{"id":4708,"date":"2014-07-18T12:59:24","date_gmt":"2014-07-18T12:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.studyabroad101.com\/?p=4708"},"modified":"2022-07-14T10:53:29","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T14:53:29","slug":"top-5-reasons-to-write-an-education-abroad-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.studyabroad101.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/top-5-reasons-to-write-an-education-abroad-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Reasons to Write an Education Abroad Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Missy Gluckmann, Founder of <\/strong>Melibee Global<\/strong><\/a> (www.melibeeglobal.com)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Acting because you\u2019re required to isn\u2019t always exciting.\u00a0 I really do \u2018get\u2019 that!<\/p>\n

However, there is a reason that many schools and program require that education abroad participants complete an evaluation before releasing a transcript.\u00a0 The good news is that there are some really positive reasons for sharing your feedback – beyond receiving your grades.<\/p>\n

Here are my top five reasons why you should complete an education abroad review, even if you\u2019re not \u2018required\u2019 to:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Your truth can save a life<\/strong><\/p>\n

Education abroad is (or should primarily be) an academic experience.\u00a0\u00a0 However, the daily living realities of being abroad can feel as foreign as new skin.\u00a0 Your insights into the nuances of your host city and\/or country can really \"Female<\/a>impact the lives of others who are following in your footsteps.\u00a0 I\u2019m not talking about things that seem quite important at the time of packing (\u2018Do I need an adapter for my hair straightener?\u2019) but more along the variety of potentially life saving safety tips.\u00a0 While it is not the norm, students have died abroad from a variety of incidents ranging from drinking too much alcohol and getting lost in frigid weather with less than adequate clothing \u00a0to drowning because of being pulled into a much stronger ocean current along the western coast of Central America.\u00a0 Sharing tips with your own personal flair is what can truly save someone\u2019s life and can be a great addition to safety tools that are available via the ClearCause Foundation<\/a>.\u00a0 While program advisers may write about the strength of a local ocean current in Costa Rica in pre-departure materials, reading about it from a peer who felt the overwhelming pull of the salt water and describes it as being \u2018almost completely unmanageable, despite being a certified lifeguard \u2019 WILL resonate with future participants and their families.\u00a0 Telling your peers that \u2018the alcohol in the region\u2019s pubs is 100% proof and that you really do only one third of the amount you\u2019d drink at home before\u00a0 feeling rather unaware of your surroundings\u2019 may prevent others from putting themselves in a place of such needless risk.\u00a0 Your voice carries when talking with other students.\u00a0 Your voice can have that kind of power.\u00a0 You can save a life by being candid in your review, while still being professional.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Enhance your portfolio<\/strong><\/p>\n

Writing is a lifelong skill.\u00a0 It is one that you will use in your academic \u00a0career and your job search.\u00a0 Documenting your experience abroad by completing an evaluation provides a tremendous opportunity to beef up your \u2018body of work\u2019 that is available on the internet that potential employers and headhunters will peruse as they look for possible candidates for positions in their companies and organizations.\u00a0 The time that you take to reflect and consider the seismic impact of an experience abroad \u00a0-and how you document that in a constructive, mature manner – may result in a new document for your ever expanding portfolio.\u00a0 Potential employers are known to\u00a0 ask for writing samples.\u00a0 Your genuinely crafted review can serve as an sample that you\u2019ll ultimately need in these scenarios.<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Reflection = \u00a0Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n

Going abroad changes you.\u00a0 Coming home feels familiar but strange too \u2013 and students are typically so busy plugging back into \u201clife\u201d that they rarely sit down and really THINK about who they were before they departed for their host country and who they are now.\u00a0 Intentionally taking time to ponder how you\u2019ve changed and what you learned<\/a> is necessary for measuring our growth.\u00a0 Reflection is an art form, one that requires dedicated time and attention \u2013 and a structured set of questions to guide you.\u00a0 The education abroad evaluation is an ideal way to start your reflective journey.\u00a0 What was it about your program that you really appreciated? How did those well delivered (or not so well delivered) services impact you?\u00a0 What would you want to change about the program and how would it impact future participants and your host community for the better?\u00a0 Despite it being a \u2018mandatory\u2019 exercise in some cases, you may find that you are actually grateful for someone asking for your opinion and observing your own trajectory of growth and increased maturity.<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Role Reversal \u2013 You become the teacher<\/strong><\/p>\n

Part of the reason that many program administrators request or require evaluations is that they want to know what works well and what aspects of the program abroad need to be re-examined.\u00a0 Despite putting a complex education abroad program together, they do not have the luxury of experiencing the program first hand as a student.\u00a0 (Imagine how hard that is \u2013 crafting an exciting learning experience that involves seeing new cultures and not being able to go along with the group.\u00a0 It is torture!) So, despite them preparing guidelines and tips for students prior to departure and reinforcing them in country, when you are abroad, you <\/strong>begin to transition to the role of \u2018subject matter expert \u2018 on certain aspects of the program.\u00a0 You know what it is like to eat in a college cafeteria abroad every day (skip the meats but make the most of the potatoes!) or what cultural experiences are must see (the Guayasamin Museum in Quito, Ecuador is more than just a one day visit).\u00a0 With this level of customized feedback in your evaluation, you\u2019re actually TEACHING US!\u00a0 What an exciting and empowering experience that is!<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Writing through journaling<\/strong><\/p>\n

For anyone who has kept a journal, you know the power of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and documenting your feelings, perceptions and realities in the moment.\u00a0 The process of journaling is essentially documenting your life\u2019s story, one page at a time.\u00a0 The beauty of having to complete an evaluation is that you have a searchable series of life\u2019s important memories in one place, allowing you to return to the internet to recall where your mind and body were at a specific moment in time.\u00a0 Being able to jar your memory to the highs (and even the lows) of your time abroad is a simply priceless opportunity, one that you may not be able to fully appreciate until months or years later. Taking the time to review your program online may also develop into an interest in taking up journaling or even blogging.\u00a0 After all, an education abroad experience is one that you will to process for your entire life.\u00a0 Continuing to write about the impact of it, even decades later, is a joyful and cathartic experience.<\/p>\n

I hope that these five tips will give you reason to pause and seriously consider how you complete a mandatory evaluation or to encourage you to consider filling one out, even if it isn\u2019t required.\u00a0 The impact truly does extend well beyond your time abroad!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

About the Author:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Melissa<\/a>Missy Gluckmann is the Founder of<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>Melibee Global<\/a>, which aims to elevate the discussion about education abroad, culture, diversity and the lifelong path to global citizenship by offering trailblazing<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>tools<\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>speakers<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>and<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>professional development<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/em>for the global education and travel communities. 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<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>Facebook<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/em>and<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>Twitter<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Missy Gluckmann, Founder of Melibee Global (www.melibeeglobal.com) Acting because you\u2019re required to isn\u2019t always exciting.\u00a0 I really do \u2018get\u2019 that! However, there is a reason that many schools and program require that education abroad participants complete an evaluation before releasing a transcript.\u00a0 The good news is that there are some really positive reasons for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[436,425],"tags":[456,455,262],"ppma_author":[683],"class_list":["post-4708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-after-study-abroad","category-studyabroad-review-tips","tag-missy-gluckmann","tag-review-tips","tag-study-abroad-reviews","author-abroad101blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\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