UGA’s study abroad programs offer challenges and benefits | Campus News

A maymester in Oxford. Summer in Cortona. Winter in Australia. When it comes to studying abroad, the options for University of Georgia students are almost endless. While going abroad is often an eye-opening and exciting experience, there are many financial, mental or physical challenges students may encounter as well.

The idea of being alone and in an unfamiliar country sounded intimidating to Fontana Cary, a junior who studied abroad in Seville, Spain.

“If you had told seventh grade me that I was gonna spend a summer in Spain with one person that I knew pretty well, my roommate there, and then a whole bunch of other strangers, I would have not believed you because I don’t really get out of my comfort zone very much, and this totally was,” Cary said.

While this was a new and unfamiliar experience for her, she also called her time abroad the “best summer ever,” saying she absolutely loved it.

Additionally, there are struggles adjusting to a new culture and lifestyle while abroad. According to the U.S. Department of State, culture shock is the “adjustment period” that individuals experience when visiting new places. Symptoms include homesickness, feeling lost and out of place and tiredness.

However, for senior management information systems and international business student Dan Kerik, who studied abroad in Geneva, Switzerland, the University of Oxford and Tel Aviv, Israel, the program still felt like “you’re with a bunch of Bulldogs.”

Kerik said he did not struggle to make strong friendships because everyone shared the experience of being abroad.

“You’re all somewhere new, and all you have that’s relatable around you is each other,” Kerik said.

The Office of Global Engagement offers help to UGA students during their study abroad. Carmen Candal, the OGE global education advisor, said the office is there to support students and guide them through the process.

Because there are over 100 different programs offered for UGA students, their office also offers guidance in choosing a program.

Candal spoke of some of the most important factors for students to consider when studying abroad: how long they’d like to be abroad, academics and the cost of the program. UGA offers programs ranging from one week to a full year. Additionally, she said students should choose a destination that they consider desirable, based on how the credits would go toward their degree and whether they have fulfilled any necessary language requirements.

As for the cost of the program, the OGE at UGA has a scholarship advisor to help each student. In-state students’ Hope or Zell scholarships also go toward study abroad, and out-of-state students will pay in-state tuition for the programs. OGE and specific colleges like the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and Terry College of Business also offer scholarships.

Additionally, Candal shared that some programs allow students to receive money for their study abroad program, such as for internships abroad. Depending on the cost of the program or the travel costs, they can receive payments for participating in an internship.

Despite the challenges, there are also many benefits. Cary was able to change her Spanish minor to a major following the program. She said it made her feel that she could pursue Spanish in the workforce.

Candal said a benefit to going abroad is “enhancing your intercultural understanding and connecting with other cultures than your own.”

She added that studying abroad expands students’ professional network and boosts their resumes. Employers see study abroad programs on a resume positively when students apply for internships, postgraduate opportunities or graduate school, according to Candal.

“The fact that you’ve completed an academic, usually rigorous academic program abroad, while navigating being in a new culture, in a new place, is a really strong skill,” Candal said.