Myths steer students away from studying abroad

Myths about studying abroad might cost many students the opportunity to take their studies on the road.

VCU Education Abroad adviser Stephanie Davenport said approximately 500 of VCU’s 30,000 students study abroad each year. This low number of students, Davenport said, is often because of misconceptions.

“I think there are a lot of myths that students have. They think they are not going to be able to afford it. They think it is something for rich kids, which it’s not,” Davenport said. “Maybe it used to be in our parents’ generation, but it is not anymore.”

Davenport said studying abroad can be a cost-effective way to fulfill academic credits. Although the cost differs depending on the country a student chooses, often the cost of living abroad is less than the cost of living in Richmond.

VCU student Shoshannah Nunez, a mass communications major, will study in China this month. Nunez found her trip to be an inexpensive and exciting prospect. She said her entire trip, including plane tickets and visa, cost $1,290.

Davenport said there are scholarships available for students who are willing to apply. Not enough scholarships are available to students, said Italian intructor Cinzia Corubolo.

“I think that potentially all would like to go. One of the largest barriers is . the economic reason,” Corubolo said.

Corubolo also said scholarships and financial aid are not enough.

Another barrier is safety concerns. Students say their parents are fearful about them studying abroad and are sometimes unwilling to financially support their children’s trips, Davenport said.

“Not all of the time, but some of the time, students come in and say their parents are afraid for them to travel to another country,” Davenport said. “You have to work at maybe talking to the parents . and reminding them that your child lives in Richmond and . other countries maybe are much safer than things are here. That’s a big barrier.”

Corubolo has been taking VCU students to the University of Perugia for five years. She said language can be a barrier, but the struggle is usually in the students’ mind.

“Believe it or not, the students that sometimes I talk to in English after the third week say, ‘I don’t think I can understand English anymore – can you speak Italian?’ ” Corubolo said. “So the language barrier is maybe a problem at the beginning, but it is in their mind then.”

Davenport said the students who are able to overcome these barriers always are rewarded. Many of the students who study abroad come back with transformed perspectives on college and even with new post-college career plans.

“Their perspective is just totally widened because they start thinking globally about maybe working internationally or traveling internationally when they graduate,” Davenport said.

Courtney Simon, a Spanish major, changed majors after her experiences abroad. Simon studied Spanish in Seville, Spain in the summer of 2005.

“I just realized how much I loved Spanish. I had studied it some in the past, and my dad’s family is actually Cuban, so they all speak Spanish fluently. I never learned it as a kid, so it really made me get back in touch with my Spanish roots, and I wanted to continue with it.”

Junior Erin Halye encourages students to study abroad.

“Definitely do it,” Halye said. “I don’t think there is any other way to have such an experience.”

Halye, who studied abroad in 2005, said the experience was eye-opening.

“It broadened my view of life more because it gave me a glimpse of life outside of Midlothian, Virginia . I realized that the way I live is actually extremely privileged.”