ABROAD EDUCATION, YOUR COMMENTS??

Obviously, if you are studying abroad, one of the reasons for going should be educational. No doubt you are examining the programs offered by different study abroad advisors and weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each. Here are some brief considerations regarding the educational benefits of studying abroad.
One of the determining factors in studying abroad for many people is the native language of the country to which they will be going. Those who are seeking to gain competency in a second language will frequently choose to study abroad so that they can immerse themselves in the language. If your language skills are sufficiently advanced, you may wish to consider enrolling in classes that will be taught in the native language of the country. While challenging, this can present an unparallel opportunity to improve and perfect your fluency.
Even if you are not at a level where you can take classes in another language, going abroad is still the best way to quickly increase your fluency. Studying the language itself in conjunction with living with native speakers is incredibly effective. You will probably be amazed at the speed at which you gain proficiency.
The temptation when studying abroad with a group of people from your home school is to keep close to those who are known and familiar. Resist this temptation! If you want to maximize your language learning and study abroad experience, it is vital that you become friends with the locals, and move beyond the familiar and comfortable. Even if your grasp of the native language is not very good, it is important that you do your best to speak it. If you are at least trying to speak the local language, even if you are speaking it poorly, you will not offend most people. You will probably even find that they will try to help you and encourage your efforts.
One piece of advice for picking a school for study abroad would be to pick a type of institution that differs greatly from your home school. If you go to a small school, pick a big one, if you are on a rural campus, move to an urban campus, and vice versa. Look for someplace that will give you as diverse an experience as possible.
A new variety of available classes may also be an unexpected benefit of studying abroad. If you attend a small school normally, and pick a larger school for studying abroad, you may find that the new school offers that obscure class in children's fantasy literature that you have always wished existed at your school. The only way to discover these opportunities is to carefully examine what different schools offer.