I’m thinking of leaving to Xi’an China (Xi’an Jiaotong University) for a semester to study abroad… (Feb17 - June17) Spring17
Money isn’t an issue, I’ll actually save roughly $2k going to study abroad… even when including Airfare, Passport, Visa etc…
-Also so far I have $1k for a scholarship if I go and I’m waiting on 2 more to Decide.
Not only that but I’ve spoken to 2 employers with Boeing, 1 with Caterpillar and the COO of Rockwell Collins and they’ve all spoken of good looks towards students who study abroad…
I don’t believe I’ll be missing out on anything because I’ve taken classes at my university over the summer and obviously this Fall16 semester.
The only thing holding me back is that it’s for 5 months in another country and I’ve never left the country before.
In general, I think studying abroad is a worthwhile experience. You said the only thing holding you back is never having left the country before, what is it exactly about it that concerns you? What does your family think?
@fishlines29 not Sure, I think just because it’s new. Also my family supports my decisions and speaks of good things about it. At first I feel as if they were a bit concerned but now it’s almost a contrast in view
So, when somebody who has never been out of the country arrives with a fully developed plan to spend half of freshman year in a relatively off-the-beaten path study abroad, the first question is: what’s the rest of the story?
b/c it isn’t that the fact that some bigwigs you know at some brand-name companies said ‘yes, doing a study abroad looks good’. That’s like your Mom telling you to get good grades if you want to get into a good college- yes, it’s true, but it’s not exactly a startling revelation- and it doesn’t guarantee anything. And it certainly isn’t enough to rationalize leaving during first year, when you are establishing yourself as a student and getting your core classes underway.
Have you done your homework on your course plan over the next 3.5 years? Have you confirmed with your advisor that you will be able to graduate on time- that you will have the necessary courses and credits? Engineering typically has a lot of requirements / course sequences that require careful work to integrate a study abroad interval.