The importance of an experience abroad
The U Curve Hypothesis states that there are multiple stages in an individual’s experience abroad: the honeymoon, crisis, recovery and adjustment stages. The honeymoon stage is the state of infatuation with the country or place one is being immersed in. The crisis stage can be related to the differences the student experiences.
Once students realize how to conquer problems, they enter the recovery and adjustment stages where they can re-adjust their view or mindset of the situation.
“When you start coming back up on the right side of the U, it is because you have started to integrate some of those differences into your new life,” Dr. Harvey Charles, Vice Provost for International Education, said.
“You are actually becoming a different person, and this is why study abroad is so important, because you can not help but to be influenced by the differences around you,” Charles said.
NAU’s Center for International Education prepares students for opportunities abroad by helping them develop the skills they need to become global citizens
“Students grow a lot when they study abroad,” Eric Deschamps, Director of Education Abroad, said.
“When they see a different part of the world and they’re forced to navigate a different country, a different language, and a different culture. That can be hard but I think that allows students to grow through that challenge.”
According to Association for International Educators, students that study abroad or are involved in exchange programs tend to be far better prepared for the 21st century.
“I feel that globalization is becoming more prominent and communication is easier than ever with technology and people are opening up to that,” Emma Holmes, Assistant to the Vice Provost said.
Holmes studied abroad during her undergraduate career and feels that studying abroad can open people’s eyes to a new culture that they wouldn’t normally experience. She encourages people to push themselves because if they don’t they will not learn.
“Being abroad means that you are in a different cultural space. The cues that order what constitutes the familiar are very different,” Charles said.
Students studying abroad are able to discover new aspects of themselves; they can integrate with individuals from different nations and thus discover new information and technology. Studying abroad provides students with a new perspective on different cultures.
NAU’s course structure has integrated internationalization into their curriculum. This gives an advantage to the students attending NAU because there is a lot of diversity on campus that can help make the transition abroad easier.
“A curriculum that is structured to prepare students to be globally competent is one that helps students to understand both the subject of study and the discipline itself from a global perspective,” Holmes said.
NAU’s curriculum and the Center for International Education make it possible for students to immerse themselves in countries all over the world. NAU has developed a number of short-term programs for students to go overseas for roughly 3 weeks. However there are other programs offered such as a semester abroad, international internships and research, and international student exchange. Dr. Charles mentioned that it is very important for students to realize that they can’t have an immersion experience with the short-term program. The longer a student is exposed to a new culture the easier it becomes for them to make a self-transformation.
The Global Learning Initiative strives to ensure that students develop global perspectives through academic discipline. The co-curriculum and the Liberal Studies Program use strategic ways to sustain this process. NAU offers a wide range of places to travel and a variety of different programs. NAU offers scholarships to make studying abroad a more affordable option for students.
