As the parent or mentor of a student studying abroad, we would like to thank you for being supportive of their decision. It can truly be a life-changing experience! Please read the Olin Global Programs Handbook, review our website, and talk to your student to better understand the program, process, responsibilities, and benefits of study abroad. Even though it is the student’s responsibility to complete the required steps to study abroad, we know they could not do it without your help and support. For that reason, we want to share parent resources from international education organizations:
Education, communication, and understanding are crucial to successfully supporting students and parents. In an effort to support the independence required on a semester abroad, we would encourage you to reach out to your student directly with any questions or encourage them to schedule an appointment with their Study Abroad Coordinator. However, we understand that that you have any questions about the process. During the application phase, we request students to indicate if their study abroad program information may be made available to parents and to provide parent emails. Parents of students who complete this question item and provide information will be emailed periodically with general program information.
Parental Signatures | Parental signature documents may also be required during the Preparedness/Program Acceptance phase. Please review any documents carefully and return them to your student to submit prior to the deadline.
Orientation | In an effort to support their preparation, students will be enrolled in a .5 credit hour pre-departure course, Planning for International Learning, which has been designed to assist them in preparing for and capitalizing upon their experience. This class stresses the importance of preparedness, independence, adaptability, and flexibility – important skills that will allow them to excel in their new environment. During their semester abroad, students enroll in a 0.5 credit hour course, Applying International Experiences, which will focus on how to articulate transferable skills, and other post-departure information that will allow students to translate their abroad experiences into the working world. This course is taken online during the term of their study abroad experience.
Supporting your Student | Encourage your student to begin looking at programs early in their academic career. Most semester programs are open to students in their junior year, although some programs may accept students as early as their freshman year. Prior to departure, encourage your student to research not only the academics, culture, language, and travel opportunities, but discuss with you what they hope the outcomes of their study abroad experience to be.
Program-specific information will be given to students at different times during the preparation and acceptance process. We rely on our partner institutions to provide us with the most information that may be unavailable immediately upon acceptance. This can often be frustrating when students want to plan their time abroad. Global Programs Coordinators works closely with students throughout the entire study abroad process and can assist your student in understanding partner timetables.