Why You Should Study Abroad (and What Engineers Should Know)
As an incoming first-year student in fall of 2019, I knew that I wanted to study abroad at some point in my career at Drexel. Eager to figure out what my options were, I immediately started looking at them and discussing the prospect of it with peers and others at Drexel. And while the schedule of a Drexel education is demanding, as an environmental engineer who studied abroad during my sophomore year (even during the pandemic, to complicate things), I want to say, "Never fear! Your options are here!" Here are some key points in my planning process and realizations I had after I returned to the U.S. that can help convince you to consider studying abroad as an engineer during your time at Drexel.
Securing Funding
As a college student, one of the main worries with studying abroad is finding a way to fund it. You can find all sorts of scholarships available to people of different backgrounds, in different majors or with differing financial need by searching online, but you'll have even more help if you contact the Drexel Fellowship Office under the Office of Undergraduate Research and Enrichment Programs (UREP). They showed me all my options, including scholarships offered through Drexel specifically for study abroad. They also told me that if I had work study funding, I could apply to be a student blogger for the study abroad office and be reimbursed as long as I submit a certain number of posts during my term abroad. At the end of the day, I applied for and was awarded the Gilman Scholarship, which I felt gave me the best financial advantage by the time I left for my term abroad. The Fellowships Office helped me apply, revise my essay, and put me in the best position to win this competitive scholarship.
Having Travel Ideas Ready
Having a list of places ready to discuss with your study abroad advisor or a list of "must-haves" in a destination will be helpful. For example, I informed my advisor that I had a specific region in mind, East Asia, because I was interested in the culture and language of those countries. From there I also established that I would probably like to go with the cheapest option in terms of overall cost. This is how I decided to go to Seoul, South Korea. Deciding on a location and a university early in the application process will allow you more time to figure out what prior steps you will have to take to meet all deadlines. If you decide to study your intended host country's language, you may need to take language classes ahead of time and will also need to know what level of fluency you will need to achieve before you leave. Knowing the reasons why you picked a particular country or university will provide more of a purpose when writing essays about why you picked your destination.
Building Your Plan of Study Ahead of Time
Starting to plan your term abroad early enough in your college career ensures plenty of time to save some money and be aware of due dates. It's crucial to start early; this way, you'll also be able to see all the possible ways the rest of your time at Drexel will unfold and be able to adjust your curriculum accordingly. I walked into the Study Abroad Office on a whim in the middle of my first winter term here. That visit made me realize that the goal was more within reach than I initially thought. Making my decision on a university early in the process allowed me to rearrange my next few term schedules to make room for the semester abroad and to see how the prerequisite courses I needed to take impacted my plan of study.
There is a misconception that there is simply not enough room in the curriculum for engineering majors to study abroad, but that's not true! It is important to maintain flexibility with what study abroad goals can or cannot be achieved. For the CAEE Department, the curriculum is initially similar across the three majors (Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering), until a point in pre-junior year, so consider going abroad your sophomore year. You can also try to find equivalent classes at your host university that will match what you'd be studying at Drexel.
It's a Once in a Lifetime Chance
Studying abroad is a once in a lifetime chance to immerse yourself in a culture. It's a chance to force yourself to potentially apply foreign language skills (if applicable) in a university and local community setting. I improved my Korean speaking and listening fluency over my term abroad. It was also the first time I ever traveled outside of the country in my life, so I constantly felt as if I was having epiphanies and eye-opening experiences about culture differences. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that it was the most exciting and valuable experience I've had thus far. I was able to connect with so many peers not only from my host country but from all over the world. If you're interested in reading more about my experiences, read the blogs I wrote for the study abroad office.
If traveling seems like a far-off idea to you, like it once was for me, you should consider going to a study abroad 101 info session or schedule an appointment with the Study Abroad Office.