study abroad « OSU Abroad

CIEE – Council on International Educational Exchange – has officially been partnered with OSU since 2006, and over 60 OSU students have studied abroad in 24 different countries thus far. All of the CIEE programs are approved at OSU and available to all eligible students.

Studying abroad is for more than language majors. It’s for anyone who wants to indulge a passion, explore a fascination, or challenge the status quo—of the wide world or their personal routine. CIEE has sent students abroad since 1947; since the late 1960s, we have been developing our own study abroad programs. We partner with universities to create a CIEE Study Center, staffed with a CIEE-employed Resident Director and often other support staff available to students around the clock. We offer courses at the host university and at times develop program-specific courses available only to CIEE students, including a critical analysis of the host culture. We offer quality academics alongside opportunities for cultural immersion such as excursions, homestays, volunteer opportunities, and internships with the goal of providing the highest quality study abroad experiences.

We have the widest range of programs in the world and we can help shape your study abroad experience according to major, location, semester, language, activities, and more.

With CIEE, you’ll make the most of your program through guided excursions, field study and internship programs, volunteering, conversation exchanges, and homestays. Meet new friends, enjoy unique experiences, and gain a new perspective on the world. And, you’ll do all that and still graduate on time.

With more than 125 programs in 41 countries you’ll definitely find the perfect one for you. Study abroad with CIEE and earn credit for courses in business, natural or social science, humanities—and everything in between. Go for a semester, a year, or a summer. Don’t speak a foreign language? Don’t let that scare you: Almost half of our study abroad programs don’t have a language prerequisite.

Still undecided, how about these reasons to choose CIEE:

We provide the widest selection of study abroad programs
We deliver the ultimate learning opportunity—both in and out of the classroom
Our local-savvy staff ensures student safety and program quality
We’re committed to exceeding expectations—read alumni program evaluations online
We offer extensive pre-departure support

Don’t just take our word for it though, read blog entries from the people that know our programs the best—our participants. Visit www.ciee.org/blogs to get a first-hand perspective on what it’s like to study abroad with CIEE from our participants and staff overseas. You can also learn more about our programs by visiting us on Facebook to look at photos, connect with recently accepted students, or ones that are returning from their time abroad.

To find the program that’s perfect for you, visit www.ciee.org/study to begin your study abroad experience today. For more information for OSU students, visit the OSU Education Abroad website.

In 2007 I decided to serve an LDS mission where I spent 18 months in Southern Argentina. For the first time I was completely immersed in a whole new language and culture. I saw things like one man with four kids on a bicycle, a dog that rides on top of the car (and barks at people), penguins that walk around your feet, and huge whales alongside the dock. Argentina became a second home to me. Upon my return I determined that just visiting a foreign land isn’t as amazing as living in one. This experience later led to studying abroad at Macquarie University in Australia, and completing an IE3 Global Internship experience with the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, Africa. It is safe to say that I am completely addicted to traveling abroad.

Now as an International Ambassador and IE3 Peer Mentor for OSU I have the opportunity to help other students prepare themselves to go abroad as well. As I talk to other students about where they want to go, applying, preparing, and everything else to travel abroad, I want to make sure their experience is as spectacular as possible. Traveling doesn’t have to empty your bank account, be a frightening experience, or ruin your plans for getting a degree.

Being an Animal Behavior and Psychology major I had no clue how much traveling abroad would actually help me with the my hopes for a future career. I was able to take classes specifically on animal communication in Australia that isn’t offered here at OSU.

Later I had hands on experience doing research with cheetahs in Africa.

Working with the International Programs is like the dream job for me because I frequently get to talk about my experience during the First Steps Meeting, help others make a plan for their own experience, and learn about all the amazing programs offered at OSU. The only unfortunate part is that I hear about so many amazing programs I just want to go abroad every second! Going abroad really is the experience of a lifetime.

– after having participated in an international program –

The 3rd annual Northwest Returnee Conference for education abroad students will be held on January 22, 2011, in Portland OR.

So you participated in a study abroad or international internship program, and now you’re back on campus. It may seem strange to be back in Corvallis, hanging out with your “old” friends and settling back into your normal student life at OSU, after spending a term, semester, or entire academic year abroad. Do you miss the friends you made abroad? Do you think about new favorite food and music you discovered while overseas? Are your friends and family tired of listening to your stories about India, South Africa, New Zealand, or Costa Rica? But you can’t help mentioning the country and culture that you now consider a part of you?

The Northwest Returnee Conference provides a place to meet other education abroad returnees from various institutions in the region and an opportunity to reflect and build on your overseas experience. The concurrent sessions will give participants the chance to learn about opportunities in academic and professional fields and how to utilize skills and knowledge gained through the participation in international programs. Here are brief descriptions of some of the sessions:

*International Career Panel: Meet professionals from different fields who have had various international experiences and are now applying the skills and knowledge they gained while abroad.

*Abroad Again: Learn more ways to return to where you studied/interned or to explore other parts of the world for additional academic and/or professional experiences.

*Graduate Schools & Programs: Considering continuing your education beyond OSU? There are plenty of graduate programs in which your international experience becomes the foundation of learning and research.

*International Resume Building: How can you articulate your international experience in your resume? Should a resume for overseas employers be prepared differently? Bring a copy of your own and learn how to make it stand out.

Any students who participated in international programs in the last few years, including recent graduates, are invited to the conference. Register today through the conference website.

Cawley_DarEsSalaam_F09 — Jessy Cawley, in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Jessy Cawley, a Civil Engineering major, participated in the CIEE Tanzania program in 2009.

I studied in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania during the Fall and Winter terms of 2009. Dar es Salaam has a population of almost 2.5 million people. As months passed, I explored more and more of the city, visiting another mtaa, or neighborhood, and the anxious bustling somehow transformed into a vivacious tranquility. The first time I rode on the public transportation, a small bus called a “dala-dala”, Beyonce was booming from the stereo and school children navigated on and off the stops wearing their cute blue and white uniforms. I’m continually grateful for my time there. The University of Dar es Salaam is similar in size to our own Oregon State University. I’ve often reflected on my time there. You never know what you’ll learn before you leave for a great adventure to a new place. With every new person/place/circumstance abroad, I learned so much about my own culture and perspective because of the differences and similarities.
I can’t describe the things I’ve learned since going to Tanzania or the things that I’ve observed since returning. If our daily lives were a radio, I somehow have picked up many more stations than I could have tuned into before. I imagined I would learn a lot about other cultures and share my own, and I did. I really learned a lot about American culture, and I also watched my views on race, poverty, health, and religion evolve in different ways. I refuse to claim I now understand the whole picture, but a lot of stereotypes dissolved. I really encourage all students to study abroad in Tanzania or anywhere you feel lead to go. Also, I really encourage other students to meet the international students on our campus because we, the people of the world, really affect one another in good ways.

Karin Bucht at Isalo National Park in Madagascar

Karin Bucht, Environmental Science and International Studies Degrees, is spending Fall 2010 on an SIT study abroad program on biodiversity in Madagascar. The following is an excerpt from her own blog.

So I’m back in Antananarivo, the capital for the next week. Since Tulear; we road tripped through Madagascar, visiting several different Parks and protected areas. The first place we stopped was Isalo National Park, which was incredible, even though a large portion had been burned several weeks before by an out of control brush fire. The rocks and the views were incredible.

Our second stop along our roadtrip was Anjy, which is a community managed protected area. The best thing about Anjy, we found out the next morning. First off, while waiting for breakfast; a group of ringtail lemurs came and passed by our campsite. Later that morning we did a circuit tour where we learned that the lemurs passing by our campsite was just the beginning of our lemur experience. According to our guides, about 400 ringtails live in Anjy, in

groups of about 20. Being a community managed protected area, the lemurs here have never been hunted by locals and are very accustomed to humans. So when we did our circuit tour, we found ourselves in the midst of a group, with lemurs passing overhead. The hike also included some great views, but the lemurs were definitely the highlight. It seems pretty incredible to find lemurs here more approachable than they were at a private reserve (called Berenty) that we visited in the south. I’m still in Tana now, enjoying a reasonably fast cybercafé and getting lots of practice with the french keyboard. Veloma!

group shot in Isalo — Karin and her SIT classmates at Isalo National Park

Iceland’s hydrogen economy and reliance on geothermal energy make it a model for sustainability. Tor Benson explores some of the sites that make this North Atlantic nation so unique. OSU students can see for themselves this summer on the study abroad program Iceland: Civilization and Sustainability.

Tor Benson exploring Iceland's waterfalls

My second weekend in Europe I received an invitation to go Arnar’s family’s summer house for the weekend which is about an hour out of Reykjavik. It is very common for an Icelandic family to have a “summer” house where they go and relax from after a busy work week. On our way to the summer house we stopped by a pumping station that provides hot water to the city which is used to heat their houses and shower. A favorite area to have a summer house is near the Golden Circle which is within an hour of Reykjavik. The Golden Circle is known for its geyser called Strukker, a waterfall called Gullfoss (The largest waterfall in Europe by volume), and the Althingi which is where the first Icelandic and arguably the first democracy in the world was established. The university has a tour at a reasonable price of around 25 dollars but the personal tour with Arnar’s family was a definite plus. On Sunday Arnar, his girlfriend and I went to the Althingi which is a very picturesque location overlooking a valley and lake.

With one in ten Icelanders writing a book, it is no surprise that we met an Icelander who is writing a book on day hikes around Reykjavik and charged us about 15 dollars a trip to go on a hike with wherever he was going on Saturdays and Sundays. On one such trip an Estonian friend of mine from my Icelandic Vocabulary course invited me to go along for the first time. On this trip we along with two girls from Spain, two guys one from Austria and one from Germany along with our Icelandic guide, Gunnlaugur or Gulli, and three Icelanders. We drove about two hour north of Reykjavik and hiked/climbed a 2800 ft mountain. On my second trip I invited my friends from my dorm and met up with four other international students. We went to a 2400 ft hill overlooking Reykjavik and went to a neighboring town and went swimming. There are twelve swimming pools in Reykjavik alone and cost about a dollar fifty to use the pool, hot tub, and sauna.

The Blue Lagoon is a favorite spot to relax near a major renewable energy source

When my father came to visit I decided it was time to spend the money and go to the Blue Lagoon which is about ten dollars for students going to the University of Iceland but around thirty-five for adults. It is something to see and well worth the money. It is a natural hot spot that was deepened but has a very characteristic blue color due to silica and sulfur present in the water along with algae. The boiling water is initially pumped out of the ground and used to drive turbines and then cooled to about 100 degrees and added to the lagoon. It is situated in an old lava field about a half hour out of Reykjavik making it a favorite stop off before the airport.

The first week of November four exchange students rented a car for a day trip to Snaefellsnes Peninsula to see Snaefellsjokull. Jokull in Icelandic simply means glacier, with Vatnajökull in southern Iceland being the largest glacier in Europe. I had been to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula a month before but the roads were just as clear and the weather was even better. When you have a full car of people it is relatively easy and cheap to rent a car. After the glacier we drove to a fishing village called Riv and found some Icelandic horses that were more than willing to accept a carrot. No horses have been imported to Iceland since the 1600’s making them very distinct in their low stature.

Icelandic horses are known for their distinct stature and bloodlines

I know it’s Winter break, but study abroad scholarship deadlines for summer, fall, and academic year-long programs are going to come up fast! The Boren campus deadline is in January, PKP is in February, and there are more in March and April. Now is the perfect time to get started!

By applying for scholarships, you’re essentially asking a stranger to help you pay for your experience abroad. You have to make your request stand out! Here are a few tips to make your application the most convincing one possible.

• Review eligibility criteria & ensure you meet ALL necessary requirements before applying! If you meet some, but not all, or have any questions, contact the giving organization.

• Learn about the organization providing the scholarship.

o Why did they create the scholarship? What do they hope that students will accomplish with the money?

o Be sure to address how you fit those interests/needs in your application, particularly the essay.

• Answer all the questions they ask in the essay. Your essay should address every point they’re looking for in a concise, and engaging manner. Remember that the essay is usually your only chance to distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicant pool!

• Proofread. Then proofread again. Even one error could take you out of the running. Watch for tricky misspellings like “aboard” vs. “abroad”. Take advantage of the Writing Center for something this important!

• Choose references wisely. If your scholarship requires references, put some thought into who can best represent you.

o Make sure your reference(s) know you well and are appropriate for the scholarship. (Never use a family member as a reference!)

o Get to know professors before references are required, or at least hold on to some of your papers/assignments to help jog a professor’s memory of you.

o Provide a summary of the scholarship program so that the professor can speak to your abilities as they relate to that organization.

Those are just a few things you can do to make sure you’re the best candidate possible. For more information on scholarships, and upcoming deadlines, see the scholarship listings website.

Good luck!

OSU Abroad

knowledge without borders

Category Archives: study abroad

Study Abroad with CIEE

Life as an International Ambassador

Welcome back…and now what?

Tuning in to Tanzania

Biodiversity in Madagascar

Glacial Hikes and Geothermal Power

Scholarship Tips!

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