Jet-Setting Students; the Experience Outweighs the Cost

Beautiful scenery, exotic cultures, intricate history. These are just a few words to describe the experiences of traveling to another country. Many students at the University of Georgia are fortunate enough to visit another country through study abroad. Not only do students become intimate with another country in the world, but they also complete several hours of schooling. 

While this may sound like a win-win situation, many families think that spending several thousand dollars to send their child to a foreign land is not possible. Most middle class families have been hit by the recession that has plagued the United States for the past few years and have had to cut back on some luxuries. However, from personal experience, studying abroad is worth every single penny that is converted into a Euro, colon, pound or any other currency.

Senior Mandy Lancour got to skydive over the Great Barrier Reef, play with kangaroos and koala bears, visit the Sydney Opera House, and play with penguins during her Maymester in Australia in 2009. For Maymester in 2010, she traveled to South Africa where she was able to ride an elephant, cage dive with sharks, see the preparation of the 2010 World Cup and go to orphanages where running water is a small blessing. 

Her mother, Diane Lancour, said: “Mandy has not only kept her grades up with the HOPE Scholarship, but she is also a Merit Scholar. The money we saved from tuition and other costs went to those opportunities.” 

Ever since going overseas, Mandy has had many doors opened for her. “I currently work for Study Abroad South Pacific in their office. Last semester they offered me a teaching assistant job for Spring 2012 in Australia. I am now graduating in December and will be paid to travel back there. I am really excited about it,” she said.

Each family has been hit by the recession in one way or another. Hardest hit are many middle class families with kids. Michelle Kirkpatrick, a mother of four from Valdosta, Ga.,, sent her twin daughters to Spain in 2011. Kathryn left for the spring session in Valencia and Kristin followed in her footsteps for the same program that summer. 

However, Michelle believes that the money was well spent. “I definitely do not think study abroad was a waste of money in our particular case. The girls are both pursuing degrees in Spanish, so the exposure to the language and culture were a direct benefit to their study,” she said.

For many students, a trip across seas is worth a used car or a nice diamond ring. According to the UGA en Valencia website, a summer session costs $5600, which doesn’t include the extra excursions, souvenirs and going out to eat. For a spring session, it is $7900. A fall session with UGA Costa Rica is $7500 and a summer session in Costa Rica is $3050. A Maymester in Australia is $2,995 and a summer session in South Africa is $4,500. With tuition, it’s several hundred dollars more, depending on how many hours are taken. Fortunately, students with the HOPE Scholarship are able to have that covered.

“Certainly sending two students abroad in the same year was a challenge and a sacrifice for our family, but one we felt was worth it. The Hope Scholarship helped considerably. And we used frequent flyer miles for Kristin’s airfare. The airline ticket for Kathryn was a better deal with the UGA group. It also helped that they did not go at the same time,” Michelle Kirkpatrick said.

There are also other scholarships that students can apply for, such as the Michael F. & Mary E. Adams Study Abroad Scholarship, the Elizabeth Suzanne Schaefer Scholarship and the IEW (International Education Week) Study Abroad Scholarship.

What many people do not realize is that studying abroad is far cheaper than sending your child backpacking through Europe after college or taking an exotic vacation for the same time spent with a program. With student discounts and accommodations made with the university, students actually get a lot more bang for their buck. Included in many of the programs are the costs of food and hotels for the first weekend of arrival to the other country. 

Permanent residences are also included for the duration of the program, as well as most food and at least one weekend trip. Considering students are abroad from four weeks to three months, the prices are much lower than individually spending travel fare hopping from city to city, eating out every day and staying in a crowded hostel that lacks air-conditioning. Senior Danny Brinkley spent the summer of 2011 in Valencia, the same program as Kristin.

“I was able to convince my parents to let me [go to Spain] by raising my own spending money and by showing them spending this much time in Europe for that [price] does not come around often. I won them over pretty easily,” Brinkley said.

Those who have gone abroad argue that the experience of another culture in a foreign land is something that is very much worth spending the money over. As much as we try to understand and be apart of other cultures in our American classrooms, nothing will stick and resound better than an understanding and personal encounter with the culture itself. For example, the celebration of St. John’s day in America would be ceremonialized by a handful of Catholics going to mass. In Valencia, Noche de San Juan becomes a large festival on the beach, which includes bonfires as far as the eye can see. Many rare openings can also arise from studying abroad.

Brittany Nolan, who spent winter break her junior year studying abroad in Nicaragua in 2010, agreed by saying, “I was able to witness a C-section [for my class]. Actually being there was way different than reading it out of a book or watching it on T.V.”

Unless a student is on an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy”, the chance of seeing a C-section as an undergrad does not come along often.

While most students going afar will not receive a job directly from their time spent in another country, putting a study abroad program on a resume adds a touch of diversity that many employers find alluring. Many people who are hiring are more likely to choose a candidate that is bilingual or that have personal knowledge of other cultures. 

Kristin Kirkpatrick is majoring in both Spanish and advertising. Her two months spent in Valencia has honed her Spanish language skills, which she hopes will eventually aid her in getting a job. 

“I hope that since I know Spanish, companies will see that I have more to offer and be willing to hire me,” she stated. Her twin Kathryn feels the same way. “With my [public relations] major and my [Spanish] minor, I believe that a firm will choose me over another person who doesn’t have a background in Spanish,” she said.

While most parents can agree that study is something extremely exciting, many have a hard time relating to their children’s desire to go to another country. 

Diane Lancour shared, “The college I went to didn’t really have programs [for study abroad], like UGA does. For Mandy to be able to experience that is something amazing.”