Interested in study abroad? Here are some Q&A to help you navigate through the application process

Study Abroad programs are offered at High Point University and

they are filled with opportunities for all different majors and courses. Typically,

students do not regret studying abroad, but the stress of figuring out what program

to apply for, how to apply, how it fits into your schedule, the cost, etc., can be very

troubling for some. To ease that stress, Laken Pritchard, the Global Education

Coordinator at HPU, sat down to answer some of these questions. 

 

When are applications due? 

Applications are not first come first serve, but it is good to get ahead, so that you have plenty of time to check over your application before the due date. 

 

“Our programs, Maymester and Global Experience, are open,” said Pritchard. 

 

The application opened on Sept. 29 and students have until Nov. 15 to complete the applications.

 

The application fee must be submitted in person, at Roberts Hall, before 5:00 p.m. on Nov. 15. 

 

What is the ‘Go Global Grant’? 

Studying abroad is not offered for free at HPU. However, some students may receive the ‘Go Global Grant’ or other forms of discounts. 

 

“The Go Global Grant is for anyone who started their freshman year, of 2021, until now,” said Pritchard. "They have the Go Global Grant just for being a student. You don't have to apply for anything extra. It's automatically given to you.” 

 

What does the Go Global Grant do? 

There are four fees in total for these programs, including the program fee, which costs the most. There is also an application fee, a technology fee for data plans and tuition. Tuition is $3,700 this year, the application is $200, the technology fee is $250 and the program fee varies.

 

“The Maymester program is where you will see the Go Global Grant come into play,” said Pritchard. “That Grant waives tuition.” 

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What is the difference between a Maymester and a Global Experience? 

“Our Maymester programs are four-week long, fully intensive courses, taught between the first and second week of May, all the way through four weeks,” said Pritchard. “It's the entire course taken entirely abroad during that month of May. They're worth two to four credits.” 

 

Global Experience is slightly different in both format and duration. Pritchard details what a Global Experience looks like. 

 

“We put you in that class, so you don't have to register for it. We automatically do it for you. You take the class all through the spring semester, as if you were taking classes like normal. So, it'll be here on HPU’s campus. Then, you leave around the same time, so around that first week of May, and you are gone for two weeks. So, while you still take the class here on campus, there will still be some things that your professor will have you do, depending on the course: journal entries and various things that relate to what you're studying.” 

 

Do these programs count for graduation requirements? 

The easy answer is yes, but depending on which program you take, a general education course or major requirement can be accounted for. 

 

You can find more information about these programs in the portal. 

 

“If you go into the academics tab, it will have the course listed,” said Pritchard. “GBS (Global Studies) for sophomore, juniors and seniors, or the experiential learning requirement for freshmen. She says that all majors are welcome. It will usually say within the academics tab about what qualifies for what.” 

 

How should you go about picking out a program? 

There are so many programs to choose from and so many places to go, so it's very overwhelming, but Pritchard provides three suggestions. 

 

“It's all personal, in my opinion, because I think whenever people come to me and they don't know exactly what they want to do or they're undecided, my biggest piece of advice is to ask what your learning style is,” said Pritchard.

 

“How do you feel that you learn best? Do you learn best in a fully intensive, or taking the same class every single day? Do you learn in a more fast-paced environment, or do you learn better when you're taking classes like normal at a slower pace?” 

 

Pritchard also explained that if you are focused on a specific location or culture that you are really interested in exploring, that you could go to that country, even if it isn’t a major related course. As long as you are comfortable doing the tasks of the class to your best effort and understand that you will be graded, that’s all that matters. 

 

Finally, her third suggestion, especially for people with majors that don’t necessarily correlate to a specific program, is to find a program that requires you to use skills that you are interested in using. Whether they are skills that you are really good at and want to heighten, skills that you aren’t exactly good at and want to improve upon, or skills that you haven’t worked on, but are interested in doing so. This could work in your favor because you can work on skills and take part in a program that could eventually correlate to a future career or help you in your current studies.

 

Studying abroad is a wonderful opportunity and if you believe that it is a good idea for you to partake in, this is your sign to go for it. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that you will not regret.

 

If you have further questions, you can contact Laken Pritchard, at lpritch1@highpoint.edu.