Re: "Study Abroad" is it worth it? OP pg.5 #61

[StuffedGrapeLeaves]

2) The educational benefit of the vocational activites. 
         If it were me, I would look into whether or not that could be reproduced outside of the trip.  I would guess that most of them could.

I would guess exactly the opposite.  A fashion show in Des Moines* is simply not going to have the same feel as Paris Fashion Week. The opportunity to actually meet or be near famous designers and makeup artists etc would be invaluable, I would imagine. 

*random city

In addition to the differences of attending a different fashion show, I suspect there is a significant difference in what one gets out of attending such a show in a group of other students in the field versus attending alone. If she attends such an event on her own, the only things she'll get out of it are what she herself notices. If she attends with a group of people in her field, there will presumably be a lot of discussion (either official discussion led by a group leader or just spontaneous comments) that will bring up things she wouldn't have noticed or thought about on her own.

Plus she may not get the same opportunities to attend the fashion shows if she is by herself, as opposed to doing it through a group. 

[Yvaine]

2) The educational benefit of the vocational activites. 
         If it were me, I would look into whether or not that could be reproduced outside of the trip.  I would guess that most of them could.

I would guess exactly the opposite.  A fashion show in Des Moines* is simply not going to have the same feel as Paris Fashion Week. The opportunity to actually meet or be near famous designers and makeup artists etc would be invaluable, I would imagine. 

*random city

In addition to the differences of attending a different fashion show, I suspect there is a significant difference in what one gets out of attending such a show in a group of other students in the field versus attending alone. If she attends such an event on her own, the only things she'll get out of it are what she herself notices. If she attends with a group of people in her field, there will presumably be a lot of discussion (either official discussion led by a group leader or just spontaneous comments) that will bring up things she wouldn't have noticed or thought about on her own.

Plus she may not get the same opportunities to attend the fashion shows if she is by herself, as opposed to doing it through a group.

This is an extremely good point. A lot of events will admit groups from schools they're familiar with but not random solo attendees.

[Moray]

OP, this sounds like a really great opportunity for your daughter. How exciting!

[PAC430]

I spent two entire years studying at the University in Salzburg Austria my junior year and first year of grad school. It was the most rewarding experience both educationally and emotionally. I think a 10 day trip would be considered more of a cultural experience than a true study abroad type experience.

[Outdoor Girl]

I see this trip as more of a holiday with some educational components that will be helpful but not crucial to your daughter's success in her current field of study.

That said, if you/she can afford it, let her go.  I think life experience can only help kids as they move into adulthood.

I had friends who did the Rotary exchanges in high school.  They would go to another country for the school year or at least one semester and a student from that country would then come here.  There would be more than one student in a particular area and outings would be arranged with all the exchange students and their host families.  But because of the differences in the education systems, invariably, it meant you lost your year and you'd have to go a year longer.  Which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it wasn't something I was willing to risk so I didn't sign up.

[Sophia]

2) The educational benefit of the vocational activites. 
         If it were me, I would look into whether or not that could be reproduced outside of the trip.  I would guess that most of them could.

I would guess exactly the opposite.  A fashion show in Des Moines* is simply not going to have the same feel as Paris Fashion Week. The opportunity to actually meet or be near famous designers and makeup artists etc would be invaluable, I would imagine. 

*random city

In addition to the differences of attending a different fashion show, I suspect there is a significant difference in what one gets out of attending such a show in a group of other students in the field versus attending alone. If she attends such an event on her own, the only things she'll get out of it are what she herself notices. If she attends with a group of people in her field, there will presumably be a lot of discussion (either official discussion led by a group leader or just spontaneous comments) that will bring up things she wouldn't have noticed or thought about on her own.

Plus she may not get the same opportunities to attend the fashion shows if she is by herself, as opposed to doing it through a group.

I was talking about the same city, but maybe not the exact show.  Say the group trip included a major fashion show in Milan.  Maybe a different major fashion show in Milan might allow a solo student.  I really don't know, though. 

[Slartibartfast]

The benefits of going with a group really depend on the group.  If the group is mostly made up of 18-21-year-old Americans, the group may feel the trip is more about drinking themselves silly than about learning    (This was my experience in France and the UK, my DH's experience in Germany, my sister's experience in Greece and Rome, and several friends' experience in various countries, so I feel comfortable saying it's probably pretty common.)  If that's the case, she's probably better off doing a trip by herself sometime to gain the cultural background (if that's what you're going for).

That said, if the trip is planned well and the students are a bit more mature, I can definitely see how it would be a valuable experience.  Whether it would be valuable *enough* to balance out the financial cost of going is something only you can answer.

[bonyk]

Like someone else said up thread, not studying abroad is one of my few regrets.    If you can afford it, send her.

[heathert]

The benefits of going with a group really depend on the group.  If the group is mostly made up of 18-21-year-old Americans, the group may feel the trip is more about drinking themselves silly than about learning    (This was my experience in France and the UK, my DH's experience in Germany, my sister's experience in Greece and Rome, and several friends' experience in various countries, so I feel comfortable saying it's probably pretty common.)  If that's the case, she's probably better off doing a trip by herself sometime to gain the cultural background (if that's what you're going for).

That said, if the trip is planned well and the students are a bit more mature, I can definitely see how it would be a valuable experience.  Whether it would be valuable *enough* to balance out the financial cost of going is something only you can answer.

This was my experience as well. There were educational aspects but yes, there was heavy drinking.  Something to consider.

[RegionMom]

I went "on tour" with a HS music group summer before senior year, and while I had a great time, and was such a 'goodie-two-shoes" that I did not drink whilst most everyone else did, I wish I had spent more time stateside learning about where I was going so that I could absorb even more!

I took lots of photos, and did tours, but I had no clue of the historical and cultural and even religious significance that I was experiencing. 

There is a saying that youth is wasted on the young.  If your DD does some prep work beforehand, she will not waste this time.  Ten days is not a study abroad, but she can make memories that will last a life time.

If she can pitch in on costs (even sign a contract for house chores, payment plans, grades, whatever) I agree with others that she should go.

She will make of it what is valuable to her, if she "earns" it by preparing. 

I wish her well! 

[TurtleDove]

 There were educational aspects but yes, there was heavy drinking.  Something to consider.

I think people who are going to drink heavily will do so stateside as well.  It's not a given part of the experience.  For me, in Spain, I spent a lot of time in clubs and discoteques.  I did not drink heavily because it was not my personality.  Some did...the same ones who would have back in Nebraska.*

I think if the OP's daughter is not a hard partier now, she certainly wouldn't suddently become one just because she is in Paris.

*random state

[Slartibartfast]

 There were educational aspects but yes, there was heavy drinking.  Something to consider.

I think people who are going to drink heavily will do so stateside as well.  It's not a given part of the experience.  For me, in Spain, I spent a lot of time in clubs and discoteques.  I did not drink heavily because it was not my personality.  Some did...the same ones who would have back in Nebraska. 

I think if the OP's daughter is not a hard partier now, she certainly wouldn't suddently become one just because she is in Paris.

I wasn't meaning to imply that she would be drinking, necessarily, but it does make the trip a lot less educational when the rest of the group whines so much about having to see the Louvre that you get rushed through in half an hour so they can go get drunk sooner or when you can't appreciate just being in the amazing cathedral you're visiting because you're surrounded by peers who can't stop talking loudly about who got how drunk and did what with whom.  When you're on your own you have the freedom to leave in situations like that, but in group travel you sometimes have no choice.  I would have loved to do my two weeks in France with just about anyone other than my high school peers - I would have learned a lot more that way 

[ajbell]

One of the other things to consider is you said that she'll earn some credit hours for the trip.  How does the price break down for what she would be earning credit-wise?  For example, if she normally pays $800 for 3 credit hours (no idea, just throwing a number out there), but will be paying $2000 for the trip, but getting 6 hours, it seems to be a fair trade-off, even though she's paying for 2.5x credit hours, but only receiving 2x the hours.

I did a semester in London during my junior year of college, so it was more of the traditional study-abroad experience.  It was well worth it for me, as I had an internship and got some international prospective on my field of study.  Even though this is a considerably shorter time, I think it could provide your daughter with the same sort of thing.

Just my two cents worth.

[sunnygirl]

If the trip includes an invitation to Paris Fashion Week, than that really is an extraordinary and valuable experience -- those invites are gold dust (you can't buy them) and most shows restrict them to the media, buyers, VIPS, and important industry people. Of course there are more minor shows too and non-Fashion Week shows going on at different times of the year, but still, that's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

[Nora]

If the trip includes an invitation to Paris Fashion Week, than that really is an extraordinary and valuable experience -- those invites are gold dust (you can't buy them) and most shows restrict them to the media, buyers, VIPS, and important industry people. Of course there are more minor shows too and non-Fashion Week shows going on at different times of the year, but still, that's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I had to wash my moms car every week for a year, in Norway, all winter. One time the foam froze to the darned car. Mom believes in teaching the value of a crown.

Totally made the ski trip to Voss for a week worth it! I got hypermobility issues later in life, so I'm not allowed to ski anymore but I'll always have Voss!