Facts About Studying Abroad

 By: William Sullivan

 A national survey of college students was taken in 2005 to measure student engagement on campus.  The response was tailored in such a way that the reader would be able to compare the statistics of his/her University, college of study (of liberal arts, business, etc.) with other colleges in the same university, with the top 10% of U.S. Schools in the nation.  The area of interest that I was concerned with was the statistics concerning student participation in a study abroad program. As of 2005, Texas A&M had only 12% of it’s students (in all colleges) participate in a Study Abroad program; this in comparison to the 42% of students in the Top 10% U.S. schools is a curious statistic. I know that the students here at Texas A&M are some of the best, most well rounded in the nation, so why the low turn out?

Another survey taken addressed the reasons for not participating in a Study Abroad program, they include:

1) Funding and work related reasons, 39.6 %

2) Academic reasons and career plan, 31.1 %

3) Did not have any or enough information about it, 13.4 %

4) Family and political concerns 6.8 %

5) Don’t speak any language but English 3.3 %

6) Don’t want to leave Texas/US 1.7 %

7) Other 4.1 %

Possible Solutions:

1.)  Funding:

- In April 2006, $315,000 existed for study abroad scholarships for undergraduate and graduate programs.   This alone is enough to provide over 300 students with some sort of financial aid.

- Other aid programs are available for funding and scholarships outside of Texas A&M also. They are listed here : http://studyabroad.tamu.edu/non_tamu.asp

Cost of typical FALL or SPRING semester with Texas A&M Study Abroad:

2.)  Academic Reasons/Career Plan

-        Most Study Abroad programs allow for a full 12 hour workload in the Spring and Fall Semester and 6 hours in the Summer!

-        Many of the classes satisfy cultural diversity, language and other credits.

3.)  Did not have any or enough Information

-        http://studyabroad.tamu.educontains all of the information you need to get started; it lists program types, applications for scholarships, school credit information, and much more, including all the FAQ’s you can muster.

-        You can visit the Study Abroad offices at
Study Abroad Programs
1st floor, Bizzell Hall West (intersection of Lamar & Houston St on main campus)
TAMU 3262
College Station, TX 77843-3262
Phone: (979) 845-0544

-        Office Hours: 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday

4.)  Family and Political Concerns

-        Being unable to participate in studying abroad certain semesters is understandable.

-        Political concerns? Many Study Abroad programs are offered at Universities in political stable countries in Western Europe.

5.)  Do not speak any other language besides English

- Study Abroad offers plenty of programs taught in English and even programs taught in England!

-You will be studying with English speaking students from your own university as well as other universities.

6.)  Do not want to leave Texas

-        I understand that Texas is almost another country in itself, but I guarantee that studying in another country is vastly different and will enrich your educational experience greatly.

-        Imagine studying a foreign language in the exact country that it is spoken; Many of the programs offer a chance to room with a sponsor family who speak the local language.

      As a transfer student from Sam Houston State, I had no idea how many foreign countries and nationalities are represented at Texas A&M; within my first week, I was incredibly fortunate enough to meet a woman from Kazakhstan (my inferior writing cannot express how excited I was). I nearly had a two hour conversation with her, and was about ready to propose to her out sheer excitement of having the slightest introduction to a foreign country. Despite being a nerd about different cultures already, she inspired me to contemplate my whole outlook on that part of the world; Kazakhstan, I am surprised I know how to spell it, much rather find it on a map, but now I am convinced of my interest in pursuing a study abroad program. My roommate was so thrilled about studying abroad in Spanish countries that he changed his major to Spanish!

I understand that time, money and other inhibiting factors may come into play, but our world is too accessible, especially now to miss an opportunity to travel abroad. The 39.6 % that skip out because of work and finance reasons must realize that after they graduate college the opportunities to Study Abroad will be reduced, especially if you have work and perhaps a family to worry about.   Study Abroad is relevant to ALL fields of study; Business majors, you will be dealing with foreign markets your whole career, traveling to another country may inspire you to learn the language, or perhaps give you ideas for entrepreneurship. Petroleum Engineers you must understand that much of the drilling and demand for Petroleum is coming from foreign countries. Anyone with aspirations to become a teacher, especially in areas of social studies would benefit greatly from having studied in the countries they will be discussing. Students with a passion for missions and serving in other countries will greatly benefit by a Study Abroad program; What better way to understand that mission than knowing and appreciating the religions, beliefs, and hopes of persons living throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Near and Far East, and Latin America?  I know that Texas A&M is an incredibly diverse school, wouldn’t it be great if it’s student population became that diversity at a foreign school?