Vocation

My vocational goals as of now are to be a high school teacher and coach soccer. Studying abroad will help me to be further prepared to be able to obtain these goals. While studying abroad I will be participating in the language and culture program. This will consist of different classes structured for the purpose of enhancing my knowledge on the culture and language of Spain. As a teacher I will be qualified to teach Spanish. As this is my favorite subject, my main goal for studying abroad is to enhance my proficiency of the language and improve my knowledge of the culture to be able to teach this subject. Through this program I will be able to do both of these and these skills will directly translate to teaching Spanish which will help me with my vocational goals. Additionally, while in Spain I would like to try to at least get out and play some pick-up soccer if not try to play on a team. This will allow me to get out and meet more people in the community and learn more about the people and their culture.

Academic Differences

The Spanish educational system is different than the one here in America. Here at Maryville College, I'm accustomed to getting material before class and being expected to have read it and come into class ready to have discussion and ask questions for further clarification. In Spain, it's different. All classes are lecture classes; people come in and take notes the whole time while the professor lectures. There's not really open discussions.

Something I will have to adjust to is the fact that professors there are usually not open to building relationships with their students, which is completely different than the environment that exists here at Maryville College. I have close relationships with the majority of my professors and sometimes go out to lunch or dinner with some of them. I like being able to be friends with my professors, so it will be an adjustment when I get to Spain.

Credits in Spain are different. 2 credits over there equal 1 credit here. So students usually take around 30 ETCs there, which would be equivalent to 15 credits here. This shouldn't be a problem, since I'm used to taking 18 hours per semester anyway.

The grading system there is different than the one we have here, too. Here we grade on a scale of 0-100, but they grade 1-10 in Spain. A 9-10 is considered excellent, 7-8 is good, and 6-5 is average. This gives me anxiety because I'm a perfectionist and I like to make As in all my classes, so it's going to be a shock when I get there and I make anything less than a 9 or 10.

Here we have multiple assignments and quizzes that fluff our grade so that if we don't do so well on the midterm and final exams, you can still do well in the class. In Spain, there really aren't opportunities to do assignments throughout the semester. More often than not, there's only a midterm and final. So you have to keep up with all of the content covered throughout the semester and make sure you make an appointment to speak with your professor and ask questions.

Vocational Goals

Studying abroad definitely will contribute to my vocational goals. I am graduating with a Bachelor's in International Business and a Bachelor's in Spanish. I do plan to attend law school when I return from Spain, but as of right now, I'm not really sure exactly what I want to do. I know that I love business and I'm good at it, and I would like to follow in my father's footsteps and become an entrepreneur as he did. I also really like law and have enjoyed law classes I have taken in the past. I have aspired to be a lawyer since I was in 7th grade. As I think about the attributes I will gain while studying in Spain next fall, I see that it doesn't really matter what career path I choose, because in all reality, all of the skills I gain while studying abroad will be helpful in either career field.

I am already fluent in Spanish, but I never studied it in school until college. Everything I know is based on what sounds right and from reading in Spanish since I was a child. I decided to major in Spanish because I wanted to be able to read and write it as efficiently as I speak it. While I'm studying in Spain, I know my Spanish will improve because I will be forced to speak it all of the time, unlike I do here when I only speak Spanish when I'm at home with my family or around my Spanish speaking friends. I know I will be faced with a challenge when I arrive in Spain, because while they do speak Spanish, most speak Catalan. I see this as an opportunity to gain fluency in a Spanish dialect, which would be helpful for my vocational goals. There is no doubt it will be tough to adjust to the mix of two romance languages, but I'm excited to step up to the plate and really attempt to learn this dialect.

To be able to gain fluency more quickly, I will have to become involved on campus and really reach out to become part of the community. I would love to have the opportunity to play volleyball or soccer again, so I may join club teams while I am there. They also have a debate club, so I may join that as well, since it would be helpful for my legal career. An internship would also be very helpful. I have interned previously in a political office and with a school system helping with the Spanish speaking students learning English. I would love to find an internship in a government office while I am there or with an elementary school with the Spanish department.

I think the most helpful skills I will gain from studying abroad are: fluency in Spanish and Catalan, being independent, adaptability, and networking/communication skills.  

Ulster University VS Maryville College

I am very well aware that the academic life will be much different,but not necessarily bad, abroad. After doing some research and reading up on schools in the UK I am expecting some stark difference that could be challenging to adjust to. It is clear that the workload is going to decrease for each class. however, this will come at the cost of in-class exams being weighted much heavier. This particular detail does not bother me as I am an excellent test taker, it is the constant large workload that can occasionally overwhelm me. I am also noticing that UK professors may not be as personable and interactive with students as US professors might be.

In terms of credit differences, Ulster University in particular at first appears to have a very defined credit difference. This is mostly just a conversion issue. For every 1 US credit, Ulster would award 4 credits. So while 15 credits might be a normal load here in the US, a normal semester load at Ulster University would look like 60 credits. Classes also meet about 2 hours a week over a course of 2 days. Going by the conversion, my Maryville college would be somewhere around 15 credit hours.

Another noted difference. Grading in the UK is very different that US colleges. Grading is much different as 70% and up is considering an A+. This would be unsettling as I am used to seeing 90's and so on. Ulster Univeristy also assigns students with a study advisor that can direct academic and personal concerns to the right person. A full-time student at Ulster must take 60 credit hours of course work. At Maryville College, a minimum of 13 credit hours is required to be part time.Typically you will need about 4 to 5 courses at each institution to meet the requirements as a full-time student.

Vocation

For this blog, please explain how studying abroad (at your chosen school, city, country, etc) contributes to your vocational goals.  Research ways you can be involved, or have a leadership role on campus or in your community abroad.  Please outline at least one thing that you will do consciously while abroad to help yourself take one step toward achieving your vocational or career goals and how it will help you. (eg. seeking out an internship, volunteering in your field, field research, taking a specific class)  What skills do you expect to gain that will help you in your future career?

I chose Kansai Gaidai because it was the only one I would have the means to attend, however, through my time learning about the school I've noticed that many of its programs align with my goals. 
At Kansai Gaidai, there is a volunteer club that I plan to take part in. I do a LOT of volunteering in Maryville, and I plan to go into non-profit work after college. Volunteering in Japan is an experience I didn't expect to be able to have, and I'm thrilled to be able to continue giving back to others. This kind of experience i very valuable to me, as I am really interested in doing international non profit work.
I want to learn more about Japan, as I am intrigued by the history, language, and culture. All of the classes offered pertain to these things, and are taught so that I can understand them. By living in Japan for a semester, my language skills and cultural knowledge will improve and give me  valuable employable skills, especially for international non-profit work. By participating in the activities the volunteer club does, I will get to learn how volunteer work is done differently in Japan. I think it is important to know the differences in community service practices in different countries, so as to make international aid more efficient and effective.

Ray Cleavenger

Vocational Goals

For this blog, please explain how studying abroad (at your chosen school, city, country, etc) contributes to your vocational goals.  Research ways you can be involved, or have a leadership role on campus or in your community abroad.  Please outline at least one thing that you will do consciously while abroad to help yourself take one step toward achieving your vocational or career goals and how it will help you. (eg. seeking out an internship, volunteering in your field, field research, taking a specific class)  What skills do you expect to gain that will help you in your future career?

In the future I hope to do something with therapy, such as physical therapy. A great thing about the University of Jyvaskyla is that it has a great sport and exercise psychology program. There are many clubs and organizations that I can get involved with at the University of Jyvaskyla. One organization I found is a student organization for my particular subject major. This is a great way to get involved on the campus, as well as get to know other students with similar goals. During the four weeks I am studying I hope to be as involved as I can. To get one step closer toward my goals I am taking a dance therapy class. The dance therapy class I will be taking emphasizes experiential learning, which is a great way for me to learn more about therapy by actually doing movement workshops. While abroad, I expect to gain insight on Art Therapies and the different kinds of therapy programs, which might influence my career goals. I also expect to grow as a person while studying abroad. Being on my own will make me more independent as well as help me gain better communication skills, which will be useful in the future. I am still a little hesitant on my future career, so I hope by taking the dance therapy class I will have a more permanent idea of my future career.  

Vocation

For this blog, please explain how studying abroad (at your chosen school, city, country, etc) contributes to your vocational goals.  Research ways you can be involved, or have a leadership role on campus or in your community abroad.  Please outline at least one thing that you will do consciously while abroad to help yourself take one step toward achieving your vocational or career goals and how it will help you. (eg. seeking out an internship, volunteering in your field, field research, taking a specific class)  What skills do you expect to gain that will help you in your future career?

As I wish to one day become a teacher in Japan, studying abroad is extremely relevant to my desired occupation. I am already in the middle of getting IRB approval to complete research for my senior thesis while at Ristumeikan Asia Pacific University, and have received e-mail conformation from my on-site coordinator that everything should be fine. 

As I only have two months in my university, I will need to try to engage in every activity possible in order to get the most out of the experience. I wish to become involved in Ritsumeikan's English club as well as some of the culture-based clubs while on campus. I am going to consciously try everyday to engage in conversation as much as possible while there, even if I am not completely sure that I am saying is correct. By doing this, I hope to become more comfortable with how to speak and act in Japan. Specifically by being part in the English club, I hope to be able to learn the best ways to teach Japanese people and how a Japanese-English class operates.

vocation goals

For this blog, please explain how studying abroad (at your chosen school, city, country, etc) contributes to your vocational goals.  Research ways you can be involved, or have a leadership role on campus or in your community abroad.  Please outline at least one thing that you will do consciously while abroad to help yourself take one step toward achieving your vocational or career goals and how it will help you. (eg. seeking out an internship, volunteering in your field, field research, taking a specific class)  What skills do you expect to gain that will help you in your future career?

I have always wanted to work abroad. This semester I have worked in the non-profit world with children and I believe that it may be my calling. I have found a few children oriented non-profits to possibly volunteer at while i am there. Children's Charity Onlus Italia is one of those. I really like their mission and hope to get involved. I will keep searching for more options and start to get in touch with them in the summer. My current internship takes up a lot of my time, so I do not want to be in that boat. Hopefully my course load will not be great. The classes I am taking will strengthen my academic core and my minor.  I am exciting to learn in a different style: on campus and off.

I really have a broad range of interests, which is awesome but also inhibiting when trying to decide a career path. I am trying to do many opportunities in different fields to narrow it down more. 

I want to be highly involved with my I-house in Milano. I see the fun people have at ours, and i feel that it will hopefully be the same in Italy. I can find clubs and off campus things to do through that. 

Overall, this will build me as a person. Taking this scary journey, a lone, to a country that does not  speak English takes guts that I don't have. I will became a more confident, self sufficient person (hopefully) and that will help me once college is over. 

I can predict some changes, and i certainly have goals, but i am also preparing for a lot of surprising opportunities. But i also am preparing for setbacks. If i don't get an internship: it is OK. If i can't take a elective class i think will better me: it is OK. This is all new, and hopefully will be good for the most part. I am excited!

Academic Differences

□ ACADEMIC DIFFERENCES:

The academics at the University of Jyvaskyla are similar to those at Maryville College. They offer lecture courses - with each lecture course having an exam at the end that the students must pass.  At the University of Jyvaskyla there are also reading courses. In these courses the students read literature specifically agreed on with the lecturer/professor, write essays and/or take a written examination after completing the necessary readings. In addition to lecture and reading courses, departments organize seminars, instruction given in small groups introducing students to independent research, as well as laboratory work in natural sciences and other kinds of practical classes, and written assignments. The classroom culture seems to be about the same in both places. Students are encouraged to ask questions both in and out of the classroom.  The University of Jyvaskyla’s academic year consists of an autumn and spring semester. The autumn semester is from September 1^st to December 31^st. The spring semester is from January 1^st to May 31^st. The teachers expect the student’s best performance in classes as well as on examinations. The relationship between students and teachers in Finland is quite informal. Both students and teachers like to consider one another as equals.

□ CREDITS: 

From what I can tell it seems that most classes range from 4-8 ECTS, which is about 2-4 US College Credit Hours, with the most common being 6 ECTS (3 US credits). The workload and credits are valued different from Maryville College.  One ECTS credit corresponds to approximately 27 hours of work.  I could not find how many hours/week the courses meet for a regular semester, but for my summer program the classes meet Monday-Friday for about 6 hours. This is because each class only lasts a week.

1 ECTS = about 0.50 US Credits.

□ GRADES: 

 The University of Jyvaskyla uses the grading scale from 1 to 5, with 1 as the lowest and 5 as the highest. The grading scale is as follows:

University of Jyväskylä scale	ECTS grading scale
5 (excellent)	A
4 (very good)	B
3 (good)	C
2 (satisfactory)	D
1 (sufficient)	E
0 (fail)	FX,F

□ SUPPORT:

 Exchange students can contact the departmental coordinators for departmental study counseling. The specialists of the student union is also available to help students with problems related to their studies.

□ FULL-TIME STATUS:

To be considered a full time student for one academic year at the University of Jyvaskyla the student must take 60 ECTS credits (30 ECTS credits per semester). To be a full time student at Maryville College the student must take 12 credit hours per semester. At Maryville College the minimum number of courses a student must take to be full time is 4 courses. At the University of Jyvaskyla the minimum number of courses a student must take to be full time is 5, but it depends on how many credits the course is worth.

Academic Differences

Academic Differences of Spain

There are many differences between the academic systems in Spain to that of here at Maryville College. In Spain students typically take about 30 ECTS per semester. This equates to about five or six classes per semester. Credits in Spain have a two to one ratio to credits here. Therefore, thirty there would be fifteen credits here. In this aspect the workload is pretty similar as credits and classes are about the same as one would take at Maryville College. However, the daily workload is typically very different in Spain than here. Most classes do not have much daily homework or assignments. Also, there typically aren't many quizzes or tests throughout the semester if at all. However, most classes have final exams at the end of the semester that are very important. This makes important to make sure that you’re keeping up with the content in the classes throughout the semester even when there aren’t assignments. Another difference is that the professors aren’t as close to the students as here at Maryville College. It is normal that if you want to speak with a professor about something that you set up a meeting. Lastly, the grading system is different in Spain than here. Grades are given on a 10-point scale:

• 9 or 10 is considered excellent (sobresaliente) 
• 7 or 8 is good (notable)
• 6 or 5 is average (aprobado), 

Academic Differences Between Japanese and American Colleges

There are numerous differences between Japanese and American colleges. These differences are in part due to the differences in pre-collegiate education.
 For example, to get into a college, a high school student must pass and extremely rigorous entrance exam. However, the pressure to achieve academically drops shortly afterwards. College is considered life's だいがくは 人生じんせいの 春休はるやすみ, or 'spring break'. They already did all the hard work, afterall.
In America, though, getting into a college isn't quite as difficult, but our schooling during college is very tough. If you aren't paying attention in class, your grades will suffer. Skipping class isn't acceptable usually, even in big schools where the teacher could never  hope to memorize all the students names.

Students also don't ask a lot of questions during class in Japan. Class discussion and critical thinking exercises are pretty uncommon. In America, it's the total opposite! People are always raising their hands and engaging the teacher in discussion, so that they better understand the material being taught. Japanese pre-collegiate education focuses on memorization, not understanding, so class discussion is a strange concept for them. Good thing classes are easier in Japanese colleges!

Also, most students in Japanese colleges do not live in a dorm type setting. If they  are in college, it means that they probably have their own place, such as a small apartment. I much prefer living on campus, so I wouldn't say I envy their situation, haha. However, Kansai Gaidai does have dorms for its foreign students, so I am glad for that.

Italian universities versus American

□ ACADEMIC DIFFERENCES:

o  Workload (# of tests/assignments/outside of class work) 

* the workload at Maryville is more rigorous than in Italy. There are normally 3-4 tests a semester at maryville, with copious amount of lab work and homework. This is not the case for all classes, but a vast majority. In Italy, most classes only have 2 tests a semesters and maybe a paper or two, 

o classroom culture

*the classroom setting seems to be more or less the same in both places. Respect the professors, but feel free to question and thrive.

o flow of the semester

the fall semester in Italy starts in September and ends in December. In america, it normally starts in August and ends in december. this is because in Italy they do not have a fall break.  

o expectations of students, and o faculty/student relationships

The students are expected to keep up with the readings in Italy with no homework or quiz to keep them in line. I think the italian school has more formal relationships with students.

□ CREDITS: 

o How many credits are classes normally worth?

6 of theirs (ECTS) which is 3.5 us credits

o Are credits/workload valued differently in your host country than here?

yes

 o Can you find information on how many hours/week each class will meet?

not on the website

o How will your credits transfer?  (I’m not asking what your courses will substitute for, I’m asking X # of credits at your host institution = X # credits at Maryville College.)

1.00 ECTS = 0.60 US College Credit Hours

□ GRADES: 

o Are letter grades in host country equivalent to the U.S.?

No

Italian grades with corresponding ECTS & US grading

Italian   ECTS Grade ECTS Definition % of successful students US Grade US Definition

30 con A Excellent                5% A-, A, A+ Excellent

28-30 B Very Good          5% B-, B, B+ Good

25-27 C Good                      20% C-, C, C+ Satisfactory

21-24 D Satisfactory    40% D-, D, D+ Barely passing

18-20 E Sufficient            30%

14-17 Fx Fail

0-13 F Fail

Found on Wikipedia 

□ SUPPORT:

o What kinds of support services, academic resources, and tutoring available are available at your host institution?

they have tutoring and academic support

□ FULL-TIME STATUS:

o  How many credits do you have to enroll in to be considered full time at both your home and host institution? (You must be considered full time at both for financial aid and immigration purposes.) 

12 at home institution

Full time in Italy is 30 CFU

o What is the minimum number of courses you have to take to be full-time there and full-time here?

here is 4

there is 5

American College VS British University

So, you're an American who is going to study abroad in the UK? Well, before you go, you need to know the differences in academic life between the two countries.

The classroom culture and workload in the UK is different from that in the US.  For example, in the UK, education greatly emphasizes independent study, while attendance and participation are less important.  This is in contrast to the US, where attendance and participation are usually important factors in grading.  In the UK, you can expect to be given an extensive list of outside reading materials which you are responsible for knowing when it is time for examinations.  Small readings and assignments are not common features of classrooms in the UK; therefore, final exams and term papers count for much of the final grade. Time management will be an extremely important skill to have while studying in the UK.

Speaking of grades, in the UK, a 70% or higher is considered good grade or one "with distinction."  So, don't worry if you get a 75% marked on your paper.  You did fine, by their standards.  In the UK, grades INCREASE starting from 40% rather than decreasing by 100%, like they do in the US.  In fact, 40% is passing in the UK.

When it comes to classes, students in the UK tend to take 3 to 6 modules (classes) per term (semester).  Full time students in the UK normally take 60 credits per semester, or 15 credits in the US.  At the University of Essex, nearly every class is worth 15 credits, meaning a full time student would take a minimum of 4 classes per semester.  In the US, full-time students usually have to take a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.

Some important terms to know:
UK                                         US
Modules                                 Classes/Courses
Courses                                  Majors/Subject of study
Marks                                     Grades in numerical form
College                                   High School

Blog 4: Academic Differences

The typical teaching style in Japan is different from the typical teaching style in America. Lectures are very much note-based, and students are expected to hold questions until after the class. Teachers are highly respected and are to be treated as superiors. Classes are typically two credits each, and one credit in Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University is equivalent to one credit in Maryville College. By taking 6 credits abroad, there will be a total of 192 contact hours throughout the summer. Fall and spring semester times are different in the US from Japan, but that will not be a concern for summer study programs. In fact, the summer study program falls right in the middle of the Japanese spring semester. Letter grades at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University differ slightly from grades at Maryville College. Ninety percent or higher is deemed an A+, 80-89% is an A, 70-79% is a B, 60-69% is a C, and anything below that is failing. To be considered a full-time student during the summer here, a minimum of 6 credits must be taken. During the summer program, a minimum of 6 language credits is also required.