Random Question: Did you study abroad?

[andwhat]

I didn't and I don't know many? any? people who did. I always here people talking about it. It sounds like a great opportunity. I would probably encourage DD to do it. But it just wasn't something people in my circle did. It honestly was "stuff white people do." It didn't seem to be pushed hard at my college or I just didn't hang in the right circles.

[starlily]

I did, but during a summer in law school, not during undergrad.

It was a great experience that made me regret not looking into it while I was in college. I'll definitely encourage my kids to consider it. It made me so much more confident and independent. I can definitely point to that time as what brought me out of my shell.

[kicks]

I didn't but I wanted to. The only reason I didn't was because I played soccer and it would've cut in to training. Soccer was my priority at the time.

I also don't know any other minority students that studied abroad.

I don't regret that I didn't do it though. I think I've more than made up for it by living abroad for 18 months and travelling internationally a lot.

[rootbeerfloat]

The only person I know who did (former CW) is white.

I didn't know anyone in college who did, but it also would've been difficult with my major, so maybe that's why. I also think of it as SWPL lol, but none of my white friends went abroad either.

It does sound like an awesome experience.

[redwino]

I wanted to but my mother wouldn't allow it. She hasn't traveled much and is very sheltered. There was also a big story about a local student who disappeared in South America around the time I wanted to go. She truly believed that it wasn't safe to leave the country and to this day has zero regrets about not allowing me to study abroad. I otoh regret not pushing back harder and missing the opportunity. I still haven't had a chance to leave the country and feel that was the prime time in life.

My HBCU offered guided summer programs in the Dominican Republic and The Gambia. I have friends who studied in both countries. I also have a close friend who did a semester at Oxford. I never thought of it as a white people thing but my collegiate life was surrounded by black folks.

[redwino]

@starlily your post made me smile. It sounds like a wonderful experience.

[starlily]

redwino -- I needed my parents' financial help to afford it and had to really work at convincing my mom to let me go out of the country alone despite being 22. My dad was easier to convince, but even he had to work at talking my mom into it. I'm so grateful they did, because I truly believe I would've dropped out of law school if I hadn't. I had a disastrous first year and was really doubting my choice. The course itself reinvigorated my interest in pursuing law and the confidence I gained through traveling made me feel like I could go back and conquer second year.

ETA: Not many people in my undergrad did study abroad from what I can recall. I think international study trips were/are a bigger thing for the MBA program. There's a local university however, that really pushes their juniors to do at least a semester abroad if not the whole year, and has a lot of admin support to help students find a program. So maybe study abroad is something that's more school-dependent.

[meshaliuknits]

No. I looked into it but it was too expensive for the ramen noodle lifestyle I was living at the time.

[kicks]

Wait I'm an idiot I just remembered my cousin studied abroad. He went to NYU so they obviously had a lot of options. He studied abroad in S Africa.

My parents were fine with the concept of me studying abroad since I've always been independent but I don't think they liked the concept of spending money for me to essentially party and "get experience" when I could be at school getting a book education.

[insominac]

I didn't, because I needed grades to try and graduate phi beta kappa. (I didn't make it lol)

One friend went to Belgium (she studies African Art), another went to Senegal, two went to the Dominican Republic. All of them had a blast.

[orangeblossom]

I didn't. I have a friend who studied abroad in Australia.

I have several friends who did summer research programs abroad during grad school. I want to say the program was called MIRT, or something like that.

[sunshine608]

I did. I went to Mexico for the Summer ( I was a Spanish major). I grew up in Germany, so I wanted to try somewhere different. It was one of the best experiences of my life. My BFF and I took a weekend and traveled alone to the state where her boyfriend was from and that is still one of my favorite life experiences because I learned so much about myself, life, my friend ect.

This is a big soapbox issue for me and I worked in this area for a few years at a University and I encouraged every single student to do it. We have programs that go for as little as 2 weeks ( which I think is crazy, but a good start). When I see the growth from students when the come back, it is probably one of the favorite things about my job. For many of them it instills so much confidence and maturity.

I typically tell my students that you will also likely never get to travel for this low of a cost ( through a school sponsored program- not the companies that offer) and of all the other things you use your loan money on, this is one of the better uses of those funds.

[threejs]

I never did and it's one of my regrets. I will absolutely encourage DD to do it. Though I just told someone that I will probably be that mom stalking her college kid, and I couldn't do that with her in another country. So maybe not. lol

[sent]

I didn't but really wanted to. I was only in undergrad for 3 years and there was only 1 semester where I could've gone. But as a bio major, they had some nonsense 1 credit course all Junior years bio majors had to take only offered that semester so I couldn't. Very few bio/science majors ever went abroad. I can only think of 1 while I was there and she was a dual Bio/Spanish major.

[thejackpot]

I didn't. I had a good friend who went to Oxford and that was so neat to me. My cousin, also an NYU student went to Spain for a semester. That was about it.

[andwhat]

sent I was a Bio major too

[05heel]

Jan 5, 2017 22:40:43 GMT -5 sent said:

I didn't but really wanted to. I was only in undergrad for 3 years and there was only 1 semester where I could've gone. But as a bio major, they had some nonsense 1 credit course all Junior years bio majors had to take only offered that semester so I couldn't. Very few bio/science majors ever went abroad. I can only think of 1 while I was there and she was a dual Bio/Spanish major.

same. I did two years of undergrad and went straight through both summers. I came to school to work!

[divanerd]

I didnt study abroad in undergrad. Wasnt interested at the time. I enjoyed my internships during summer breaks.

[itsme]

I was a non-traditional student. I was in the military first and had a child by the time I started college when I was 22.

I know one person, Hispanic, that studied abroad.

[bugandbibs]

I did not because I couldn't afford it. Additionally, it would have put me behind for graduation since I was a Nursing major. I know lots of people who did, but they are all white and majored in things like English, Business and Art.

[DesertMoon]

I wish. I didn't go to a university but my friend did and I was dying to go to Senegal with her.

[skwcm80]

I didn't. I was on the hook for my college education and couldn't afford it. Most POC I know didn't, but I do have one friend who did a study abroad in France.

[redwino]

cubed reminded me that I had the opportunity to go to Germany twice in middleschool. It wasn't free but low cost because the school sponsored it and it was only a couple of weeks. My mom nixed that too. Damn, she took a lot of opportunities from me.

Eta: I wrote this 4 5 hours ago and never sent send. Hope it's still relevant.

[skwcm80]

Jan 17, 2017 13:39:51 GMT -5 redwino said:

cubed reminded me that I had the opportunity to go to Germany twice in middleschool. It wasn't free but low cost because the school sponsored it and it was only a couple of weeks. My mom nixed that too. Damn, she took a lot of opportunities from me.

Eta: I wrote this 4 5 hours ago and never sent send. Hope it's still relevant.

I would love if DD and DS got opportunities like that. I'd likely be doing wall slides the entire time they were gone, but that would be awesome.