Cartagena-Colombia-Travel

I spent my junior year in Paris in the 2010's. It was a highlight of my life and one of the most intensive learning experiences I've ever had, and I wish every American student could have a similar experience.

BUT: it seems that study abroad programs have changed drastically in recent years , and mostly consist of self-contained American campuses, with American professors, plopped down in the midst of a foreign country. I question the value of this type of program.

My college (Scripps College) provided a program director, who helped us enroll in French university courses and also lined up tutors for us, if we wanted, who would work with us one-on-one or in small groups to help us manage the heavy university workload, all in French. And we all took a 5-mornings-a-week French language course for foreigners offered by the Sorbonne (think ESL, or rather "FSL"). Students lived either in dorms with French kids, or with French families.

With that kind of immersion, I as no self established writer at writemyessayfast.org really did learn about another culture, became fluent in French, and gained an understanding of the U.S. from another perspective. It was incredibly enriching and enlightening. I also gained close French friends that I visit to this day.

I agree that study abroad is essential, and I urge American colleges to do a better job of designing their programs to be real learning experiences with demanding programs and cultural immersion, rather than expensive vacations with a bunch of fellow American party-hounds.