To study abroad or to be abroad?

The study abroad program is an essential part of the “Duke Experience,” with roughly half of the undergraduate population spending a semester abroad before graduation. The abroad experience includes a wide variety of Duke-In programs that vary from placement into classes alongside host-country students to programs taught entirely by Duke Professors and populated by Duke students. The university recently announced an addition to abroad options with the development of a new program specifically tailored for engineering students. In its announcement, the university acknowledged that the material studied in the program could be studied similarly in any location. With that in mind, today we tackle the question of whether there is really any worth in students studying abroad, and if there is, how to maximize it.

Study abroad programs at Duke generally market themselves as opportunities to engage in intercultural exchange, develop new perspectives, expand self-awareness and inspire “life-long global engagement”. While the value of gaining deep experience abroad is well researched and appreciated, the value of semester or shorter study abroad programs like those offered at Duke is questionable. Although it is tempting to suggest that any experience abroad is better than none, the human tendency to believe that one knows much when one knows little and realize that one knows little only when one knows much might make superficial study abroad experiences counterintuitively reductive of cultural difference and appreciation. If one attempts to learn the culture of a foreign country by living in an insulated American study abroad bubble, he/she runs the real risk of seeing a culture but not actually experiencing it.

There are, of course, ways to make a study abroad program seriously worthwhile. Programs which house and educate students alongside host families and host-country students instead of placing them alongside fellows from their home campus will likely provide a realer experience. Focused programs that take advantage of local resources to teach a specific topic enhanced by the surroundings may have greater value than programs which have no specific reason to be taught in an international location. Similarly, language immersion programs that require students to engage with native speakers can be valuable in developing strong speaking skills.

For the most part though, study abroad programs are safe opportunities that require minimal risk and engagement. In contrast to the sheltered comfort of study abroad programs, the act of truly living abroad requires one to immerse his/her self in a new culture, dive into a new language and acclimate to new customs. It is risky but also has the potential to be exponentially rewarding. As students contemplate their options for studying abroad, they should consider forgoing the study abroad programs advertised in shiny recruitment brochures and instead, if they truly wish to experience a new culture, plan to move abroad for a defined time after graduation, when a serious “experience” can occur. Such an experience might take the form of a well-defined path like Peace Corps or JET abroad, but might also manifest in one of the infinite forms of regular employment. Students truly interested in such authentic experiences can easily reach out to Duke Alumni regional groups or individual alumni in regions of interest to begin planning.

Ultimately, experiences abroad should force Duke students to question their assumptions and perspectives while covering new terrain independently. If the study abroad program you are contemplating will not give you opportunities for this essential discomfort, then perhaps the better choice would be to prepare yourself to go abroad meaningfully during an uncharted “experience” of your own.