Study Abroad; A Perfect mix of school and culture or Satus Symbol

As I try to get by in college and I learn more and more about the social construct of students I realize just how similar things are to the real world. As expected, there are nuances differentiating between the two groups pulled from a variety of aspects, but the foundation of our social structure and our inate characteristics that influence us to fit in with the higher ranks follows closely with college students and adults alike.

Take Study Abroad programs for example. The programs can range anywhere from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Who has that kind of money, you might ask. Well, since most college students don't work full time only to spend most of their income on a summer, study abroad program worth only 4-8 units, and financial aid will rarely assist with something of this nature, the funds must come from somewhere else; Parents. There is no doubt that study abroad is an amazing experience that one should cherish forever. The excitement and the "once in a lifetime" type of feeling radiating from the idea of such an experience is exactly why so many people are drawn to it as opposed to the actual purpose of the experience itself.


It can be validly argued that everone has a different reason for studying abroad. This is true in every sense. My argument stems from the personal experience talking to and understanding the many peers that I have known who have gone, or want to go on a study abroad program. I feel that it is human nature to want to experience a different culture and broaden one's understanding of the world and of other people. The majority of students that I speak to spend most of their times enjoying the cultures and have a blast experiencing new things. They feel that it was one of the best trips of their lives. Then when the question arises what exactly did you do? Often it consist of the similar American past-times except in a different counrty. Traveling from town to town with a couple good friends, food, drinks, some tourist attractions and predominantly living the nightlife to the fullest or drugs or even forms of sex. If all the cool kids were adamantly against the study abroad program for any reason, participation would drastically decrease. That value would be lost and so would the pepole interested in it for reasons no other than its "buzz".

I was actually suprised to see a few of my friends in the beautiful pamphlets and the very inviting information booklets until I realized that if I had the money I would do the same thing. Why not! Its a blast and I get to hang out with my friends. According to the INSIDE HIGHER ED, Michael (Mick) Vande Berg, vice president for academic affairs at the Council on International Educational Exchange, mentioned that those who were completely immersed in another culture (often individual students enrolled directly in a foreign institution) or those who spent most of their time abroad "hanging out with other U.S. students' suffered drops in intercultural development. "What these data show is that there's a real need for study abroad professionals to intervene in student learning," says Michael (Mick) Vande Berg. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/02/21/abroad This attraction to experience the best in life and keep up with the highest ranking peers exist in all facets of our life and at all ages. I felt after thinking about why students are so infatuated with the studay abroad program and one argument that stuck was that the program has an underlying symbol of status. Obviously its prominence depends on a number of variables such as demographic, location, age, background etc. It still exist. Subtle, yet everywhere.