The Study Abroad Advising Center is available to help students stay on track for graduation and apply for financial aid.
Samantha Sullivan
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Not only has mechanical engineering senior Nick Marquez always wanted to study abroad, he always wanted to go to Spain. Through the Cal Poly International Exchange Program, housed within the Cal Poly International Center, he was able to do just that.
Marquez went to St. Sebastian in Spain. The timing was perfect: Marquez had a break in his flowchart, which meant he could go abroad and not fall behind.
Spain, Italy and England are the top countries students want to visit, and the trend is nation-wide, Cal Poly international center assistant director Monica Schechter said. She said more Cal Poly students go to Thailand and Peru than students from other universities. More students are interested in China and Costa Rica, and these places seem to be surging in availability, she said.
Why go?
The International Center sends approximately 800 students abroad in an academic year, Schechter said. Students choose to study abroad for a variety of reasons — to experience a different culture, travel, enhance language skills and sometimes, their parents encourage them to go, Schechter said. Going abroad is also a way to set students apart and make them more competitive for future careers, she said.
Study abroad programs are partnering with career services to help students build their résumés with international experience, Schechter said. The partnership will include panels, mock interviews and smaller discussions, so students have realistic expectations, she said.
Cal Poly-led programs supervisor Jennifer O’Brien said she put herself through both school at Cal Poly and studying abroad. She sold her car and took out a student loan to pay for her trip.
“Did it suck to not have a car when I got back?” she said. “Yes. But I was in London for 12 weeks.”
Internships abroad are also becoming more popular and more available for students, Schechter said.
Marquez recommends everyone do it, if they can. According to Marquez, the experience broadens one’s worldview. It teaches you about yourself and the world in general.
“Everyone should go,” he said. “I’ve never heard anyone regret going, yet so many regret not going.”
Common Barriers
According to Schechter, some of the main reasons students don’t go abroad are cost, language barriers and the fear that they will get off track for graduation. However, financial aid and scholarships are available and students can always choose a program taught in English, Schechter said. She also said students can find programs that offer courses they may need.
“The key is to plan early,” she said.
All programs require paperwork, O’Brien said. There are many steps, policies and procedures students must follow in order to apply abroad, and depending on what country the student wants to attend, there could be even more steps.
According to O’Brien, that’s what they are there for: to help ease the transition and to make sure students stay on top of the processes while doing their schoolwork and other activities.
The process of applying to study abroad requires planning ahead — planning way ahead. Marquez’s application was due in March, but he started going to the Advising Center during fall quarter.
“It can be stressful if you wait until the last minute,” Marquez said. “If you plan ahead it’s not bad at all.”
Before students can pack their bags, the International Center checks with The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
“It’s a privilege to go,” Schechter said. “Students have to be in good standing — financial and academic. Most programs have GPA requirements.”
Some possible programs (full list on website)
The International Center runs six standard programs, O’Brien said. Sometimes, students come to the advisers knowing which country they want to go to, and then pick out the classes they can take, sometimes a year in advance, she said.
“The difficult part is making a choice,” she said. “We want to see they’ve done some research too.”
Also, during the summer, out-of-state students don’t have to spend out-of-state fees for Cal Poly-led programs, O’Brien said.
“It takes flexible, adaptable students to study abroad,” Schechter said.
Cal Poly-led programs are comprised of Cal Poly faculty and Cal Poly students. These are quarter-long programs and allow students to earn resident credit while abroad. According to O’Brien, students can use all the financial aid rewards they accept during the academic year to pay for the program; however, aid during the summer is limited.
CSU International Programs allow students to study with U.S. and international students while earning resident credit. These programs last a whole academic year. There are about 50 universities in 19 countries, according to the Cal Poly International Center’s website.
Cal Poly International Exchange Programs last for either a semester or an academic year and allow students to earn resident credit or transfer credit, depending on the program chosen, according to the website. International exchanges are handpicked institutions, and students can pick courses more closely related to their major, Schechter said.
With Cal Poly Partner Programs, students can study with U.S. and international students to earn transfer credit. Internships, work-abroad and volunteer opportunities are also available.
“The main thing students need to realize is how accessible this is,” director for marketing, international, graduate, extended education Elaine Sullivan said. “There is probably no way a student couldn’t go.”
The original version of this post misspelled Jennifer O’Brien’s name as Jennifer O’Brein. It has since been corrected.