U of T is a big university and sometimes, you might feel like a nameless number in a mass of nameless numbers. However, being in the biggest university in Canada has its perks and one of them is the fact that we have the more exchange partners in Canada and abroad than anybody else. Since deadlines for exchanges as well as going abroad info sessions are coming up soon, I thought I would do a two part series on going abroad. The first will explore whether or not going abroad is for you while part II (which will hopefully be written in a week or so) will elaborate on the processes involved with going abroad. I did a course abroad this summer so many of the things I write will be from experience.

So, first things first, why should you go abroad?

• If you’re learning the history of a country or doing area studies, going abroad will add a new dimension to your studies. The person who came to one of my classes to talk about studying abroad studied in France and she said that she never fully understood why the peasants were so angry at the nobility during the period of the French Revolution until she saw the extravagance of the Versailles Palace.
• Learning a language? There is no better way of doing than by going abroad.
• You can learn from famous professors or institutions during your stay abroad! Thinking about a university as a potential grad school? Why not try a course at the institution for a summer or a semester?
• You can immerse yourself in a new academic environment, which can be refreshing if you’re in need of a change.
• All courses done abroad through the ISXO are pass/fail courses on your U of T transcript, so if you want, you can do a relaxing year abroad. However, be warned that if you’re applying to grad school, they will want ALL your transcripts.
• If you do well at the institution abroad, you can get reference letters from professors of other universities for grad school.
• It sounds corny, but you gain lifelong friendships and contacts from all over the world.
• Being able to survive alone in another country is a sign that you’re mature and responsible. As a result, it looks good on a resume.
• The ISXO (International Student Exchange Office) is super nice and very helpful so planning an exchange by yourself isn’t as hard as you think it would be!

Do I have the qualifications to go abroad?

The ISXO has to nominate you to the institution of your choice before you can go on an exchange where you can get credits.

Basic requirements for nomination by the ISXO (Be reminded that the institution that you choose reserves a right to decline your exchange request.):

• Minimum 2.25 GPA
• Any students from the Faculty of Arts and Science, Engineering, Physical Education and Health, Law, Music and the School of Graduate Studies, UTM, UTSc.
• Completion of at least 4.0 credits.

Other things to consider:

• You will need to be responsible and adaptable to a new environment and culture.
• You will need to be organized because in order to earn a credit, you need to keep your syllabi and do some paperwork.
• Going abroad can be expensive. You might have to do a bit more work (ie, filling out applications, looking for scholarship opportunities) if you want financial support, but it’s worth it.

What will it be like if I go abroad?

I can’t speak for everyone, but from my experiences, there are a few things that I’m sure many people have experienced.

• Culture shock, homesickness and whatever else it can be called. Going abroad can be fun but after the first two weeks, you start missing something back home. For me, I was really missing a lot of my friends.
• Unfamiliar customs. When you attend a mandatory pre-departure meeting at the ISXO, you’ll have to go through a few scenarios where you’ll learn that the smallest things can have very different meanings in a foreign country.
• Frustration from studying. You’ve just spent a lot of money and time to get to this new country and what are you doing? Studying in your room. Studying abroad is several times more frustrating because there’s so much to experience out there and you’re stuck studying. This often happens when you’re doing a short exchange.
• If you want to know a bit more about what it’s like, abroad, I wrote a blog while I was studying at the Chinese University of Hong Kong this summer. There’s an entry for almost everyday and it could give you an insight of an experience abroad.

I hope this was helpful. Please stay tuned for Part II!

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 4th, 2010 at 10:41 am and is filed under General, On Campus, Spots, Survival Tips, UT Life, Wish You Were Here. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.