jayee91

I've always wanted to study abroad and just recently I have been doing some research in order to do so. However, the country that I'd like to study in isn't well known, and many study abroad programs don't seem to offer anything in the country. My country of choice is Malta, which is below Italy. I was just wondering if anyone ever had this issue, if anyone knew of any great study/volunteer/intern abroad websites, and perhaps a general overview of their experiences studying abroad. Any input will be appreciated, thank you.

OsakaDad

I can't help you with specific programs to Malta, but I can say that studying abroad changed my life forever. I grew up in a small town in VA and ended up at the University of Arizona for undergrad. I joined the school karate club and eventually made the university team. I fell in love with the martial arts and Asian cultures. The experience inspired me to study abroad in Japan. By the way, this goes back almost 30 years to the early 1980's. So when I say it changed my life forever, I actually have three decades to look back on.

So, how did it change my life? First, and very up close and personal, I met my wonderful Japanese wife almost immediately upon arrival. We've been together ever since. I mastered the language and came to understand the culture. I worked there for years and became deeply involved in international business. It eventually lead me to get an MBA in international business management at the prestigious Thunderbird School of Global Management (ranked the top international MBA program globally by USNWR, Financial times, etc. for many consecutive years -- Thunderbird School of Global Management - International Business School). I continued with the martial arts and earned my black belt rankings in Japan. As an undergrad, I worked there and saved enough money to take time off school and travel in over 22 countries prior to graduation. By the time I got home after 3 years of being abroad in undergrad, I was a seasoned world traveler and had some of the most incredible (both good and extremely challenging) experiences of my life.

Even today, as a financial planner, a big chunk of my practice is with non-US citizens and I have a specialty in transnational estate planning. My kid is multi-lingual and a dual US-Japanese citizen and can claim a third citizenship as well should he choose to do so. He also chose a girlfriend with an international background and we love her very much.

Most importantly, although I am a proud American, I consider myself a global citizen and find all things international intriguing. I've been to the base camp of Mt. Everest (tallest mountain in the world) and the Dead Sea in Israel (lowest land elevation on earth). I've been to the Taj Mahal and the great pyramids of Egypt. I've had sushi and sake in Japan and dined in Paris. I was in Hong Kong in 1997 when the British handed over the city to the Chinese and I was in Nepal when Chernobyl melted down and nuclear fallout was predicted to reach the Himalaya. I've witnessed disgusting bloody police brutality in China and narrowly avoided being attacked by criminals in Egypt (my martial arts training saved my life). I've seen the aftermath of destructive earthquakes in Japan and been humbled by strangers helping out strangers in these adverse conditions. I've seen magic sunsets in Mexico and spent lazy weeks chilling out on the beaches in Thailand. I once saw a perfectly circular rainbow below me in elevation near the base camp of Annapurna.

I have friends from all walks of life and it all started with an innocent study abroad program.

LC82

Find a Study Abroad Program with StudyAbroad.com : Malta,Academic Year or Semester

M's Mom

Just google Malta and study abroad and lots of programs pop up. Generally, if it's reputable, and other reputable US schools accept academic credit from it, you can ask if your school will accept credits as well.

Of course, you can always take a semester off and do it on your own: D is doing exactly that (although not in Malta). She found her own program, which costs a fraction of the tuition at her university, and headed off. The program helped her find housing and she had a few contacts that friends had given her. She won't get academic credit, but she isn't paying the price tag either. She also isn't working anywhere near as hard academically as she's used to, but operating in a foreign language/culture all day long is pretty demanding and she is learning so much just living on her own.

jayee91

Thank you so much for your reply! Your adventures and time overseas sound very similar to my Uncle, who lived in Hong Kong, and got fascinated/involved with international business too (he is a financial adviser now). I've always known that I wanted to go abroad, but I just didn't know when the right time would be, where the right place would be, and if it should be to study, volunteer, or intern. Your experiences and memories that you shared are greatly appreciated, for I've always heard about these truly amazing outcomes that occur from a simple decision to travel/study abroad, and when I hear of new ones it further confirms it for me. You did say that you were abroad for 3 years during your undergraduate, so I'm assuming you left for Japan your Sophomore year? I will be a Junior this coming Fall and I'm still trying to figure out when would be the best time to go abroad for either academics/volunteering. I really liked what you said about considering yourself a global citizen. I think that some of the time when I tell people how badly I want to go to other countries, or try living in one for a period of time it gets taken the wrong way, and that I am insinuating that I don't like America. With all of the positives that came from your trip and even the negatives that you saw that enabled you to see the realities of the world are all incredible things that I truly want for myself. Thank you very much for your reply, you helped me and reassured me very much.

OsakaDad

Glad that I could help. Yes, my first trip abroad was to Japan in 1983 as an exchange student and that lasted one year. I was a junior in college at the time. Then I stayed on and worked for a couple of more years and then hit the road travelling from Japan back to the US traversing Asia and the Middle East. A few years later we added Europe and parts of Latin America. Too many stories, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun, a lot of challenges -- basically life happened in the most colorful ways.

One thing that I did learn well is that no matter where I was, no matter how hard things got, I could always get what I needed if I used my resourcefulness and my brain.

Pick your destination well. Don't feel compelled to return to the US too early and make it authentic. Immerse yourself in the cultures and languages of the countries you visit. Party hard, work hard, get involved in things that matter to you. Feel free to get really attached to people and have them get attached to you. Fall in love with someone and don't be afraid to make it for a lifetime. Really live it and squeeze out every drop of experience you can. Don't pussy foot around as if it were temporary or that you are just a tourist. Have a blast.

With regards to the patriotic thing. Surprisingly, many Americans don't get it. For a country of immigrants we are often quite insular and xenophobic. Forget those folks. You are doing a patriotic thing by going abroad a being a living representative of your country. If people love you and respect you they will have positive feelings for America. We live in a blessed and truly amazing country. But there is so much out there to discover.

OsakaDad

Oh yeah, all in all I've spent about 10 years overseas and my family visits Japan annually. This summer we will go to Canada for the first time in many years. Vancouver and Victoria Island. The travel bug never left us.