Gain experience studying abroad
Up to 400 Concordia students study abroad each year through the university’s exchange program. As Andrew Lang from the Concordia International office explains, being open-minded is the key to getting the most out of the experience.
“You have to be flexible,” he says. If you aren’t, it’ll teach you to be flexible. It’s a matter of learning the host institution’s systems, how things like public transportation are organized, how people live their daily lives, and then adapting to that, and letting go of what you’re used to.”
And once you let go, the world, as they say (perhaps too often), is your oyster.
This year, beginning Monday, March 26, Concordia International is organizing a special event: the first ever International Education Week. The events are designed to offer students the opportunity to learn about how they can apply to study abroad, and to hear from students who have taken part in the university’s exchange program, as well as students from abroad currently on exchange at Concordia.
‘The primary purpose of this is to provide students with an opportunity to meet people face to face,” Lang says. “So it’s a good place to come if the students are really wanting to hear about other students’ experiences.”
For Concordia student Christopher Brown, the best thing about going on exchange was making friends that he’ll keep for life. “You form really close relationships really fast, because you don’t really have a choice,” he says.
Brown, who spent his second year of university on exchange at Maastricht University in The Netherlands, recalls quickly striking up a friendship with another exchange student from Portugal.
“I literally just met him because he was standing in line behind me during Frosh Week. I had been there for fewer than three days at that point. He and I started talking, we traded numbers, and now he’s one of my best friends.”
Lang says most students who decide to go on exchange bring home a lot more than just new friends. “The skill of learning how to adapt transcends into so many other different areas of their lives,” he says. “I think exchanges help them be more open to considering other possibilities than before, either because they were afraid or because they just didn’t think it was possible.”
Students who do go on exchange are almost guaranteed to have the experience of a lifetime, Brown says. During his year in Europe, Brown visited half a dozen countries, including Croatia, Ireland, and Austria, where he enjoyed skiing in the Alps. “No one ever comes back from an exchange saying they had a bad time,” he says.
Concordia students who want to go on exchange need to have completed at least 24 credits, and have at least a 3.0 GPA. As Lang explains, it’s important for students who are interested to begin figuring out how to make it happen as soon as possible, even as soon as their first year of studies.
“It’s kind of a big deal to plan a semester in a different country,” he says. “You really need to follow through with the different steps. Otherwise you’re going to find yourself in your final year having missed the one opportunity you had to do this.”
What: International Education Week
When: Monday, March 26 to Friday, March 30
Where: Various locations on Concordia’s two campuses. See the website for the full schedule.
What: Study Abroad Fair - SGW Campus
When: Monday, March 26 from noon to 4 p.m.
Where: Atrium of the J.W. McConnell Library Building (1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W.), Sir George Williams Campus
What: Study Abroad Fair - Loyola Campus
When: Tuesday, March 27 from noon to 4 p.m.
Where: Atrium of the Richard J. Renaud Science Complex (SP Building), Loyola Campus (7141Sherbrooke St. W.)
Other opportunities abroad
Other opportunities for Concordia students to gain valuable experience abroad exist besides the university’s exchange program — internships and research projects are two examples. “These are projects that students self-direct and set up independently,” Lang explains, adding that Concordia International will assist these students in finding funding and support.
Students can also gain valuable experience volunteering abroad, through programs such as Alternative Spring Break, where students volunteer to spend their Reading Week helping organizations either locally or abroad. As organizer Rich SwamiNathan explains, it’s a chance for students who are interested in trying out the volunteering experience a chance to get their feet wet without committing for an entire summer. “A week is not so bad, and it’s a chance for them to see if this is something they want to continue doing, and they can pursue more afterward if they want.
The annual Alternative Spring Break (ASB) Showcase is on Friday, March 23. This is a chance to hear stories about the service-learning programs available in places like Peru, the Dominican Republic, New Orleans, and elsewhere in Quebec from students who have taken part.
What: Alternative Spring Break Showcase
When: Friday, March 23 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Where: Room MB-S.2-210, John Molson School of Business Building (1450 Guy St.), Sir George WIlliams Campus
Watch the ASB slideshow from Reading Week 2012:
Related links:
• Concordia International
• International Education Week schedule of events
• Alternative Spring Break