Success!
Success in study abroad can come in many forms. For some students, simply traveling abroad by itself is a victory, as they overcome financial, logistical and family challenges in order to study or intern abroad. For many students, going abroad opens new doors for their personal development and professional career.
Many students, however, want more than just getting themselves abroad. They want to learn deeply about their host culture through interacting with the people. They want to learn to speak and use a foreign language in order to meet new people, learn about daily life, and understand the local concerns, perspectives and worldviews. They want to develop intercultural skills and awareness. They want to communicate effectively with people from their host culture and other cultures.
For such students, success comes in the process of interacting with the locals, learning about their history and communities, and developing an appreciation for their roles in the world today. In order to accomplish this, such students need to invest both time and energy into the process of meeting people, speaking with them in their language as much as possible, and forming friendships. This is "people to people diplomacy" at its best.
What is your version of success in study abroad? Please send us your stories [preparingtostudyabroad at gmail dot com], or send links to your blogs or web postings where you describe what you are accomplishing or have accomplished while abroad.
Many students, however, want more than just getting themselves abroad. They want to learn deeply about their host culture through interacting with the people. They want to learn to speak and use a foreign language in order to meet new people, learn about daily life, and understand the local concerns, perspectives and worldviews. They want to develop intercultural skills and awareness. They want to communicate effectively with people from their host culture and other cultures.
For such students, success comes in the process of interacting with the locals, learning about their history and communities, and developing an appreciation for their roles in the world today. In order to accomplish this, such students need to invest both time and energy into the process of meeting people, speaking with them in their language as much as possible, and forming friendships. This is "people to people diplomacy" at its best.
What is your version of success in study abroad? Please send us your stories [preparingtostudyabroad at gmail dot com], or send links to your blogs or web postings where you describe what you are accomplishing or have accomplished while abroad.