Leave L.A. and learn abroad

UCLA students may choose to swap L.A. smog and a Westwood backdrop for a rural village in Ghana or perhaps the historic streets of Rome.

The University of California Education Abroad Program allows students to study overseas and take classes at foreign universities, both over the summer and during the school year.

Over 250 programs are available in 34 different countries and on all continents except Antarctica, according to the EAP website. EAP sends 1,800 to 2,000 students abroad per year, said Malcolm Quon, international programs counselor. The most popular destinations among UCLA students are London, Rome and Paris, he said.

EAP is a UC-wide program, meaning that students from all schools in the UC system can participate. Students can also study abroad as part of a Travel Study Program, which is a shorter and more structured summer program in which classes are taken at a foreign university.

The cost of studying abroad varies greatly according to destination. This is due to the difference in cost of living and cost of education in different destination countries, Quon said.

“If a student is studying in a country in Asia for example, fees are often the same as or cheaper than studying at UCLA for a quarter. But in cities in Europe such as Rome or London, studying abroad can be expensive,” he added.

For example, the estimated cost of a semester in Rome is $17,000, while a semester in Vietnam is estimated at $10,900. Travel study programs typically cost $3,000 to $5,500 for a month.

However, the UC budget cuts have affected EAP, said Noah Duman, international programs counselor.

“Although we have not had to raise the prices for study abroad programs, we have had to suspend a few of the more costly programs in the past year,” Duman said.

There have been approximately five programs discontinued due to budget cuts, he said. There are also fewer students choosing to study abroad, he added.

“We have seen a slight decrease, but nothing too significant,” Duman said.

Although cost is clearly a factor, Quon said that the value of studying abroad should not be underestimated.

“Besides cross-cultural skills, students gain a lot from living abroad ““ they learn resourcefulness, financial management and independence,” he said.

Destination: Europe

Melissa Erickson, a second-year engineering student, chose to study in Sweden this summer because of her connection to Scandinavia and for the chance to study engineering from a European perspective.

“I lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, when I was younger and really enjoyed being in that area,” Erickson said.

Studying in her former home country will also give her a new outlook on her major here at UCLA, she said.

“As an engineer, there are relatively few programs that I can choose, but I really wanted to study engineering technology from a European perspective,” she added.

Erickson said she plans to study at Lund University in southern Sweden for one semester, arriving in early August and leaving in January.

She said that the fees at Lund University are relatively similar to the student fees at UCLA.

“But I have applied for scholarships for support while I’m abroad,” Erickson said.

“There are a variety (of scholarships) available both for engineers specifically and for all students studying abroad,” she said.

Destination: China

Jessie Yang, a third-year business-economics student, is going to China during fall quarter.

She will travel far away from the familiarity of life in Westwood in hopes of improving her Chinese and re-discovering her heritage.

“I was born in China but can’t really write Chinese so I wanted to change that,” she said.

Yang will attend Beijing Normal University and will take classes in which only Chinese is spoken.

Aside from perfecting her language skills, she looks forward to exploration of the surrounding areas in Asia.

“I want to travel around the area, for example to Shanghai, and meet the locals and learn about their culture,” she said.

“Since I had an internship in Beijing last summer, I’m really excited to go back and enjoy the city.”

She said she is excited, rather than nervous, about her journey.

“Meeting new people, both fellow EAP students and locals, will be a lot of fun, ” she said.

She added that total immersion in Chinese culture will be a personal, as well as interesting, experience.

Destination: Africa

Pierre Mays, a second-year international development studies student, is studying in Ghana, West Africa, during fall quarter.

“None of the other programs interested me as much as Africa,” he said.

“As an African American, I wanted to go somewhere I could connect with my links and cultural ties.”

The program in Ghana involves taking classes at the University of Ghana and performing volunteer work.

“As I play rugby at UCLA, I’m going to coach youth rugby at a nearby orphanage. I want to volunteer and make a difference,” Mays said.