It’s fair to say that most students are drawn to study abroad for similar reasons: a yearning to travel, the thrill of exploration, a calling to learn from other peoples and cultures around the globe. Taking off from your usual surroundings offers that opportunity to break free and pursue these interests. As an undergrad studying on the TEAN program at the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia), nothing intrigued me more than interaction with the locals, exploring the countryside, and spending afternoons in the surf.
With so many amazing opportunities and places to explore it is all too easy to forget that there is anything else to do while abroad other than taking advantage. However, the trick to fully taking advantage of the study abroad experience is to achieve and maintain that crucial balance between seizing every moment and actually studying abroad.
As a student abroad in 2002, you can imagine my displeasure when I found out that all of my grades from the host institution would be transferred “as is” to my home school. As one of only two students on the entire program in this situation, I was forced to draw a clear and unwavering line between work and play time. Like waking from a nightmare, I did not want to start my first semester back with an announcement that I had failed out of my major.
Since that time my situation with grade transferal has gone from being the exception to the rule. With that in mind, students headed on a semester abroad should strategically develop travel and study plans that are complimentary, not conflicting.
Here is a list of useful tips to consider how to achieve this feat:
1. Understand your foreign academic system
In general, coursework abroad can be more advanced and faster paced than you would expect from a similar level course at home. Often, this will call for a level of adaptation on your part. Do not give up, instead spend your first few weeks getting a handle on course expectations and effectively managing the workload. Additionally, grades composition in many overseas institutions is determined less by daily homework and participation and much more on performance on exams and large projects. Often, these exams and projects are heavily weighted toward the tail end of the term, so just when you’re ready to cut lose and let the grades slip a little. Beware!
2. Do yourself a favor, develop a study plan
You will want to establish a clearly defined study plan. Start by looking at the semester academic calendar. Then review your course syllabi. Finally, jot down your plans for travel and adventure. Spend some time drafting a plan of attack for the whole semester. Designate time during each week for normal study and course work. Then, build in additional time as necessary for exam study and project work.
3. Make studying a cross-cultural experience
Simply put: make friends with locals and create study groups with them. Local students will have grown up in the academic system and will be about to provide guidance and instruction on what to expect and how to prepare. They will also be able to provide you with tips on getting ahead. This tip will be especially useful if you opt to take coursework specifically focusing on your host culture be it Contemporary Australian Literature, Confucian Classical Studies, or Explorations in Maori Culture.
4. Communicate with your Instructors
Nerd alert: I sat in the front row of every lecture class I ever enrolled in. By doing so, I made sure the Professor/TA knew my name and face, which ensured that we developed a rapport. This is an investment in your future, should you ever need assistance, additional support, or even a break on coursework that person will know you’re a serious student deserving of such help and not a slacker. Also, remember to respect the cultural and social hierarchies in place in your home culture. When communicating with instructors check your entitlement at the door and respect that other cultures may not exercise or value the academic rights and freedoms that you enjoy.
5. Tie Up Loose Ends
Trying to hand in assignments, contest grades, and address course-related issues is extremely difficult once you leave campus. Make sure you address any and all outstanding issues prior to your departure. If you are considering graduate school, try to request an additional official transcript be sent to you when ready. Once you’re gone you’re gone!
6. Take advantage of opportunities
Don’t dismiss your studies as a continuation of an American classroom or necessary evil of your experience abroad. Your classrooms will be an awesome window into your host culture. Treat each meeting as opportunity to put yourself out there, seize new opportunities, and meet everyone you can. It will be worth it.
Oliver McSurley was a Program Manger with TEAN from 2012 – 2015, and TEAN alum who studied abroad in Brisbane, Australia. Prior to joining TEAN, Oliver taught secondary-level Geography and Global Issues, European History, and US History. He holds a BA in History from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Masters of Education from DePaul University. Oliver is now the Assistant Director Study Abroad at the University of Central Florida.
