How easy is it to study abroad?

I got a great question about studying abroad from rme3 the other day and thought I would share the answer with all of you:

Studying abroad at Butler is easy to do (and totally worth it!).  We have over 110 programs in over 40 countries, so there is something out there to fit your needs.

The process goes like this:

1) Attend a study abroad info session.  These are offered several times every semester by the Center for Global Education.  They give an overview of the study abroad process, different programs affiliated with Butler, when in your college career is best to go, and most importantly – a list of websites for programs in every part of the world so you can start your own research.  You can go to these at any point during your academic career… I went during freshmen year just to get an idea of what options were out there.  There are also specific information sessions for Butler programs such as the Semester in Spain (my program), Semester in D.C., and Global Adventures in the Liberal Arts.

2) Start looking at programs and get a idea (even if it is very broad) of what you might be interested in.

3) Sign up for an advising appointment in the Center for Global Education.   The advisors will help you refine your plan.  They can give you more specific information on many programs, answer many of your questions and give you advice on the program that might be best for you based on your interests and goals for your study abroad experience.

4) Choose a program and fill out the application. This usually involves a short essay and one or two recommendation letters. 

5) Go to a pre-departure orientation meeting.  This goes over the details of how to transfer financial aid, getting your passport and visa, what to expect about living in a foreign country, adapting to culture shock, etc.  For the Butler Spain program, we had our own orientation (where we learned specifics about our program) as well as a get-to-know-each-other gathering at our professor’s house.  

So, as you can tell, we get a lot of support from the university.  I found the process very easy… when I first arrived in Spain I almost couldn’t believe I was there, because it really didn’t take a lot of pre-planning on my part.

Yes! Studying abroad is, contrary to many beliefs, NOT a wasted semester in your progress towards a degree.  The credit that you can get is very much dependent on the program you choose – what classes are available and which classes you sign up for.

 However, it is possible for students from every major to study abroad.  

For some people with very strict schedules (I’m thinking pharmacy, education and possibly dance majors) it might be necessary to take some summer/online classes or study abroad in the summer, but it is still possible.

For me, studying abroad actually allowed me to pick up a double major in Spanish that I probably would not have made the time for back at Butler.  And don't worry... I will graduate on time with a double major, a minor and the Honors Program.  I am choosing to count all my classes towards my Spanish major, but other students here are counting classes towards programs like Business, Literature, International Studies, etc.

I would advise finding a program that offers what you need – for example, some programs have science and business classes….some only offer the humanities.  Do your research! If you cannot find classes that fit your major requirements, you could always take more general classes towards your core curriculum: ie. your art class, your social science credit, etc.  There is even a Butler program called the Global Adventures in Liberal Arts which travels around Europe and gives you four core credits for Butler.  Core curriculum is credit that EVERY Butler student needs, so you can definitely fit it into your schedule if you plan ahead.  I know even the Honors Program is willing to give you credit for classes you take abroad. 

After you sign up for classes in your study abroad program, you email the Department Head for the department from which you want to receive credit with info about the class.  They evaluate the information and let you know if you can get Butler credit for it.  If not, they will advise you to take a different class. So, the key here is communication! (Oh, and just a sidenote... study abroad classes appear on your Butler transcript, but your grades from that semester do not factor into your overall GPA... BU understands that classes in a foreign country can be totally different and your grades might not be the same as usual.)

I know this can be kind of confusing if you’re not in college and don’t understand our curriculum requirements, so if anyone has specific questions, please comment and I’ll try to be more clear.

But, overall, I cannot emphasize it enough… STUDY ABROAD! When will you have this kind of opportunity again?! It was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made in college and I recommend it to everyone. 

Feel free to ask me more questions, or check out the Center for Global Education website, which includes FAQs and a list of our programs.