Guest Posting By: Missy Gluckmann, Founder of MelibeeGlobal.com<\/b><\/p>\n
Whether you have studied, volunteered, taught or been an intern abroad, the experience will have changed you and how you understand this diverse, beautiful and complex world.<\/p>\n
It is natural to want to share your experience and provide feedback to others who are considering such a transformative journey.\u00a0\u00a0 Words like \u201clife changing\u201d and \u201cawesome\u201d almost immediately come to mind, ubiquitous for almost anyone who has traveled abroad to learn and participate in the world in a new way.\u00a0 But these words don\u2019t quite tell us about the depth of the international experience.\u00a0 They give us a positive feeling, but aren\u2019t particularly helpful when writing a review because they\u2019re simply not reflective or descriptive enough to provide pertinent information to the next potential sojourner.<\/p>\n
Here are a few tips about sharing feedback that will help others read between the lines of program materials and get a much better sense of how appropriate a program abroad is when considering personal and professional goals and dreams.<\/p>\n
Tip 1: Reflect prior to writing<\/b><\/p>\n
To be able to share feedback, one must take the time to practice the fine art of reflection.\u00a0 Reflection involves looking back in the rear view mirror without interruption. \u00a0It is a period of time that is dedicated to putting down the smart phone or laptop and instead focusing on various memories that one experienced abroad \u2013 the little things such as what you ate for breakfast daily to the bigger things, such as when you interacted with a person from the host country and had an \u201ca-ha\u201d moment.\u00a0 Reflection takes time; it is not a fifteen minute quiet period that you experience once. Rather, it is something that you do throughout your life.<\/p>\n
Before writing a review, take some time to reflect.\u00a0 If you wrote in a journal abroad, revisit it and take some fresh notes about how you now recall those memories, from the micro to the macro.\u00a0 Look through your photos and videos too.\u00a0 Talk with your friends in your home and host country about these memories and feelings.\u00a0 Look for the new \u201ca-ha\u201d moments and jot them down.\u00a0 You\u2019ll start to connect the dots. This is when the words \u201cawesome\u201d and \u201ctransformational\u201d begin to take more meaningful shape and can be expanded upon with much more depth.<\/p>\n
Tip 2: Think Skills<\/b><\/p>\n
Time abroad provides a new way to observe yourself and your home country, as well as the host country.\u00a0 At times, it can feel like an \u201cout of body\u201d experience in that we realize we are seen differently than we are at home, that we have an identity that is reinforced or altered by experiencing another part of the world.<\/p>\n
With reflection in mind, consider what you learned about yourself while you were abroad.\u00a0 Does this feel like a difficult task? One method of tackling the enormous question of what you learned about yourself while you were abroad is to complete this sentence:\u00a0 After being part of this international experience, I am more\/less ______.<\/i> Then ask yourself why that is.\u00a0 Since many go abroad for academic programs too, it is important to ask yourself what you learned about your \u201cacademic\u201d self also.\u00a0 Try completing this statement:\u00a0 After being part of this international experience, I am more aware of ________.<\/i>\u00a0 Once again, ask yourself why that is.<\/p>\n
For example, \u201cI am more aware of conversing at a low intermediate level of Arabic because I attended two hours of immersion Arabic five days a week with a very dedicated and supportive teacher. She took us out into the city via public transportation each week, forcing us to use our emerging language skills in a practical way. This accelerated my use of the language and inspired me to continue studying upon my return home.\u201d<\/p>\n
These kinds of insights are often a direct result of how the program you attended was structured.\u00a0 This information can be invaluable to those who are reading your review and making those important decisions about where to apply \u2013 and it is much more descriptive than \u201cMy Arabic teacher was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tip 3: Avoid clich\u00e9s<\/b><\/p>\n
As alluded to in tip number two, we tend to overuse the following types of words and statements when describing how we feel about time abroad:<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Awesome<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Life changing<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Amazing<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fun<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It was great<\/p>\n
While these types of words provide us with a warm and fuzzy feeling, they don\u2019t provide enough detail about those particular nuances of the culture, program design, administration and so much more that people reading reviews seek.\u00a0 By practicing the art of reflection and utilizing your vast vocabulary, you can turn a routine review into a more thoughtful, informative piece of writing.<\/p>\n
For example:
\n\u201cLondon was awesome! I learned so much about myself! I would do it again in a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n
vs.<\/p>\n
\u201cLondon\u2019s architecture made me feel like I was walking through a film set every day. It inspired me to explore more books and documentaries about the Victorian period, which I learned about in my Victorian Literature 131 class.\u00a0 We explored the various streets and buildings of London as part of our assignments, making the required reading come to life. This type of learning was much more experiential and it made me realize how much more I learn through this approach.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tip 4: Share Stories\u00a0 <\/b><\/p>\n
Reviews can be much more meaningful when they are shared through relatable storytelling.\u00a0 While you don\u2019t have the space to write a novella in a review, sharing a slice of those \u201ca-ha moments\u201d that you\u2019ve reflected upon can be very useful in a review.\u00a0 For example, when talking about social and cultural integration on your program abroad, you might share a vignette such as this, which offers a picture of an experience abroad:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis program arranged for more than just the routine tourist outings.\u00a0 For example, the coordinators took us to a small village outside of Otavalo, where we stayed with an indigenous family for two nights. We slept in simple cement block structures that were clean, and despite being basic, comfortable. We chopped vegetables for a \u00a0soup dish that is eaten at almuerzo (lunch) and learned to make bread with our host mother. \u00a0During the day we worked in the garden, fed the pigs and practiced our Spanish with the local workers. This type of social and cultural experience was included in the program fee. Other Americans \u00a0we met in Ecuador didn\u2019t have this unique experience like our program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tip 5: Be honest but constructive<\/b><\/p>\n
While time abroad is typically extremely positive, there may be aspects of your experience that you were less than happy about.\u00a0 When writing a review, it is important to take the emotion out of the experience and get to the facts.\u00a0 It is also critical that you share recommendations or provide \u201cwork arounds\u201d for others who may experience a similar situation.\u00a0 Honesty is important, but so is fairness.\u00a0 Share what you need to in a constructive way so that others can benefit from your feedback.\u00a0 Diplomacy is key; your words will remain on the internet longer than you will be on this planet, so choose your words carefully and thoughtfully.<\/p>\n
With these tips in mind, I am confident that you will craft a reflective piece of writing that others will rely on when making decisions about how to narrow down program provider options.\u00a0\u00a0 Your words can be the \u201cgame changer\u201d for someone who is making those nearly impossible decisions about where to go. Thanks for \u201cpaying it forward\u201d for the next generation of those going abroad!<\/p>\n
About the Author:\u00a0 Missy Gluckmann is the Founder of Melibee Global<\/a>, which\u00a0aims to elevate the discussion about education abroad, culture, diversity and the lifelong path to global citizenship by offering trailblazing tools<\/a>,\u00a0speakers\u00a0and\u00a0professional development<\/a>\u00a0for the global education and travel communities.\u00a0 Raised in New York, Missy has lived abroad three times and traveled to dozens of countries. Missy currently resides in North Carolina and experiences culture shock there on a daily basis! She can be followed on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Guest Posting By: Missy Gluckmann, Founder of MelibeeGlobal.com Whether you have studied, volunteered, taught or been an intern abroad, the experience will have changed you and how you understand this diverse, beautiful and complex world. It is natural to want to share your experience and provide feedback to others who are considering such a transformative […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":4624,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[681],"class_list":["post-4622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","post_format-post-format-image","author-sarahhanley"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t