Why Consider Studying Abroad? myMelbourne myWorld
There are few better ways to learn about another country, it’s people, their customs and their language than to spend time living in that country. Ask anyone who has taken the opportunity to study in another country and they will tell you that the learn- ing extends far beyond the confi nes of the classroom. Here are a few good reasons to consider a study abroad experience.
Deepen your understanding of world aff airs
Living and studying in another country can give you a whole new perspective on inter- national political, economic and social issues. You will be exposed to news and public opinion and discussion that could be quite diff erent from your own country. You will probably return home with a deeper understanding of the importance of international cooperation, and also a better appreciation for the strengths and weaknesses of your own country.
Enhance career opportunities More and more, employers understand that people who have spent time overseas studying tend to possess important and valued international competencies like cross- cultural communication skills, a second language, and the ability to adapt to unfamil- iar circumstances in a positive way.
Personal growth and enrichment Students who study abroad are exposed to unfamiliar environments, new ways of thinking and living and challenges that encourage independence and maturity. Most students return feeling that they have achieved a good measure of personal growth and a better awareness of their capabilities.
Volunteering
on Study Abroad Are you passionate about volunteering? Community Volunteering for Change is an exciting new subject offered by the University of Melbourne, that enables Study Abroad students to incorporate a volunteer experience into their semester abroad program.
Participants will undertake 80-100hrs of volunteer experience, as an intern in a host not-for-profit organization. Placements will vary depending on your interest and study focus, and the projects on offer from organizations. Examples might include social, political research and policy reports, environmental projects, organizing fundraising events, and business plan development. While on placement you will examine the structure, culture and policy environment of the organisation, and complete a report on a workplace project.
For more information contact Melbourne Global Mobility:
www.mobility.unimelb.edu.au
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Find your own reasons Before embarking on a study abroad experience, one of the most important things you can do is to undertake an honest assessment of your reasons and what you hope to achieve. Write them down, share them with your study abroad advisor and keep them in mind once you’re there and you’ll be sure to make the most of your time abroad.
to start demanding more and more of the faculty - that they too become more globally engaged in a way that maybe twenty years ago, at least at this university, they didn’t feel from any quarter.”
Asked if he thinks that universities have ceased to be the hotbeds of dissent and activism they were in the 60s and 70s, Fenner says that he thinks that many educators have retreated from being as vocal as they should be about war. “That doesn’t mean introducing a partisan agenda, ‘conservatives think war is okay and liberals don’t,’” he says. “War is not okay.”
But, despite his misgivings about what he sees as complacency within universities, Fenner is optimistic. He
says that he’s starting to see a rebirth of student activism. He’s convinced that it will be an important force in getting universities to re-evaluate their role in speaking out against war.
What is needed, he asserts, is a generation of truly educated young people around the world who reject the use of war by any nation. As an international educator, he says that one of the best things he can do is to make education ‘three-dimensional’ by making it immediate, personal and global.
“We have an obligation to the planet and to each other, to fi gure out how to agree and disagree, but without violence. You don’t blow people up because you disagree with them.”
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