Study Abroad Research Paper

A Year in Italy: Cal Poly Students and Their Benefits for Studying Abroad

            As part of a quickly globalizing world, the need for outreach programs¾such as study abroad¾is rapidly rising. Cal Poly students should study at least one quarter abroad in order to become more culturally diverse, highly valued candidates in any sort of application process. Even though there are also some drawbacks that are associated with the topic of studying abroad, the benefits greatly outweigh these drawbacks and some steps can be taken to remove or minimize those obstacles.

            Within an application process, whether it is for an internship, job, or graduate school, many things are considered for each candidate throughout the length of the process as a whole. One of those things is study abroad experience. For candidates who have this advantage, they are already reaping the first of many rewards from studying abroad. According to Luis Martinez in his article called “The Study Abroad Advantage”, in which he derives his results from consulting with the assistant dean of admission at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, study abroad on a resume or application is a sign that the individual “displays initiative that has lead to an increased understanding of the world”(Martinez). As a result, the candidates with these experiences are highly sought-after because they are “more culturally aware and possess the productive, creative thinking necessary to excel in any organization or company”(Martinez). For example, look at Figure 1 of Rome, Italy and take a look at the elegance of the architecture, serenity, and beauty that is captured within the photo(Locardi). Now imagine taking a year abroad there, think of all the possible cultural knowledge that someone could acquire during this time, ranging from the architecture of the city to something as simple as cultural food. Now maybe this scene is not for everyone, but this is only one example of the large variety of countries or programs that are offered across colleges, more specifically here at Cal Poly. 

Not only are the benefits of studying abroad reflected on paper after returning, but they are also manifested as new facets of the student’s personality, traits that make the student more suitable to a range of environments allowing him or her to adapt and thrive in their careers, both academic and non-academic. Upon further examination, the individuals that study abroad demonstrate the effects that result from these experiences.

            The changes in mental perceptions or thought processes of individuals who return from their study abroad programs demonstrate an increase in positive traits. In a study conducted by Judith Meyers (George Mason University) and Anastasia Kitsantas (UC San Diego) on the effects of cross-culture awareness resulting from studying abroad, a group of twenty-four students who were studying abroad were tested by taking a survey before and after their programs. The results of their answers before and after showed that they were demonstrating more emotional resilience, flexibility and openness, perceptual acuity, and personal autonomy than the control group (Meyers). In other words, their experience while studying abroad made them an emotionally stronger, open-minded, perceptually keen, and independent individual. Also, the scholars go on to state, “Educational justifications for study abroad programs include increases in students' level of awareness of the interdependence of nations, value of diversity, development of global perspective and the importance of international understanding.”(Meyers). So not only does studying abroad show an improvement in the ability of an individual to adapt, but it also increases their maturity when it comes to how they interpret the world, global issues, and cultural diversity. In addition, another positive aspect includes an increase in cross-cultural effectiveness, which their study defines as “the ability to use communication and cognitive skills, interpersonal skills, and ones' psychological and sociocultural adjustment.” (Kitsantas). These skills would allow them to work better and more efficiently in a group, which would tie back into why studying abroad is beneficial for academic and non-academic careers and why business value candidates who have studied abroad over those who have not.

Unfortunately, the price of studying abroad can sometimes deter students from participating in these programs. According to a survey conducted by the American Council on Education (ACE), for many low-income family students, a quick thought can be, “How much will it cost?” Well not as much as you may think. However, cultural advantages are something every student should experience. Some may argue that there are no easy means to getting around the monetary obstacle; however, some colleges and universities have begun offering grants to students whose main concern might be money. Even better, Cal Poly is one of these schools. Grant requests can be made for an amount up to $3,000 and these funds can be used to assist in covering round-trip travel costs (airfare, baggage costs, and ground transportation), appropriate per diem (lodging and meals), and insurance (Cal Poly). In addition to these grants, students are also able to apply for scholarships and according to the Cal Poly Study abroad webpage, about 1,500 students are awarded Fulbright scholarships every year. Fulbright is a program of the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs that is specifically focused in closing the economic gap for students who wish to study abroad (Fulbright). Fulbright is only one of many different resources that are provided to students to earn the funds they need. Another example is the Institute of International Education Passport website, which has a subsection called “Study Abroad Funding” that is a database for many different scholarships that students can apply for to gain funding for studying abroad.

            Another obstacle that students face when trying to study abroad are the misconceptions that some credits may not transfer properly and delay their graduation, improper planning making it more difficult, and the lack of major related programs. One way of fixing this incorrect ideology towards credits is for the students to seek information for themselves. By doing so, they will realize that it won't actually prolong their graduation with the right planning behind the program’s framework. Within the ACE study mentioned earlier, they also went on to mention that many students wait until their junior year to start travelling abroad; this creates some conflict because junior year is usually when students begin to fully dive into major related courses and start creating meaningful friendships and relationships. One means that ACE suggests to ensure that this doesn’t become an issue is to begin studying abroad their sophomore year and maybe go until their first quarter of junior year, that way a large portion of their junior academic year is not missed. Last but not least, the ACE survey also mentioned that a lack of major related courses also hinders the students’ motivation for participating in these programs. For example, in the ACE study, only an average of 2 percent of the students in their program over a 5-year span were engineering-related majors, compared to 44 percent average of social-science majors. This statistic shows how for one reason or another, maybe the lack of incentive or programs dedicated to engineering-related majors, it is much less likely for engineering-related major students to study abroad.

Although Cal Poly only has a handful of study abroad choices for majors such as computer science, they do have a few that include countries such as France, Italy, Australia, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Sweden. So even though the selection seems small, it still offers a variety of substantially different environments that serve as a means for students to get away from a community they are more accustomed to. The few supposed drawbacks to studying abroad could easily be prevented if a student chooses to get informed and make a plan from early on in their college careers. As for students in their junior and senior years, summer quarters can easily be thrown in between years so that they are easily able to participate in these programs without offsetting the nature of their academic school year at their university.

            Cal Poly is one of many schools across the nation that provides its students with a means to travel the world at the same time as they continue their studies and stay on track to graduate within four years. Even though there can be slight drawbacks, dedication and proper means of preparing and gathering information can easily overcome the obstacles that a student may face when attempting to participate in a study abroad program. As noted before, these study abroad programs can positively impact an individual’s personality as well as make them a better candidate in a working environment. For these reasons, Cal Poly students should take advantage of the resources and programs that are available to them so that they can further benefit themselves in the long run as well as making their college careers much more memorable by starting to get informed and planning their study abroad trips as soon as possible. In the end, ask not what you can do for a foreign country, but instead what the country and its people can do for you.

Work Cited

Locardi, Elia. “Italy Photo Tour May 2014!” Blame The Monkey. 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.

Marcum, John A., and David Roochnik. “What Direction For Study Abroad? 2 Views.” Chronicle Of Higher Education 47.36(2001): B7. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

Martinez, Luis. “The Study Abroad Advantage.” Diverse: Issues in Higher Education 28.21 (2011): 25. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

Meyers, Judith, and Anastasia Kitsantas. "Studying Abroad: Does It Enhance College Student Cross-Cultural Awareness?" Study Abroad Programs (2001): 1-21. Eric. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

“Program Development Grants.” Study Abroad. Cal Poly.Web.27 Feb. 2015.

“What Is the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.” Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.