The lessons of study abroad

One of the perks of attending college is access to study abroad programs. As a past faculty advisor of George Mason University’s summer program in English at the University of Cambridge, and as the future advisor for Oxford Summer School in 2009, I think more college students should take advantage of these life-changing opportunities.

Only 5% of college students graduate with study abroad experience. As the workplace becomes increasingly globalized, employers often look for international experience on student resumes. That one line addition of University of Madrid or Oxford University Summer School just might make the difference in getting a job with an office in Spain or England.

One of the biggest deterrents to study abroad is cost. What students often aren’t aware of is the large number of scholarships and grants specifically for study abroad. It helps that this is a well-kept secret since there are few competing for this money!

Plus the sponsoring university grants credits for all courses taken abroad. Students from other colleges usually find they are able to use those credits in their home institutions. At Cambridge, a student from Bryn Mawr College came two summers in a row, and those four courses equaled a full semester towards her graduation.

Yet I’ve left out the most important reason to study abroad, and that’s the magic of getting to know one place well. We all know what it feels like to return home from anywhere---work or vacation. In an extended stay abroad, you develop an attachment to place that gives you a second home.

When my husband advised GMU students attending a program in Florence, Italy, I went to the Mercato Centrale so often that the artichoke man recognized me! I knew where to buy the handmade porcini ravioli, and which wine store gave me the best advice.

In Cambridge, I grew to love going to bell-ringing rehearsals at the local church. Most bells are rung from bell towers, but in this church the bells were rung by long ropes from the floor of the chapel. I learned that there was a particular family who had done the ringing for years, and I watched over two summers as they trained their youngest child, a girl, to ring a bell that weighed many times what she did.

For Oxford, there is the added attraction of attending the school where many of the scenes were shot in the Harry Potter films. There is even a website that links the onsite spots with the films: (http://www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/harry_potter/mainlocations.shtml.) For $5970 (less with grant or scholarship help), students can live at Exeter College, J.R.R. Tolkien’s alma mater, earn 6 credits, and develop an appreciation of a place removed from the ones they know well. They can dine three times a day in a hall reminiscent of Hogwarts. That global experience: priceless.

Information on study abroad programs is on GMU’s website (http://globaled.gmu.edu). Many other universities sponsor similar programs that welcome applicants from any college. Some website research may lead students to an invaluable line on their resumes that shows they’ve drawn their boundaries a bit broader. In this job market, that could make all the difference.


What Kids Are Reading

This weekly column will look at lists of books kids are reading in various categories, including grade level, book genre, data from libraries, and data from booksellers. The following list comes from the Washington Post’s “Children’s Issue,” published December 14.

The Washington Post’s “Best Kids Books Of the Year”

1. The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin and Rosana Faria (Ages 5-10)

2. A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee (Ages 6-9)

3. A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann  (Ages 3-6)

4. Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett (Ages 1-4)

5. There’s a Wolf at the Door by Zoe B. Alley (Ages 5-9)

6. Sandy’s Circus by Tanya Lee Stone (Ages 6 and up)

7. Timothy and the Strong Pajamas by Viviane Schwarz (Ages 4-8)

8. The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers (Ages4-8)

9. Zen Ties by Jon Muth (Ages4-8)