PSU hosts study abroad fair on Jan. 26

On Jan. 26, Portland State will host a fair for students interested in learning about studying abroad. With more than 100 programs in over 40 countries, the fair provides students with an opportunity to explore the different study abroad options, such as terms abroad, internships and short-term, faculty-led courses. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, room 355.

With so many different programs and places to consider, the fair offers students a one-stop place to ask questions about available programs and financial aid opportunities. According to Blythe Knott, education abroad advisor for the Office of International Affairs, the fair can help students determine their main priorities for selecting a program, such as pinpointing academic interest and affordability.

“The fair gives you the chance to narrow down what you are looking for in terms of type, length, location and cost—this helps us to find the exact program for the individual,” said Knott.

According to the Office of International Affairs, approximately 500 students study abroad each year. About half of those students participate in one-term or semester programs, and about half go on short-term, faculty-led trips, said Knott.

For many study abroad programs, PSU offers credit transfer. However, the credit transfer system can be confusing. PSU operates on a trimester system, while many other universities operate on longer semester systems. Knott explained that in order to accommodate for the differences between the systems, PSU assigns credit to the various classes based on credit hours. A student taking a semester of coursework at another university would receive 1.5 credits per credit hour in the semester system. In other words, a student would receive six credits at PSU for taking a four-credit, semester-long course at another institution.

Nicole Carter, a current PSU student studying abroad, participated in the Australia study abroad program in spring 2011. She studied English literature at the University of Sydney for four months. Currently Carter is in Guatemala, where she recently completed a two-week Spanish language course. In an email interview she talked about her travels and described studying abroad as the most rewarding experience of her life. She said that prior to her study abroad experiences she planned on becoming an English teacher, but now she is interested in international affairs.

“My time abroad opened my eyes to all the possible career opportunities outside of the USA, and has provided me with the confidence and courage to pursue dreams that I previously thought were impossible,” Carter said.

While the traditional year- or semester-abroad programs are still available, the shorter-term trips also provide students with invaluable experience, as well as PSU credit, and can help to alleviate the stress of leaving home for long periods of time. According to Knott, the increasing availability of short-term programs makes study abroad a more feasible option.

“More students have kids and full-time jobs, [short-term, faculty-led trips] are easier to manage when you have a life outside of PSU,” Knott said.

In addition, short-term trips are far less costly than the longer-term programs. It has been a common misconception that studying abroad requires a significant investment outside the normal costs of attending school, and many students don’t know that there are numerous sources beyond financial aid that can help students get a study abroad experience.

According to Knott, PSU has advisors that will work with students to “explore different ways to close the gap in funding.” For example, there are outside scholarships and grants. Additionally, there are certain courses of study that offer more funding. “If you are going to study Arabic in Jordan,” Knott said, “there are funds available for studying a critical language.”

With the current state of the economy and challenges in the job market, international internships may be a way to stand out in the crowd of other applicants. Knott said that having an internship abroad “sets you apart, makes you more interesting because it shows you have the motivation to make something challenging happen and that you might have more perspective about the world.”

PSU offers a variety of internships through an Oregon University System program called IE3. The E3 website states that the program was “initially established to foster global competence through professional experience abroad,” and has, since its inception, placed “more than 1,500 interns to over 82 countries worldwide.”

According to Knott, PSU uses IE3 to place students in organizations across the globe for a minimum of 10 weeks. These internships allow students to gain valuable experience and earn university credit.

In whatever way students decide to shape the experience of studying abroad, Carter recommends that students plan to explore the host country as much as possible. “It can be very easy to fall into a comfortable routine and stay in one place, but the best times I had were spent road-tripping up the east coast from Sydney to Byron Bay, and scuba diving in the Whitsunday Islands. There is so much to see and do wherever you go—try and experience as much of it as possible,” Carter said.