Student Success Services student Denise Sims studies abroad in India.
At an event hosted by Student Success Services Thursday, international students gave testimony on the benefits they have experienced studying abroad.
The presentation, which outlined various ways to have an educational experience in another country, was given to UW students interested in study abroad.
Vanessa Baguet, a student from France who studied abroad and then decided to stay at UW, said studying abroad is well worth leaving a boyfriend or girlfriend behind for a little while.
“You get to experience different ways of studying and different perspectives,” Baguet said. “I feel like I became more independent by studying abroad. I also became a lot more involved.”
International students come from 90 countries around the world to study at UW. This year, UW is host to 789 international students. Several of these students spoke of the growth and maturity they experienced living abroad.
Ahmed Balogun, an exchange student from Nigeria, said other countries are almost never the same as one expects, no matter how much meticulous research has been done.
“You get to learn life experiences. It’s a different thing to stay in your comfort zone and what you are used to. It’s a whole different ball game when you go to a different environment and have to adapt. It’s a fulfilling experience when you are able to do it,” Balogun said. “It’s always good to challenge yourself.”
Jessica Banda, graduate assistant for the study abroad office, described international study options as falling into three major categories: the exchange program, faculty-led trips and study abroad. Annually, UW sends about 100 students around the world to study in these different programs.
The exchange program is the most popular kind of international program in which UW students participate. An exchange allows students to attend classes at a university in another country while paying UW tuition. The exchange agreement between the universities also means that classes are more likely to transfer without a problem.
Countries available for exchange include China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Austria, Belgium and many others. Many of these countries do not require knowledge of a language other than English.
Faculty-led programs allow students to earn credits for UW classes while traveling. They usually occur during summer or winter breaks. One upcoming faculty-led program will travel to Benin to learn about African music and dance. Students will earn six credits for attending the International Voodoo Festival. Other upcoming destinations to watch for include India, England, Germany and Kenya.
For students who would like to study in a country not available for exchange, study abroad is the best option. Study abroad is run through a program provider that matches U.S. students with universities. The program provider collects a fee for helping to arrange the exchange and the student generally pays tuition to the university directly, so study abroad is usually more expensive.
