Few experiences rival the transformative impact of a semester abroad. For many students, the chance to spend four months living and learning in another country only comes around once in a lifetime. A semester spent abroad opens the door to countless new experiences, like visiting unfamiliar cities, savoring diverse cuisines, learning new languages, building meaningful relationships and collecting unforgettable memories. Having spent my entire junior year abroad, I have to admit that my perspective is undoubtedly biased, but it doesn’t change the fact that going abroad was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. In the fall, I was part of the Economics study group in London; in the spring, I studied at the Institute for American Universities (IAU) in Aix-en-Provence, France. Having completed both a study group and an approved program, I’m eager to share insights on Colgate University’s impressive range of off-campus study offerings.
At Colgate, a semester abroad comes in two flavors: study groups and approved programs. If studying abroad sounds scary or intimidating, a Colgate study group is the way to go. Study groups are led by Colgate faculty members and are only open to small groups of Colgate students. You’re surrounded by a supportive subset of the Colgate community, with whom you will live, travel and attend classes. You retain nearly all the perks of studying on-campus while living in the U.K., Japan, New Zealand, Jamaica, Switzerland, South Korea — the list goes on. Unlike Colgate study groups, approved programs are offered through an external provider and have been vetted by Colgate faculty to promote safe, meaningful off-campus experiences. Approved programs tend to offer students more independence than study groups, which often have pre-planned group excursions. While I truly enjoyed the group trips to Scotland and Berlin with my study group, I did have more free weekends to travel and explore during my semester in France. With more than 100 options to choose from, there is an approved program for every student.
On an approved program, you’re still a Colgate student at heart, but you are a student at another institution for that semester. I was an IAU student in Aix-en-Provence, one of my friends was a Syracuse student in Madrid and another friend was a Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) student in Copenhagen. A handful of approved programs attract more than 10 Colgate students per semester, but the majority of them have a slightly smaller Raider presence. Taking courses at a brand-new institution with few—if any—familiar faces comes with its own set of pros and cons. When I moved in with my host family in Aix-en-Provence, I didn’t know a soul. I spent the first few weeks of my approved program meeting the other students and building community, which was an exhausting, but, ultimately, very rewarding experience. Compared to my time in London, where I lived with two of my best friends from Colgate and frequently traveled with other students in the study group, adjusting to life in France required a bit more effort.
It’s also important to be aware that approved programs don’t offer Colgate credit. But don’t let that scare you. The transfer credit process is much less intimidating than it sounds. Some approved programs are major-specific, like the School for International Training (SIT) wildlife conservation program in Tanzania or the computer science program offered through Aquincum Institute of Technology (AIT) in Budapest, but the vast majority are open to a variety of Colgate majors and minors. While studying in France, I was able to fulfill two of my international relations major requirements and an area of inquiry requirement. With that being said, you should also take advantage of the unique classes offered by your chosen approved program. Pro tip: some classes at approved institutions have a travel component that may already be included in tuition. For example, one of my professors at IAU planned a class trip to Brussels. He packed our itinerary with unique excursions, such as a talk with a U.S. diplomat on loan to NATO inside NATO headquarters, which would have been impossible to book otherwise.
When it comes to studying abroad, you can’t go wrong. As long as you do it, you’re doing it right. With that being said, selecting the right program for you is crucial to optimizing your abroad experience. If you know you’d feel more comfortable with other Colgate students, find a thoughtfully curated study group that strikes your fancy. If the idea of making tons of new friends and charting your own path sounds exhilarating, take a look at the list of approved programs by major. And if you’re still having trouble deciding, drop by the Office of Off-Campus Study in 101 McGregory Hall. The experience of a lifetime awaits.
