ReadingAWantadifferentacademicsetting?Adifferentculturalsetting?Wanttodiscovermoreofwhoyouare?Studyingabroadmightbetheanswerforyou.StudyingAbroad:ALife-ChangingExperience1ReadingAStudyingabroadnotonlyisacademicallyandculturallyfulfilling,butalsofosterspersonalgrowth.IfyouhadaskedmetwoyearsagowhereIwantedtostudyabroad,IwouldhavelistedavarietyofEuropeancountries,simplybecausetheEuropeanUnionwasacommonareaforstudentstostudyabroad.Ithadnotcrossedmymindtostudyinmymothercountry,China,sincemygrandparentsleftinthe1960s.Butafterstudying,workingandlivinginShanghaiforthepastsemester,IrealizedthatnotonlydidIimmenselyenjoymyabroadexperience,butthatIamopentolivingthere.Icanonlyhope,thatwhenyougoabroad,youwillalsoenjoyeverymomentofyourstayandlearnsomething.2ReadingAOverthesepastfourmonths,IhavemadeShanghaimyown.Thefirstmonth,likeababy,IcrawledandtooktentativebabystepsthroughChina.IstayedwithintheWesterncomfortzone,participatinginWesternactivitiessuchasfrequentingexpatclubs,bars,andotherspotsmostAmericanstudentsimmediatelyfindcomfortableandenjoyable.Idid,however,takesomelargerbabystepswhengoingtoartgalleries,reachingouttofencingclubs,postingonLinkedInthatIwouldlovetomeetaMountHolyokealumnusinShanghai,andgoingtostreetfairsandfleamarkets.3ReadingADuringthesecondmonth,likeakid,IstartedtowalkproperlyinShanghai.Ireachedouttoanycontacts,whetheritwasafirst,second,orthirddegreecontactwhowaslivinginorvisitingShanghai.IbegantoexploreShanghai’sexpansiverestaurantlife;eatingwiththesecontactsandotherfriendsImadethroughrandomeventsIhadattended,likekick-boxingclasses.Ibranchedouttootherareasofthecityoutsideofmydormitory’sbackstreetinHongkouDistrict.IalsotraveledtoBeijing,Xi’an,andvariousplacesinZhejiangProvincetoexperienceotherareasofChina.4ReadingAInthethirdmonth,Chinasawmegaintractionandbegintospeed-walkinthiseastern-westernculturalconcoctionofacity.IstartedtoknowbitsandpiecesoftheShanghaimetromaplikethebackofmyhand,especiallytheroutetoandfrommyinternshipaswellasalloftheabovegroundlandmarksassociatedwiththatsubwayride.Myself-imposedcurfewbecamelaterandlaterduetohours-longmealswithfriendsfollowedbyhappyhoursatvariousbarswithbreath.takingviewsofthecity,oruniqueattributesthatrenderedthemamust-see.IalsotraveledtoHongKong,Macao,Guangzhou,andZhuhaiduringthistime.Althoughthetripwasfun,notspeakingMandarinandbeingrestrictedbymystudy-abroadprogram’srigidscheduleexposedmyyearningtobebackinShanghai.5ReadingAThefourthandfinalmonthsawmefallhead-over-heelsinlovewiththecityofShanghai.Icannowruninthiscityoflights.Almosteverynight,IwasoutexploringpartsofShanghaiwithfriends;takingnewroutestoknowndestinations,eatingatnewrestaurants,andmeetingnewpeople.And,IevenstartedtoseesomeonelivinginShanghai,whichgavemeinsightintorelationshipsinShanghai,whileexposingmetoadifferentareaofShanghaiIhadnotpreviouslyexplored.6ReadingAIcurrentlyhaveequalpartsofShanghainese/Chinesefriendsandexpatfriends.Inexploringthecitywithbothgroups,Iknowwhatit’sliketoliveinShanghai,bothasanative,andasanexpat.IhavetheuniquecharacteristicsofaChinese-American,butwithinthelasttwoweeks,fourChinesepeoplehaveactuallyaskedmefordirectionstoadestinationorstreet,andcabdriversstoppedimmediatelyaskingwhichcountryIwasfromwhenIenteredthecab.Infact,onecabdriverdidn’tevenknowthatShanghaiUniversityofFinanceandEconomicshadacampusforforeignstudents,sowhenIinstructedhimtogotomycampus,hegavemeanincredulouslook,askedwhy,andaskedifIhadaboyfriendatmycampus.7ReadingAStudyingabroadallowedmetogrowacademicallyasIbecameconversationallyfluentinMandarin;sociallyasImadenewfriends;culturallyasIlearnedmoreaboutmyChinesecultureandheritage;andpersonally,becauseithadnevercrossedmymindthatIcouldcometolovelivingandworkinginadevelopingcountry.AsIstatedbefore,ifyouhadaskedmetwoyearsagowhereIwouldbestudyingabroad,IprobablywouldhavesaidsomewhereinEurope,neverthinkingofreturningtomymotherland.Butthroughtheuniquestudy-abroadprogramwiththeAllianceforGlobalEducation,IfoundmyselfinShanghaiforthesemesterandfallinginlovewiththecity,andmoreintriguedbythecountry.IhaveleftShanghaiwiththefeelingofleavingaclosefriend;Ican’twaittoseeitagain!8ReadingBStudyingAbroadTeachesIndependenceThee-maildeliveredshockingnews.Astudentfrommyson’suniversity,whowasstudyingabroadthissemesterinthesameEuropeancityasmyson,hadbeenfounddeadinhisdormroom.Thestudy-abroadprogramwasreachingouttoallparentstoinformthemofthetragedy,whichwasunderinvestigationbutbelievedtobefrom“naturalcauses.”Counselorswereavailable,itsaid.1ReadingB2Icalledmysonimmediately.Hearingthedistraughtnoteinmyvoice,herespondedgently.HewasOK,heassuredme.Hetoohadheardthegrimnewsbuthedidn’tknowthestudentinquestionnoranyadditionaldetails.Hepromisedtocallbacksoontocheckin.Istartedtothinkaboutthehorrificphonecallthatmusthavebeenplacedtothedeceasedstudent’shome,amomordadansweringandhearingtheworstnewsthatanyparentcouldpossiblyreceive.Ihadtostopmyself.Ijustcouldn’tletmyminddwellonthatpicture.3ReadingB4Fromthemomentwebecomeparents,apowerfulinstinctualurgetoprotectourchildrenkicksin.Overtheyearsweslowlyloosenourgripandgivethemmorefreedomtoexploreoutsidetheircomfortzones,aswellasourown.Wehopeourchildrenrememberthelessonswe’vetaughtthem,andwhenitcomestimetoreleasethemintothebigwildworld,whetherit’stoattendcollegeorforanotherstageintheirtransitiontoadulthood,weletthemgowithshakysmilesandsilentprayers.5ReadingBAllowingourkidstostudyabroadisoneofthoseinstancesthatrequireparentstotakeahugeleapoffaith.That’strueevenforthoseofuswhohavestronglyencouragedourchildrentotakeadvantageofthisopportunity,andhavesacrificedtomaketheexperiencearealityforthem.6ReadingBStudyingabroadisincreasinglypopularamongAmericankids.ThenumberofU.S.studentsstudyinginforeigncountriesforacademiccreditmorethandoubledovera15-yearperiod,reachingarecord304,467inthe2013-2014academicyear,accordingtotheInstituteofInternationalEducation.Giventheemphasisoninternationalexperience,foreignlanguageskillsandacademicenrichmentintoday’sbusinessworld,thenumbersofstudentschoosingtosupplementtheireducationsandburnishtheirrésuméswithastintoverseasarelikelytocontinuetoswell.7ReadingBGoingtoschoolinaninternationalsettinghasotherbenefits.Studentsdevelopabroaderworldviewasaresultofbeingimmersedinexoticcultureswithunfamiliarcustoms.Theylearnpracticalskillsaswell,sincetheyhavenochoicebuttofigureouthowtonavigatethemysteriesofforeignmasstransitsystemsorfeedthemselveswhenthere’snoChronicTacojustaroundthecorner.8ReadingBShortlyaftermysonarrivedinSpaininearlyJanuary,hetoldmethathe’dbeenlockedoutofhisapartmentbecausehisancient-lookingkeydidn’twork,andhisshowerdispensedonlycoldwater.Thesewereinconveniences,notearth-shatteringproblems,buthewasforcedtotakeactiontosolvethembeforehe’devenfinishedunpacking,ataskcomplicatedbyhisunfamiliaritywithhissurroundings.9ReadingB10Iexpectthatmysonwhoisnowoverseaswillreturnhomewithanewdegreeofself-confidencethatwillresultfromhavingovercomehisjitterstomakehiswayinstrangesurroundings.Manyotherparentshavetoldmethattheyimmediatelynoticethesubtlebutunmistakablewaysthattheirkidsjustseemmorematureandself-assuredafterthey’vestudiedabroad.Buttherealitywemustalsofaceisthattheseadventures—aswitheverythinginlife—donotcomewithoutsomedegreeofrisk.ReadingB1112Studentswhostudyabroadaretypicallycoachedbeforehandinsafetyprotocolsandgivenamplewarningsonplacesandsituationstoavoid.Theyaretoldtostayalert,particularlyincrowdedsettings,tokeepwalletsandpursessecured,watchforpickpockets,learnabouttheareastheyfre