Choosing to study away is one of the best decisions a student can make, and we are thrilled your child is preparing for a semester of new experiences, cross-cultural immersion, academic rigor, and significant personal growth.
Please talk with your child about studying away. Though we do everything we can to make the study away experience educationally and personally rewarding, the single best thing you can do to get your child ready is discuss what it means to be abroad. Things will be--and should be--very different from what we're used to in the United States. The pasta may be fresher, but the bedrooms might be smaller, the music louder, the internet access less reliable… we could go on. But the net result is that studying abroad opens up a world of opportunity and cultural difference to students. Encourage them to dive headlong into it, of course, but also make sure that they're prepared for the realities of a different country, with different expectations, attitudes, and customs.
