Parents Guide

Parents Guide

Imagining your student traveling to a new country in another part of the world is often very emotional. Study Abroad staff help prepare each student for every step of the journey, so you can feel more comfortable with the new globetrotter in your family. Everyone on our staff has traveled and/or lived overseas. We understand that pre-departure anxiety can often seem overwhelming.We encourage you to let your student maintain responsibility for his or her experience — from gathering information and reporting back to you, to building a budget and purchasing a flight. Resist getting too involved.

These steps, as mundane as they sound, require students to network, think critically, problem-solve and take ownership of their choice to travel abroad.

This process helps students acquire the necessary tools to navigate the new and unusual environment they’ll encounter when they step off the airplane. By negotiating the ups and downs of travel, students gain a new level of independence. Traveling abroad will likely be one of your student’s greatest personal learning experiences.

If you’re considering traveling overseas to visit your student, please be aware that it is our standard policy that guests are not allowed during a program. It is best to meet your student after the program ends so as not to interrupt the learning process. To share in the excitement of your student’s pre-departure preparation, we encourage you to do an Internet search for “What’s Up With Culture?” to learn more about culture shock, reverse culture shock, concepts of culture, and the cultural adjustment process individuals often experience when studying abroad.