Alicyn Curtis is a Study Abroad Advisor in the Education Abroad Office at UMBC (located on the 2nd floor of the University Center). We reached out to her to help Extra Credit readers gain an understanding of the steps involved with studying abroad, as well as the impact the experience can have on a student’s life.
EC: Break it down as easy as you can, what are the steps students need to take if they want to study abroad?
AC:
1) Attend Study Abroad 101! Study Abroad 101 is the first step on your Education Abroad journey! It's an important 30-minute presentation given by our staff members to educate you on the basics: the types of programs we offer, eligibility requirements, scholarships, upcoming events, applying your financial aid, and navigating our website.
EC: How has study abroad been impacted by Covid-19. More specifically, is this still impacting where students can go or what programs are recommended?
AC: Students can travel to locations designated as Level 1 or Level 2 by the U.S. Department of State. We have programs in a variety of different locations and work with many program providers that best support students and their needs.
EC: What should students consider when trying to select a study abroad program?
AC:
EC: Is there an aspect of the study abroad planning process that many students, in retrospect, wish they had spent more time on/focused on?
AC:
EC: Apart from some of the more well-known or "cliche" reasons to study abroad, why do you think students should make this part of their college experience?
AC: Studying abroad is truly a transformative and life-changing experience. You may not realize it while you’re in the moment but you'll gain new skills and insights about yourself that you might not have thought about.
EC: Can you dispel the myth that Science/Engineering majors can't study abroad?
AC: Absolutely! STEM majors can study abroad, any term, and at any location! Our office works with a variety of programs that have courses in STEM disciplines for all terms. Please attend Study Abroad 101 and schedule an appointment with me to learn more. I'd be more than happy to help students find a program that best fits their needs.
EC: Are there any current UMBC study abroad programs you'd like to make a shameless plug for right now?
AC:Of course! I'd like to recommend our three Winter 2025 UMBC Faculty-Led Programs! Applications open in April so I highly recommend students apply. :) I would also like to recommend our UMBC Exchange Program with Swansea University in Wales!
EC: If you yourself could study abroad right now, where would you go and why?
AC:If I could study abroad right now, I would go to Thailand! I would love to learn about Thai culture, visit Buddhist temples, and explore the national parks and nature reserves.
EC: For fun - any good stories from your own study abroad experience?
AC:This happened when I was teaching English in South Korea in a small town called Jinhae in the countryside. I was on my way to work, I always took the bus to the academy I worked at. An elderly Korean woman gets on the bus, sits next to me and smiles. I smile back and say "Hello" in Korean. She greeted me back and told me my hair, which was in a protective style called box braids, was pretty and was curious about how I styled my hair. For the entire bus ride, I spoke with her, in Korean, about my hair, Black protective hairstyles, and showed her pictures of my natural hair. It was one of my favorite conversations because not only was I able to share a piece of my culture, but I was able to do so in Korean without any issues. I'll never forget that!
In the midst of the semester grind, it can be a challenge to think beyond just the next semester. But did you know that according to the UMBC Baccalaureate Degree Completion Policy, the university actually encourages all students to have a long-term academic plan established by the time they have earned 45 credits?
What exactly is a long-term academic plan? It’s a map of how you are going to complete ALL your degree requirements- not just those needed for your major. Ideally, you will create a plan that is broken down by semester (including any summer or winter sessions you may use) and include credit totals.
You may be thinking this sounds like a daunting process, but students who carve out time to do this exercise are able to reap several benefits:
See the Big Picture – long-term planning allows you to visualize the gaps. Open space that you have in your overall academic plan can be used intentionally for things like study abroad, an internship, or a second major or a minor/certificate.
Ensures timely graduation – planning out your academics beyond just the next semester will help you avoid missing degree requirements, such as the 45 upper-level credit requirement. If you create a first draft of your plan and then realize you have “run out of space” to meet your graduation goal, you now have the time to figure out how to move things around, which may include taking more credits in a certain semester or adding in a summer or winter session.*
Allows for greater flexibility and confidence – when you have an overall idea of when you plan to take certain courses, you actually can move things around with greater ease without the worry of accidentally bumping out another required course. Everything needed is right there in front of you and accounted for! Are you a student-athlete? By long-term planning, you can create a plan that allows you to have a lighter course load during your season and a heavier one in the off season. Are you planning to study abroad?You can reserve/hold off on certain courses that you know you can take during your study abroad semester. Do you need to go part-time for a semester? You can determine which future semesters will carry the load of classes you didn’t take in that part-time semester.
This is all about creating a plan that is unique to YOU and your needs, instead of feeling constrained by what’s required. When you don’t long-term plan, you run the risk of boxing yourself in to a course schedule that doesn’t really serve your goals and needs.
So how do you get started on long-term planning? It’s easy.
1. Find the Academic Pathway associated with your major (you can also download a blank planning document from this website), in conjunction with the Undergraduate Course Catalog (which also includes requirements for minors and certificates). Use these resources to help determine what classes are needed for your program(s) of study. Note – Academic Pathways are guidesintended to show you the order in which to take certain major classes. Each student’s plan will be unique, especially if you entered UMBC with transfer or AP/IB credits.
2. While creating the plan, utilize your Degree Audit, which is linked in your myUMBC Profile to confirm what degree requirements (including General Education and University requirements) you’ve already completed. You can print off your Degree Audit and “check off” the requirements as you put them into your plan.
3. Meet with your academic advisor (listed on your myUMBC Profile page) to review the plan and ensure that you did not miss any important requirements.
Bonus - Enter your plan into the Degree Planner on myUMBC to update your Degree Donut.
*Want to get ahead, catch up, or lighten your load during the regular academic year? Consider summer session at UMBC! Course offerings are mostly online for 2024 and include 4, 6, 8 and 12-week options.
In closing, just because you create a long-term plan, doesn’t mean it can’t be changed. Ideally you will bring this plan with you, in whatever format you choose, to each advising appointment so you can make adjustments with your academic advisor as necessary. Happy Planning!
Some students enter college knowing what they want to study, while others take time to explore their options. Sometimes students may start on one path and then end up on a completely different one. Each journey to choosing a college major is unique and that is OKAY!
If you are still considering your options, we are here to offer some thoughts on the major decision process:
**SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT**
One timely way to explore UMBC's diverse majors is to attend our upcoming Major Event the week of October 30th.
While we certainly support students taking their time to make this important decision, we do encourage students to decide on a major no later than the end of their sophomore year. This will help ensure you are on track for a timely graduation.
Happy Exploring!
Helpful Links
FOCUS2 and other self-assessment tools via the Career Center
UMBC Academic Pathways (sample four-year academic pathways for each major) ]]>