Jayhawks Abroad vol. 7

16 Programs Under $16,000 Advice from the Experts Getting Classes Approved Summer in India

VOL. 7

Jayhawks abroad

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INFo Sessions Study Abroad Fair September 9, 2015 - 10:30am Kansas Union, 4th Floor Internships in London & Sydney Info Session September 9, 2015 - 3:45pm Kansas Union, Pine Room Internships in Shanghai Info Session September 9, 2015 - 3:45pm Kansas Union, Alcove D Internships in London & Sydney Info Session September 9, 2015 - 4:00pm Kansas Union, Pine Room Internships in Shanghai Info Session September 9, 2015 - 4:00pm Kansas Union, Alcove D Salamanca Info Session September 9, 2015 - 4:15pm Wescoe Hall, 4018 Japan Study Abroad Opportunities Info Session September 9, 2015 - 4:30pm Wescoe Hall, 4040

Winter Break 2016 Architecture and Culture in U.A.E. Info Meeting September 10, 2015 - 12:00pm Kansas Union, International Room Business and Culture of Cuba Info Session September 10, 2015 - 12:30pm Summerfield Hall, 122 Supply Chain Management in Panama Info Session September 10, 2015 - 3:00pm Summerfield Hall, 122

Supply Chain Management in Panama Info Session September 16, 2015 - 12:30pm Summerfield Hall, 122 Business and Culture of Cuba Info Session September 16, 2015 – 4:00pm Summerfield Hall, 122 Hong Kong Study Abroad Info Session September 16, 2015 - 4:30pm Summerfield Hall, 403 Korea Study Abroad Info Session September 16, 2015 - 5:30pm Wescoe Hall, 4040

Internships in Dublin & Madrid Info Session September 10, 2015 - 3:45pm Kansas Union, Pine Room

Business and Culture of Cuba Info Session September 17, 2015 - 12:15pm Summerfield Hall, 122

Study Abroad Financial Aid Info Session: You Can Afford to Study Abroad!

September 10, 2015 - 4:00pm Kansas Union, Alderson

Supply Chain Management Info Session September 17, 2015 - 12:15pm Summerfield Hall, 122

Internships in Dublin & Madrid Info Session September 10, 2015 - 4:00pm Kansas Union, Pine Room Design and Culture in Cuba Info Meeting September 10, 2015 - 4:00pm Wescoe Hall, 4040 Gilman Scholarship for Pell Grant Recipients September 11, 2015 - 12:00pm Blake Hall room 207 Travel Writing and Costa Rica Info Session September 15, 2015 - 3:45pm Wescoe Hall, 4062 Study Abroad Financial Aid Info Session: You Can Afford to Study Abroad!

September 15, 2015 - 4:00pm Kansas Union – Alderson Australia Semester Study Abroad Opportunties Info Session September 15, 2015 - 5:30pm Kansas Union, Pine Room

Costa Rica Info Session September 17, 2015 - 3:30pm Lippincott Hall, 203 Boren Awards Info Session September 17, 2015 - 4:00pm Wescoe Hall, 4040 Study Abroad Financial Aid Info Session: You Can Afford to Study Abroad!

September 21, 2015 - 3:00pm Kansas Union- Alderson Room International Careers in Costa Rica Info Session September 21, 2015 - 3:45pm Wescoe Hall, 4033 International Careers in Costa Rica Info Session September 21, 2015 - 4:00pm Wescoe Hall, 4033 Field Biology Costa Rica Info Session September 22, 2015 - 11:45am Kansas Union, Curry Room

Russell Mullin harvests yellow zucchini from a greenhouse at La Ferme du Lamalou, a small organic farm near Montpellier, France, during his student-initated internship last summer.

Logan Hassig “testing the product” while venturing through the Wicklow Mountains with her boss, Frank Quinn. Hassig interned in advertising with Wilderness Activities Ireland in Dublin over the summer.

Study Abroad: Getting Started Your education can take you places, but you have to take the first step.

Studying abroad can be a life-changing experience, but it can also seem like an over-whelming process. KU encourages all students to consider studying abroad, and the Office of Study Abroad works hard to find options for all majors.

To get started, the first step is to research your opportunities.

Before you pick a program or decide that studying abroad isn’t right for

you, do some research so you can make an informed decision. You wouldn’t pick a major or choose a college without considering your options, so make sure you do the same for studying abroad!

The Study Abroad Fair is one of the best ways you can learn about the hundreds of opportunities available to KU students. Our fall study abroad fair features both KU

and non-KU programs, including summer internships, semester programs, and winter break and spring break programs. It’s a great time to learn about non-KU programs, like programs in South Africa, India, or Greece. You can browse programs, ask questions, and talk to returned study abroad students.

The Study Abroad Fair is Wednesday, September 9, from 10:30-3:30 in the Kansas Union.

If you aren’t able to attend the fair, you can search for a program on our website, attend an info ses-

sion (see page 1 for times), or stop by the Study Abroad Info Center. We’re open M-F, 9-5, for drop-in advising in Lippincott Hall Room 105.

To get in touch, you can also send us an email or follow us on social media.

2 Email: studyabroad@ku.edu Social Media: @KUStudyAbroad Website: studyabroad.ku.edu

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GETTING CLASSES APPROVED FOR STUDY ABROAD

By Andy Larkin Many students assume that studying abroad means “taking a semester off,” but the truth is that students who study abroad are twice as likely to graduate in four years than students who do not study abroad!

Students take classes toward their degree when they study abroad, but it does require planning. You should choose a program that has the courses you need and get your classes pre-approved during the application process. Here are some tips to get you started: The first step in choosing a program is making sure that all the classes that you need to take during your time abroad are offered for you at the host institution. To find a program that might work, you should stop by the Study Abroad Info Center in Lippincott 105 or check out the Program Search at studyabroad. ku.edu. The program search

allows you to search for programs by academic discipline and language of instruction—so you can search for psychology classes taught in English or biology classes taught in Spanish.

Once you find a program that interests you, you can look for classes that you will need. You can go about this in two ways.

The first way is to utilize the course equivalency sheets provided by the Office of Study Abroad and available on our website.

You will find classes that previous students have taken, along with the KU credit that the students received. Usually, once a course has been approved, it will be approved for you the same way— the only exception would be if the class syllabus changed, or if the class is no longer offered.

If need courses that are not listed on the course equivalency sheet, don’t worry! That does not

mean that the class you’re looking for isn’t offered; it just means that a KU student has never taken it before. If that is the case, there is normally a link on the program page to the course catalog at the host institution. This website works just like classes.ku.edu does for KU students.

During the course approval process, you may have to either present the description of the class that is on the institution’s website, or request a syllabus so that the instructor approving the class can see that the classes match up in material.

Once you have the classes down that you want to take as equivalents for KU credit, you must get them approved by a KU faculty approver for study abroad.

That list is available on our website or in our office.

After the faculty member approves the classes, all you need

to do is hand in the paperwork to the front office in 108 Lippincott, and you’re all set! After you study abroad, your transcript will be sent to the Office of Study Abroad, and we will process your transcript and post your grades.

All classes will post on your transcript as KU credit and the grades will be factored in to your KU GPA. If you have any other questions about the course approval process, feel free to stop in the main office (108 Lippincott), or to swing by the Info Center, located at 105 Lippincott, to speak with a Peer Advisor. We are open for walk-in advising Monday through Friday, 9-5.

“Even if you don't think you are eligible for scholarships look around, ask questions, and apply. There is a lot of scholarship money set aside specifically for studying abroad, and a lot of it goes unclaimed. Research the country you are going to ahead of time, especially if you are going to be there for a semester or year. The more you know before landing, the less culture shock will affect you and the sooner you will be able to adjust to a new routine. Branch out and befriend local students. Even though it may be easier and more comfortable to stick with your American friends, there is a good chance you will regret not getting the full immersive experience once you return home.”

Akira Cowden, South Korea, 2014 - 2015

Advice from the Experts “If you're studying abroad, I encourage you to go to a place that you aren't as familiar with because it will make the experience that much more rewarding. You'll learn a lot about yourself, and it'll push you to become a more well-rounded person overall.”

Libby Stoops, the Netherlands, 2015

“Living with a host family is a wonderful experience. It provides a comfortable environment to learn a language and other aspects of a culture. Take advantage of the time you have with your host family.”

Dylan Jacobs, Costa Rica, 2015

“Step outside of your comfort zone! Allow yourself to be challenged, say yes when people invite you to try new things, and approach your new surroundings with an open mind.”

Ben Ale-Ebrahim, Tajikistan, 2014

“While you’re abroad, take advantage of every opportunity you have to experience the culture you’re in. Make new friends, try new food, study a new language - these will be your most memorable experiences!"

Andrew Doerflinger, Brazil, 2015

“It is easy to get sucked in the endless abyss of smartphones, smartwatches, and all the other technology, with all of their apps and glory. Make sure that you take time to get outside, value something more than the ‘likes’ it’ll deliver, be mindful, breath in air on a different continent.

The world is filled with endless opportunities far outside these future machines that soak up so much of our time. Forget them at home every once and a while. Go see and do wonderful things, but don’t get too caught up in taking pictures. What’s the point of the Louvre or the Sistine Chapel if you just look at it from behind a screen once you get there? Have fun!”

Ashlie Koehn, Kyrgyzstan, 2014 - 2015

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A Summer in India

By Kailee Karr

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My summer spent in Jaipur, India was simultaneously everything and nothing like I expected it to be. Before traveling to India I had studied the country for 2 years in an academic setting. I felt I had been prepared for the trip, and somewhat knew what to expect… I have never been more wrong in my life.

The most popular question I get asked now about my trip is, “What did you learn from your time there?” I always answer it with the following: Firstly – I learned to never selfdiagnose on web MD. 90% of the time you have cancer and 10% it’s a rare tropical disease.

Secondly, I learned about my strengths and weaknesses in an entirely new way. I am fortunate to have the opportunity

often in The United States to self-reflect and participate in leadership workshops that target these, but there is something that has hindered my growth.

I am constantly surrounded by similarly minded people in these sessions and in all of my leadership opportunities. We are all individuals but we are fueled by the same things and therefore it’s hard to see your own individual strengths and weaknesses.

In India I was surrounded by people from all over the US with different perspectives and life experiences (not to mention the people who live here in India with much different perspectives/ life experiences). This program has taught me that I’m not good at asking for help. I can’t stand

not being able to do something on my own and when I was completely lost in our classes my first instinct was to take the entire burden on myself and not seek the help I needed.

My biggest strength is my ability to tie groups together. I pick up on people’s emotions very well (maybe to a fault) and am able to position myself in a group to best allow for it to thrive. It’s not that I’m overwhelmingly nice or warm, I just can feel out what people need and position myself to be that person for them. I really like this about myself, and I think it fits perfectly into my career path of being a counselor/ student mentor.

I still have a lot of unpacking to do – both physically and mentally.

There are a lot of things I saw

here that I can’t understand – most notably poverty and gender discrimination. These are extremely complex issues that really touch my heart. It’s not good enough to feel uneasy about it but what can I do? Why did I get chosen to have such a comfortable life? These are questions anyone in a position of privilege who witnesses poverty asks themselves. I am challenging myself to think more critically about these situations and what can realistically be done.

Overall, the experience was incredible. I experienced a new culture in ways only living in a country allows you to, and I learned a lot more about myself than I ever expected.

16 Programs Under $16,000 Studying abroad doesn’t have to be expensive. Many programs are comparable to a semester in Lawrence, and with scholarships and financial aid, it can even be very affordable to study abroad.

Students can use most grants, scholarships, and financial aid they already have on approved semester study abroad programs, and they can apply for additional funding if needed.

According to the Office of Financial Aid, the total cost for a semester at KU for a Kansas resident is estimated $12,242, and the estimated cost for an out-of-state student is $19,883. On KU sponsored study abroad programs, out-of-state students pay in-state tuition rates. All students are able to apply for study abroad scholarships, too. The Office of Study Abroad provides more than $530,000 in scholarships each year, and semester scholarships usually average between $2000-$6,000 per semester.

Here are just some of KU’s affordable program options. These programs range from around $10,000 a semester (HSE in Moscow) up to just under $16,000 (Masaryk University). The actual cost may vary based on your own spending habits.

The total estimated cost, including housing, meals, travel expenses, flights, local transportation, and tuition, is under $16,000: 1. University of Hong Kong

The University of Hong Kong, located in HK, China, offers courses for a variety of majors in English, including business, finance, computer science, and East Asian languages and cultures. Total estimated cost for spring 2016? Just $15,769.

2. Masaryk University

Masaryk University is located in Brno, the Czech Republic, the second largest city and a major college town. Students take courses in English in a wide variety of subjects. Total estimated cost for spring 2016: $15,852.

3. University of Stirling

The University of Stirling is between Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland.

Students love the campus and student support at Stirling. It’s a great fit for most majors, but is especially good for journalism majors. Spring 2016 cost: $15,536.

4. Universidad de Costa Rica

Do you have the equivalent of 4 semesters of college level Spanish? Then you might want to study in Costa Rica! The Grupo de Kansas in San Jose offers courses in most disciplines (taught in Spanish), and the estimated budget for spring 2016 is only $13,875.

5. Korea University

Located in the the vibrant city of Seoul, Korea University offers more than 40% of all classes in English. The total estimated cost for spring 2016 is $14,792.

6. University of Bonn

Study a variety of subjects in German in Bonn, Germany, a beautiful city located on the banks of the Rhine River. Total estimated cost: $12,666.

7. Beijing Normal University: Chinese Language Learn Mandarin Chinese in one of the most prestigious universities in China in a city known for its long history and its vibrant future. Total estimated cost: $10,510.

8. Folkwang University of the Arts

Delve into the fine arts in Essen, Germany at the Folkwang University of the Arts, an institution renowned for its long, outstanding artistic tradition. Spring semester costs just $15,291.

9. National Research University Higher School of Economics

Located in Moscow, HSE is one of the most respected institutions for the study of economics and social sciences. Estimated cost for spring 2016 is $10,094.

Pre-law student Hsin-Yi Pan took this photo from the view of her dorm at the University of Hong Kong. Pan received a $6000 scholarship to study at the University of Hong Kong for the spring 2014 semester.

10. Scuola d’Italiano

Study Italian in the only city that has more fountains than Kansas City: Rome.

Estimated spring cost: $14,920.

11. Udayana University-ISEP

14. Hongik University

Study fine art at the most renowned fine arts program in South Korea, located in one of the most eclectic neighborhoods in Seoul. Total cost for spring: $13,317.

Udayana University is among Indonesia’s leading universities and is the largest and most renowned university in Bali. Courses available in international business, Asian studies, and tropical architecture. Estimated spring budget: $14,585.

15. University of Regensburg

12. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso

Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia and roughly one fifth of its citizens are university students. Courses in Russian and English. Total estimated spring 2016 cost: $15,300.

In Valparaiso, Chile, students at PUCV can choose from wide, diverse and flexible, academic options that are aimed at giving you a study experience regardless of your Spanish entry level. Estimated program cost is $15,165.

13. Al Akhawayn University

Students study in English or Arabic in Ifrane, Morocco. Courses available in communications, area studies, and more.

Total estimated budget: $15,200.

Students take courses taught in English and German in a wide variety of disciplines in this medieval Bavarian city. Total estimated cost: $15,194.

16. University of Tartu

For more information on any of these programs, visit us in 105 Lippincott!

We can show you program budgets and provide financial aid information.

Note: all prices subject to change.

The actual cost may vary based on your own spending habits.

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Study Abroad Fair

Wednesday, September 9 10:30 AM - 3:30 PM 4th Floor Kansas Union