At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. Che
Why should I go study abroad?
Studying abroad was one of the best choices I made while at UCLA. You really do learn a lot more when you are living in a different country, culture and society. You learn how people in different parts of the world do things differently and how we share some similarities. Academically you can enrich your classroom studies with tours of the host country, visits to historic monuments and world heritage sites. Studying a foreign language can be enhanced by practicing what you learn in the classroom with locals. It is a rewarding experience because you have time to grow, develop and challenge yourself by going outside of your comfort zone. In a global economy it is important to have a global outlook and understating of our world community and thus this is the reason why studying abroad will give you a competitive edge in your career journey. Beyond adding a study abroad program to your resume, nobody will be able to take away your unique travel study experiences.
Academic Course Planning
Most UCLA students can fulfill a major and general education requirement abroad. Check with your counseling unit and major department to verify if you can fulfill any classes abroad for your academic program. One of the reasons why I traveled abroad to Spain in the summer of 2014 was to help met my intermediate Spanish requirements for my Chicana/o Studies major. Even though I could have placed out of the Spanish language requirement by taking the Spanish placement exam since I am a native Spanish speaker, I decided to go abroad for the once in a life time experience. In addition some professional school program pre requisites can be taken over a summer course abroad instead of taking a full academic year, saving time and money. If you just want to go abroad because of the experience you can potentially use the course credits towards graduation units. You might even be able to go abroad after graduation if you have enough unit credits below your unit max.
Where to study abroad
It could be overwhelming to decide from various study abroad programs and countries. I would start by researching the country or countries that you would be interested in visiting. Think about what continent or culture you are personally interested in. Meeting with a UCLA International Education Office advisor can be helpful in searching for the right program for your personal and academic needs. Cuba has been a country that has interested me because of its history, culture and politics. That is why as soon as I learned that UCLA was going to offer the opportunity to travel to Cuba I made sure to sign up. I didn't know how I was going to fund the program or if I even needed the units but all I knew was that I was going to Cuba in the summer after my graduation ceremony. For summer travel study programs I would save $300 for the registration deposit confirmation which secures your spot in a program. Therefore be sure to keep important deadlines in mind and plan ahead for the security deposit.
Transfer students
Most of my transfer friends studied abroad in the summer before their fourth year. You can also potentially study abroad the summer after your fourth year. I did not have enough money for a security deposit my first year when I transferred so I didn't sign up for travel study. I wanted to go to a country in Latin America but was not sure if a semester long program or summer program was right for me. It was not until fall quarter of my second year that I decided to study abroad in Spain for my Spanish language requirements. I had saved enough money for the security deposit working at the Academic Advancement Program Peer Counseling Unit. I did not plan to study abroad a second time but what made me interested in studying abroad again was the opening of the Cuba program through UCLA.
Financing travel study options
One of the major concerns that I had was how to pay for the program. I would advise to talk to the financial aid office and check if you qualify for aid that can help potentially cover a portion or even the whole program cost. Another option is to check with major or minor departments, UCLA scholarships office, travel study office, and outside networks to find scholarships. The UCLA Travel Study office offers annual scholarships for study abroad, in addition the Gilman scholarship is a federal program that helps students with the cost of traveling abroad. It does not hurt to apply to scholarships because the worst they can say is no. You will never know if you qualify unless you apply and the scholarship committee will not know who you are unless you apply. Approach the scholarship essay prompts as if the scholarship committee was going to pay you to write an essay. One creative method is to simply ask for money! I created a personal campaign account website through gofundme and asked my friends and family for sponsorship. I was able to buy my carry-on backpack and travel accessories such a money belt with the funds I raised through my personal campaign.
Scholarship links: http://ieo.ucla.edu/scholarships, http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program
Summer or Semester?
Consider the pros and cons of studying abroad for a semester, quarter, year long or summer program and how studying abroad fits into your personal goals. One of the pros of studying abroad for a semester long program is gaining a deeper understanding of the culture by taking classes with students and professors from the host country. One of the cons is that it can be to long for ones academic goals or career plans. A pro of summer travel study can be that it is usually about a month long and a con can be that you don't gain a greater cultural immersion experience as you would have in a semester long program. Most UCLA travel study programs are taught by UCLA professors and you will be in class with other UC students. What made the IAS-Cuba program unique from most summer travel study programs was the opportunity to live with a host family, take classes at the prestigious Jose Marti Research Center and have daily guest lectures from Cuba talk about Cuban history and Afro Cuban religions. Plan ahead and talk to peers that have experienced either program or meet with an IEO Travel Study advisor and check what might be a better option for you.
Undocumented Students
It is possible for DACA students to study abroad. I would check with a Bruin Resource Center advisor and an immigration lawyer to go over the advance parole process on obtaining a special visa to travel abroad. In addition talking to fellow DACA students that have studied abroad is helpful to get a peer prospective on the advance parole application process and studying abroad.
Undocumented Student Program link: http://www.ab540.ucla.edu
Studying abroad was one of the best choices I made while at UCLA. You really do learn a lot more when you are living in a different country, culture and society. You learn how people in different parts of the world do things differently and how we share some similarities. Academically you can enrich your classroom studies with tours of the host country, visits to historic monuments and world heritage sites. Studying a foreign language can be enhanced by practicing what you learn in the classroom with locals. It is a rewarding experience because you have time to grow, develop and challenge yourself by going outside of your comfort zone. In a global economy it is important to have a global outlook and understating of our world community and thus this is the reason why studying abroad will give you a competitive edge in your career journey. Beyond adding a study abroad program to your resume, nobody will be able to take away your unique travel study experiences.
Academic Course Planning
Most UCLA students can fulfill a major and general education requirement abroad. Check with your counseling unit and major department to verify if you can fulfill any classes abroad for your academic program. One of the reasons why I traveled abroad to Spain in the summer of 2014 was to help met my intermediate Spanish requirements for my Chicana/o Studies major. Even though I could have placed out of the Spanish language requirement by taking the Spanish placement exam since I am a native Spanish speaker, I decided to go abroad for the once in a life time experience. In addition some professional school program pre requisites can be taken over a summer course abroad instead of taking a full academic year, saving time and money. If you just want to go abroad because of the experience you can potentially use the course credits towards graduation units. You might even be able to go abroad after graduation if you have enough unit credits below your unit max.
Where to study abroad
It could be overwhelming to decide from various study abroad programs and countries. I would start by researching the country or countries that you would be interested in visiting. Think about what continent or culture you are personally interested in. Meeting with a UCLA International Education Office advisor can be helpful in searching for the right program for your personal and academic needs. Cuba has been a country that has interested me because of its history, culture and politics. That is why as soon as I learned that UCLA was going to offer the opportunity to travel to Cuba I made sure to sign up. I didn't know how I was going to fund the program or if I even needed the units but all I knew was that I was going to Cuba in the summer after my graduation ceremony. For summer travel study programs I would save $300 for the registration deposit confirmation which secures your spot in a program. Therefore be sure to keep important deadlines in mind and plan ahead for the security deposit.
Transfer students
Most of my transfer friends studied abroad in the summer before their fourth year. You can also potentially study abroad the summer after your fourth year. I did not have enough money for a security deposit my first year when I transferred so I didn't sign up for travel study. I wanted to go to a country in Latin America but was not sure if a semester long program or summer program was right for me. It was not until fall quarter of my second year that I decided to study abroad in Spain for my Spanish language requirements. I had saved enough money for the security deposit working at the Academic Advancement Program Peer Counseling Unit. I did not plan to study abroad a second time but what made me interested in studying abroad again was the opening of the Cuba program through UCLA.
Financing travel study options
One of the major concerns that I had was how to pay for the program. I would advise to talk to the financial aid office and check if you qualify for aid that can help potentially cover a portion or even the whole program cost. Another option is to check with major or minor departments, UCLA scholarships office, travel study office, and outside networks to find scholarships. The UCLA Travel Study office offers annual scholarships for study abroad, in addition the Gilman scholarship is a federal program that helps students with the cost of traveling abroad. It does not hurt to apply to scholarships because the worst they can say is no. You will never know if you qualify unless you apply and the scholarship committee will not know who you are unless you apply. Approach the scholarship essay prompts as if the scholarship committee was going to pay you to write an essay. One creative method is to simply ask for money! I created a personal campaign account website through gofundme and asked my friends and family for sponsorship. I was able to buy my carry-on backpack and travel accessories such a money belt with the funds I raised through my personal campaign.
Scholarship links: http://ieo.ucla.edu/scholarships, http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program
Summer or Semester?
Consider the pros and cons of studying abroad for a semester, quarter, year long or summer program and how studying abroad fits into your personal goals. One of the pros of studying abroad for a semester long program is gaining a deeper understanding of the culture by taking classes with students and professors from the host country. One of the cons is that it can be to long for ones academic goals or career plans. A pro of summer travel study can be that it is usually about a month long and a con can be that you don't gain a greater cultural immersion experience as you would have in a semester long program. Most UCLA travel study programs are taught by UCLA professors and you will be in class with other UC students. What made the IAS-Cuba program unique from most summer travel study programs was the opportunity to live with a host family, take classes at the prestigious Jose Marti Research Center and have daily guest lectures from Cuba talk about Cuban history and Afro Cuban religions. Plan ahead and talk to peers that have experienced either program or meet with an IEO Travel Study advisor and check what might be a better option for you.
Undocumented Students
It is possible for DACA students to study abroad. I would check with a Bruin Resource Center advisor and an immigration lawyer to go over the advance parole process on obtaining a special visa to travel abroad. In addition talking to fellow DACA students that have studied abroad is helpful to get a peer prospective on the advance parole application process and studying abroad.
Undocumented Student Program link: http://www.ab540.ucla.edu