Works Cited

BGSU. “Study Abroad.” Bowling Green State University. BGSU, 2017. 13 April 2017. http://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/romance-and-classical-studies/studies-in-spanish/study-abroad.html

Crane, Brent. “For a More Creative Brain, Travel.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 31 March 2015. 12 April 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/03/for-a-more-creative-brain-travel/388135/

“Define Leisure Travel.” Travel Industry Dictionary. The Intrepid Traveler, 1999-2013. 13 April 2017. http://www.travel-industry-dictionary.com/leisure-travel.html

Diamond, Andrew. “What is Study Abroad? – Definition & Benefits.” Study.com. Study.com, 2003-2017. 13 April 2017. http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-study-abroad-definition-benefits.html

“How Does Bowling Green State University Rank Among America’s Best Colleges?” U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report, 2017. Web. 22 April 2017. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/bowling-green-state-university-3018

“Madrid Travel Costs and Prices.” Budget Your Trip. Budget Your Trip, 2 February 2017. 12 April 2017. http://www.budgetyourtrip.com/budgetreportadv.php?geonameid=3117735&countrysearch=&country_code=&categoryid=0&budgettype=2&triptype=0&startdate=&enddate=&travelerno=0

Maruoka, Asako. “The Many Benefits of Leisure Travel.” Wandering Educators. 3 December 2011. 13 April 2017. https://www.wanderingeducators.com/best/traveling/many-benefits-leisure-travel.html

“Office of Programs for Study Abroad : Graduate Students.” Purdue University Study Abroad. Purdue University, 2015. Web. 22 April 2017. https://www.studyabroad.purdue.edu/students/Graduate.cfm

“Office of Programs for Study Abroad : Program Search.” Purdue University Study Abroad. Purdue University, 2015. Web. 22 April 2017. https://www.studyabroad.purdue.edu/programs/search.cfm

Peterson, Hannah. “6 Reasons Why Traveling Abroad is Important for Young People.” Greenheart Travel. 2016. 15 April 2017. https://greenhearttravel.org/inspiration-for-travel/6-reasons-why-traveling-abroad-is-important-for-young-people

Siddiq, Adam. “9 Wonderful Benefits Of Traveling.” Lifehack. 2017. 16 March 2017. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/9-wonderful-benefits-traveling.html

Undergraduate study abroad benefits and challenges

Most universities and colleges in the United States are undergraduate focused schools and the majority of their students are enrolled accordingly. On average, full time undergraduate students will receive their bachelor’s degree within four years at a university. Many times students will not continue on to graduate school after receiving their bachelor’s degree. When considering these ideas, it is logical to believe that more undergraduate students engage in study abroad than graduate students. Undergraduate students are more likely to engage in study abroad travel due to their academic flexibility, more opportunities, and various other factors. Undergraduate students are required to take a number of general education courses during their freshmen and sophomore years that may not relate to their major or minor. Many times, students will participate in study abroad during freshmen or sophomore year because their academic schedule is more flexible than later in their undergraduate studies. It may be easier for undergraduate students to participate in study abroad because many of the courses they are taking at their university are offered at study abroad institutions internationally. This is due to the fact that undergraduate courses are less specific than many graduate courses. In addition to flexible academic schedules, there are many more opportunities for undergraduate students to study abroad than for graduate students. At Purdue University, there are 466 study abroad programs offered to undergraduate students in places ranging from Argentina to Zambia. However, when searching for graduate study abroad trips at PU, only 38 opportunities are available ranging from Belize to the United Kingdom. The lack of opportunities for graduate students and the abundance for undergraduate students contributes to the difficulties of study abroad for graduate students. Finally, undergraduate students are more likely to participate in study abroad programs because of their current work and personal life situations. Undergraduate students are usually unemployed and most likely do not have children or spouses that they need to support, unlike many graduate students. This makes study abroad much easier for undergraduate students because they are most likely not held back by work or family. All in all, undergraduate study abroad is much easier and has less difficulties when compared to graduate study abroad due to academic flexibility, more opportunities, and various other factors.

All about graduate study abroad

 Many universities and colleges offer programs that allow students to work towards receiving their master’s degree by enrolling as a graduate student. When students attend graduate school, they will receive their master’s degree in about two years. Often times, students who attend undergraduate school will not go on to receive their master’s degree, unless their career requires it. Many graduate students return to school later in life to further their education or to become better educated for their job. Graduate students most likely will pursue their master’s degree after they have already secured a job position. Employers may fully or partially pay for their employees to attend graduate school if their position requires them to have their master’s degree. Graduate students are often expected to have already participated in study abroad during undergraduate school in order to be better prepared for their career and for graduate school. According to Purdue University, academic course schedules for graduate students are often much more complicated, challenging, and strict, allowing less room for students to study abroad if they want to complete their degree on time. This limits graduate students mainly to participate in national study abroad as opposed to international study abroad. Considering the small number of study abroad programs already offered for graduate students, this restriction further decreases that number. Additionally, if students participate in study abroad, they may miss time from work and from their families which could cause conflict. Although there are many difficulties and disadvantages to graduate study abroad, there are some benefits to it. The graduate students that are able to study abroad, often experience a much richer and deeper results than undergraduate study abroad students (Purdue University). Additionally, graduate students may be able to participate in study abroad trips that are closely linked to their current career or future career aspirations (Purdue University). Graduate students may also be able to travel for longer periods of time than undergraduate students, depending on their degree requirements and work and personal life. This will result in a deeper understanding of the culture and the content that the students learned while abroad. Graduate “students are also eligible for University scholarships and financial aid, which may be applied to program fees” (Purdue University). This allows students to continue their education and travel while paying little to no additional money to attend graduate school. To sum up, graduate study abroad offers many benefits however there are also many disadvantages.

Undergraduate or Graduate Students; Who Should Study Abroad?

Many people of all ages engage in travel, including leisure travel and study abroad travel. A large portion of international travel can be attributed to college students who participate in study abroad programs. Study abroad offers many benefits to college students including foreign exposure, creative thinking, and the opportunity to travel while still taking college courses for little or no extra money than the student is already spending on tuition. When it comes to college students who are interested in and engage in study abroad, an overwhelming majority are undergraduate college students. Many colleges offer both undergraduate and graduate programs for students of all ages. One of the major differences between undergraduate and graduate programs is that undergraduate programs are four years long while graduate programs can be completed in two years. Most students who attend a university as an undergraduate student will not continue on to graduate school to complete their master’s degree. According to U.S. News and World Report, 85% of the students attending BGSU are enrolled as undergraduate students. With this statistic in mind, undergraduate students are more likely to engage in study abroad than graduate students. This essay will discuss what study abroad looks like for graduate and undergraduate students including the difficulties and opportunities for each. Undergraduate students are more likely to engage in study abroad travel than graduate students due to their academic flexibility, more opportunities, and various other factors such as work and family situations.

Study abroad disadvantages and difficulties

One of the few disadvantages of study abroad programs is that students participating would not be able to see their friends and family for three to four months. Some college students may feel as though this alone is too big of a sacrifice. However, there are plenty of opportunities for students to meet new people and make many friends while abroad. Adam Siddiq, author of “9 Wonderful Benefits of Traveling” mentions that “something magical happens in how people can show up more raw and real when they’re out of their conditioned environment and open to express themselves without feeling judged. That rawness and realness ends up inspiring others to be authentic, and that’s how you can become best friends with people when you’ve only known them for a few hours.” College students who opt for study abroad often go into the experience with an open mind and willingness to be authentic. This attitude will help students to attract authentic friends and create meaningful friendships while abroad that may even last a lifetime. Students who study abroad will live with host families during their study abroad. This opportunity itself will allow students to create deep, meaningful relationships with the families they are living with. All in all, the benefits of study abroad programs outweigh the disadvantages. Especially when compared to leisure travel, making study abroad programs the ideal travel option for college students.

Study abroad details and benefits

Study abroad programs offer more benefits than leisure travel with a lesser number of disadvantages for numerous reasons. Study abroad programs allow students to be able to continue to pursue academic goals while incurring little or no additional cost over the price of tuition that is already being paid to the university. Also, study abroad program offer many of the same benefits as traditional vacations or leisure travel. Study abroad is defined by Professor Andrew Diamond as a “term given to a program, usually run through a university, which allows a student to live in a foreign country and attend a foreign university.” Study abroad programs are offered at most colleges and universities as opportunities to fulfill educational requirements while living in and exploring in a foreign country in a structured way. Many benefits are gained through study abroad programs such as the ability for college students to travel to desirable destinations while receiving credit towards their university major or minor. For example, Bowling Green State University (BGSU) offers a study abroad program in Alcalá, Madrid, Spain in which students can take 14 courses including five courses which are required to obtain a major or minor in Spanish. All courses offered on this study abroad trip are worth three credit hours each. Students who choose to partake in this study abroad program will be able to take up to 18 credit hours while living and learning in Alcalá, Madrid, Spain for 15 weeks. This would be very beneficial to many college students who are looking to travel to foreign countries without taking a break from pursuing their educational goals. In addition to taking up to 18 credit hours, BGSU study abroad students will be able to participate in a minimum of 12 excursions throughout the semester that allow them to learn more about the culture and history of Madrid and surrounding cities. Not only will students broaden their experiences through excursions and by immersing themselves in the culture while studying abroad, but their creativity will also improve. Brent Crane, author of the article “For a More Creative Brain, Travel” discusses how in recent years, psychologists and neuroscientists have discovered “that spending time abroad may have the potential to affect mental change. In general, creativity is related to neuroplasticity, or how the brain is wired. Neural pathways are influenced by environment and habit, meaning they’re also sensitive to change: New sounds, smells, language, tastes, sensations, and sights spark different synapses in the brain and may have the potential to revitalize the mind.” When students are immersed into a new culture and learn about what it offers, new synapses are created in their brains, which develop into more overall creativity and understanding. This can lead to greater success in school and later in life. An additional benefit of traveling through a study abroad program is that it will most likely cost little or no more money than a student is already paying for school expenses. Through BGSU, a study abroad trip to Alcalá, Madrid, Spain would cost roughly $94 per person per day including room, board, meals, cultural excursions, and tuition. This is almost $200 less per person per day than a tradition leisure vacation would cost to the same area. Additionally, while studying abroad tuition and other fees will still be partially, if not fully, covered by federal loans, private loans, scholarships, and grants, which can significantly lower the total cost. The low cost of study abroad along with the many opportunities to lower it, contribute to one of the many benefits of study abroad programs.

Leisure travel difficulties

On the other hand, traveling for leisure is much more expensive than traveling through a study abroad program. When considering that traveling through study abroad is most likely fully covered by federal and private loans, this makes leisure travel much more expensive in the moment compared to study abroad programs. Leisure traveling often demands full payment at the time of the trip when study abroad can be paid for by loans at the time of the trip and paid back after graduation. According to Budget Your Trip, traveling to Madrid, Spain will cost an average of $292 per person per day. This is a large sum of money for college students who often only make and have enough money to pay the bare minimum expenses of living. Additionally, many college students many must take time off school to vacation and when they do so, will not receive college credit for their time off. This may set students behind semesters or years and cost them thousands of dollars (BGSU). The benefits gained from leisure travel are very different when compared to the benefits gained from study abroad programs that focus on immersing students into a new culture to discover and learn. Brent Crane, author of “For A More Creative Brain, Travel” features comments from Professor Adam Galinsky from Columbia Business School. Galinsky believes that “The key, critical process is multicultural engagement, immersion, and adaptation. Someone who lives abroad and doesn’t engage with the local culture will likely get less of a creative boost than someone who travels abroad and really engages in the local environment.” This quote reinforces the idea that students may benefit more from living in the country and culture with its natives, versus vacationing and staying in a hotel with their friends. Although there are benefits from activities students engage in during leisure travel such as relaxing, sightseeing, and exploring, the overall disadvantages of the cost and the time away from academic studies outweigh the benefits.

The benefits and details of leisure travel

One of the most popular modes of travel for all people is leisure travel. Many times college students will participate in leisure travel with their families and / or friends. Leisure travel according to Travel Industry Dictionary is defined as “travel undertaken for pleasure, as opposed to business travel.” When families and friends travel together, it is most likely for leisure purposes versus academic purposes. Traveling for leisure has many advantages and benefits, but it also has some disadvantages. One of the advantages of leisure travel is that there is more freedom and flexibility to choose and alter one’s own schedule. Individuals who utilize this mode of travel are not tied to an academic schedule and may not have any academic responsibilities while traveling. Students traveling for leisure have more freedom to choose when they wake, eat, sleep, and how they spend their time. Additionally, students will be able to choose where to stay, where to eat, who to be with, and what activities to engage in. This allows individuals to create their own schedule, making time to do anything from relaxing to sightseeing to exploring, possibly leading to a higher rate of overall happiness while traveling. Asako Maruoka, author of “The Many Benefits to Leisure Travel” explains that “traveling revitalizes and refreshes not only your body, but most importantly, your mind and soul as well.” Traveling for leisure allows students to relax, unwind, and explore on their own time, often resulting in a well-rested college student who may be far better positioned to be focused, productive, and engaged in their academic responsibilities upon their return.

Leisure Travel or Study Abroad? Considerations for College Students.

College students are often faced with many opportunities while completing their academic studies. Such opportunities include, but are not limited to joining clubs, rushing a sorority or fraternity, taking extra credit hours, and joining athletic teams, for example. Students may choose one or more of these options while attending a university or college. Many times, students are also offered the opportunity to travel with their families, friends, or to study abroad through programs offered by their college or university. Research has shown that study abroad programs offer the most advantages with the least disadvantages while helping students to “get out of [their] comfort zone” and to “build confidence” (Crane & Peterson). However, some argue that studying abroad provides fewer experiences and opportunities than traveling for leisure with family and friends. The next few blog posts will highlight some of the benefits that college students may gain from travel in general. Additionally, they will explore the different modes of travel and some of the advantages and disadvantages of each. There are many different modes of travel available to college students however study abroad programs offer the most benefits with the least disadvantages because students will be able to continue to pursue academic goals, it will cost little or no more than the tuition already charged by the university, and the benefits are the same if not more than traditional vacations.