BootsnAll Travel Community

I'll be starting college next fall (Purdue University) and of course, I'm already looking into my options to study abroad . So my question is, has anyone gone abroad for 2 years, either at the same school or different? I know that it's physically possible but I want to know how it affected graduation, if you still completed everything in 4 years. The major I'm planning on, electrical & computer engineering technology, has a direct exchange with Hong Kong Polytechnic University, so I figured i'd study there for a year, but I also wanted to go to Australia for a year.

Any insights?

i know someone who is american who went straight from high school to a university in italy for a year...then she "transferred" into an american school as a sophomore. that kid had some guts!!

see if your school participates in ISEP.. int'l student exchange program, it is a DIRECT exchange and better than a lot of programs out there.

zopa

i was in spain for a year, and i am still graduating on time...actually, i could graduate a semester early. but, if you go to Hong Kong and take classes in your major you should be fine. It also depends on how many hours you take a semester. I always took around 18, so that helped, too. Anyways, my advice: do it. you wont regret it. you'll regret it if you don't.

I went straight from high school to university in Scotland, been here two years, and plan on finishing the degree here, and probably staying overseas for the masters/phd thing also.

As long as your original school will accept the credits I don't see why you can't do both.

Talk to your advisor when you are there. If it is doable, it will help to plan out your classes and major. It is difficult for a lot of people to accomplish because they take random courses at the beginning of their college career (which has its benifits), so they have a lot of requirements to make up at the end. I studied abroad in 3 locations (a semester each) because I planned ahead and knew that was priority. I also made the experiences a major part of my undergrad work (culture and education). ALso, don't forget about the summers. You can take summer classes or participate in programs in other countries too!

Enjoy it!

id say its possible, but i would ask you why?

I mean your only concern is how many credits you can take away from your university and still graduate? I know at my school you could only take a certain number of credits not at UMass that were accepted, especially ones for your major...A lot of people take just general education requirements abroad, fortunately for me i had a direct exchange similar to you

I'm halfway through my first year at McGill University (in Canada... which, considering I'm from the US, could almost be counted as study abroad in itself depending on how loosely the term is interpreted!) and I'm extremely seriously considering transferring to the American University in Cairo for the rest of my university education.

McGill is definitely a better uni. than the one in Cairo, academically speaking, and it wouldn't really make a lot of sense to go through with the transfer if it were only appealing for the "study abroad" aspect... but my major is Middle East studies (concentrating on Arabic).

I'm still not sure about this; there are a lot of issues to be addressed (safety, working, what I'd do in the summers, etc). I'd be pretty damn excited if it worked out, though.

you at the harvard of canada and great institution, you want to go there for a semester do it, but personally I wouldn't do it for longer...

I've spent 3 semesters abroad ( a year in France and a semester in Rome), and it can be possible if you go in with enough credits and plan carefully with your university.

Some advice though- I have missed out on a lot on campus. I haven't been able to get deeply involved in any student organizations, I have repeatedly made new friends just to turn around and leave again and when I return for my senior year I will find about half my friends have graduated and many more will be abroad for their own amazing adventures.

That said, I wouldn't change a thing. Yes, I would love to have done more back home and I miss my friends (at home and abroad) dearly, but for me travel has been a dream for as long as I can remember and University (and particularly scholarship aid) have offered me an opportunity I won't easily have later in life.

So consider strongly your priorities. Plan as though you will spend 2 years abroad to keep the option open, but keep an open mind and if, after your freshman year, you feel like the campus experience is more imporant (and it can be), don't be afraid to change your mind. But if you decide 2 years abroad is more pressing- jump at the option and have the time of your life!