. Also, as a reminder if you go abroad for a semester there are generally more scholarships available for longer term programs and the amounts tend to be larger. Program providers have scholarships and there are scholarships available such as the Gilman Scholarship, Diversity Abroad, Fund for Education Abroad, etc.
I would make sure you talk with your academic advisor about your options and discuss what might be best and then you can start looking at how to fund it. Also, talk to the provider or host institution about what they may offer. Sometimes they may offer courses or have options they don't list publically.
Hi,
It really depends on what your goals are for going abroad. If you are going to gain better language acquisition than going abroad for a semester is better. If you are going abroad to take courses for your major or minor you can go during either period. Also, as a reminder if you go abroad for a semester there are generally more scholarships available for longer term programs and the amounts tend to be larger. Program providers have scholarships and there are scholarships available such as the Gilman Scholarship, Diversity Abroad, Fund for Education Abroad, etc.
I would make sure you talk with your academic advisor about your options and discuss what might be best and then you can start looking at how to fund it. Also, talk to the provider or host institution about what they may offer. Sometimes they may offer courses or have options they don't list publically.
I definitely agree that going abroad for a full semester is a more immersive experience than 7 weeks. However, it's important to determine your goals of studying abroad to help make your decision. Will going abroad for a full semester cause your graduation to be delayed? Are there certain classes that are offered on a summer program that you won't be able to take during fall semester? If this will be your first time abroad would it be better to test the waters with a shorter program first? These are some of the questions I recommend you think about while making your decision. Best of luck!