Xie 1 Ricky Xie Kristen Foster CO150.003 Oct.26th 2013 Is study abroad a good choice !

i"" students #ro$ %sia& 'uro(e and %$erica study in the sa$e c"ass )hat does a((ear in our rea" "i#e. In the "ast a #e* years& $ore and $ore students ha+e decided to go abroad #or higher education rather than get a degree in their ho$e country. For e,a$("e& according to institute of international education& the nu$ber o# internationa" students studying in -. has increased by si, (ercent in 2012. /II'0 For this (ro1ect& I $ake u( $y $ind to e,("ore the 2uestion& is study abroad a good choice .ince I a$ a Chinese student *ho is no* studying in -.& I a$ (articu"ar"y interested in doing research re"e+ant to $yse"# to #ind out *hether I ha+e $ade the right decision #or $y #uture. Further$ore& *ith the de+e"o($ent o# science and econo$y& $ost #a$i"ies ha+e taken study abroad into consideration and regarded it as a (rior o(tion #or their chi"dren3s gro*th. )hus& it is *hat (eo("e& es(ecia""y (arents& (ay a "ot attention to right no*. 4ean*hi"e& I *onder *hether it is a good choice #or teens to "ea+e their ho$e countries and continue their study in a ne* country *ith un#a$i"iar "anguages and cu"tura" background that *i"" bring burden both in study and #inancia" "e+e". I sus(ect there are +arious #actors a##ecting (eo("e3s choice and study abroad $ay not as *onder#u" as it "ooks "ike. )o start *ith& I *anted to #irst search so$e in#or$ation about current status o# internationa" students study abroad. I ty(ed in 5study abroad stats6 in 7oog"e search and #ind a ne*s artic"e 5)he .tatistics o# .tudy %broad6 #ro$ British Broadcasting Corporation /88C0& *hich gi+es $e a genera" (ers(ecti+e o# students study abroad. %ccording to 88C& the nu$ber o# internationa" students around the *or"d has increased ra(id"y in the (ast thirty years and the nu$ber is no*

Xie 2 increased by 129 each year. I *as sur(rised by the trend o# high s(eed gro*th o# study abroad. It see$s that going abroad #or education is beco$ing $ore and $ore (o(u"ar a$ong the *or"d. 4oreo+er& this artic"e a"so ta"ks that 5studying abroad can (resent o((ortunities #or "earning ne* "anguages& tra+e""ing& career de+e"o($ent& e,(eriencing ne* cu"tures and #or$ing ne* #riendshi(s. 8ut there can be do*nsides to studying in other countries as *e""6& *hich enor$ous"y arouses $y interests in searching the (ros and cons o# o+erseas study. %#ter I got a rough +ie* about the current condition o# students study abroad& I can3t *ait to #ocus on the $erits and de$erits o# o+erseas study. I turned to the institute of international education& *hich is a (ro#essiona" non(ro#it organi:ation in internationa" education. In the *ebsite& I 2uick"y #ound a (ress& 5O(en ;oors 2012< Internationa" .tudent 'nro""$ent Increased by 6 =ercent6. %"though it $ain"y ta"ks about the data o# internationa" students in -.& I *as absorbed in the econo$ics (art. It said that 5Internationa" students contribute $ore than >22.? bi""ion to the -... econo$y& according to the -... ;e(art$ent o# Co$$erce.6& *hich $eans that the $ore internationa" students co$e to -.& the $ore bene#its -. econo$y can get. I *as tota""y astonished by such a big (ro#it -. can gain #ro$ internationa" students. I guessed that -. *ou"d a"*ays o(en their ar$s to *e"co$e students #ro$ other countries and say that study in -. is such a #ancy choice that you can ne+er re#use. !hi"e the host countries "ike -. can get enor$ous bene#its #ro$ internationa" students& I *as e,tre$e"y curious about *hether ho$e countries "ike China can earn (ro#its or not by sending a great $any o# students study o+erseas. I decided to e,("ore the e##ects o# study abroad on ho$e countries #or the ne,t ste(. %#ter t*o@days rest& I *as (hysica""y *e""@(re(ared to do another research about $y issue. I ai$ed at the bene#it ho$e countries $ight gain #ro$ internationa" students this ti$e.

Xie 3 Fortunate"y& I had 1ust 2uick"y disco+ered a ne*s artic"e that suited $y to(ic *e"". It is an ne*s artic"e China Daily& one o# the $a1or socia" $edia in China& tit"ed 54ore Chinese .tudents Returns to Find !ork a#ter .tudy %broad6. I "earned #ro$ the artic"e that a#ter graduation #ro$ o+erseas uni+ersities& 5$ore than ?0 (ercent o# Chinese students returned ho$e6& indicating that $ost students *ho study abroad are *i""ing to ho$e countries. I *as so ha((y *hi"e I *as reading the ne*s. %"though *e o+erseas Chinese s(end a "ot o# $oney each year (aying tuition& $ost o# us can bring our ta"ents back to $ake contributions to our o*n $other country. %#ter recei+ing education in other countries& es(ecia""y in *estern countries& *e are beco$ing $ore (ro#essiona" in so$e #ie"ds and ha+e a good co$$and o# so$e techni2ues that *ou"d tru"y ("ay an i$(ortant ro"e in bui"ding u( our o*n country. )his artic"e ga+e $e a di##erent ang"e to "ook at $y research issue that it is bene#icia" #or both ho$e countries and host countries. .ince I had conducted so$e research about study abroad on nationa" "e+e"& I had understood that *hy study abroad has been (o(u"ar recent years. %s both host countries and ho$e countries can gain bene#its #ro$ students& countries *i"" be g"ad to coo(erate together and $ake so$e (rogra$ so that students can easi"y go abroad. Ao*e+er& in ter$s o# a student& I sti"" had not got an ans*er #or $y research 2uestion. )here#ore& I *as going to conduct so$e research about the (ositi+e and negati+e #actors that $ay a##ect students. %s I started searching ne* sources& I 2uick"y #ound the artic"e I *ant in the #irst (age o# the 7oog"e search *ith the key *ords 5bene#it o# internationa" students6. )he artic"e I #ound is a ne*s artic"e (ub"ished in Bloomberg BusinessWeek and its tit"e is 5)he .ur(rising 8ene#its o# Internationa" 'nro""$ent6. )he artic"e introduces that 5interacting *ith students #ro$ other cu"tures *ou"d (re(are graduates better to co$(ete in a g"oba" econo$y6. )hen

Xie B the author $o+es on to c"ai$ that students in host country *ho #re2uent"y co$$unicate *ith internationa" students ha+e a 5signi#icant higher "e+e"s o# ski"" de+e"o($ent6& strong"y sho*ing that nati+e students are gradua""y "earning and $aking (rogress. In raising the (oint about the bene#its #ro$ internationa" students& this artic"e began to change $y $ind about the in#"uence o# internationa" students on host country students. !hereas be#ore I thought that "oca" students $ay not "ike to co$$unicate a "ot *ith o+erseas students because o# "anguage (rob"e$s and cu"ture ga(& no* I #e"t that nati+e students *ere $ore "ike"y to interact *ith internationa" students& #or they cou"d both "earn so$e uni2ue ski""s that *ou"d be use#u" #or their #uture career& "ike s(eaking a #oreign "anguage& and hear so$ething ne* #ro$ the outside *or"d& *hich cou"d broaden their hori:on. I *onder *hether it is #a+orab"e #or internationa" students to interact *ith nati+e students and deter$ine to "ook #or artic"es that e,a$ine this 2uestion. For the ne,t stage& I "ocated $y source by searching in the "ibrary data base. It *as hard at #irst to #ind (eer@re+ie*ed artic"es that re#"ects ho* internationa" students get in+o"+ed in the host society and I #ina""y #ind one that best #its $y to(ic unti" I add one $ore key *ord 5Chinese students6. )he tit"e o# the artic"e is 5Cegotiating =o*er and %ccess to .econd Danguage Resources< % .tudy on .hort@)er$ Chinese 48% .tudents in %$erica.6 )he author #ocuses on the study "i#e o# so$e 48% students co$ing #ro$ China and #inds out that inada(tion o# di##erent cu"ture and insu##icient ski""s o# second "anguage hindered the$ #ro$ ad1ust$ent in the host society. !hat "ed $e into dee( consideration *as that Chinese students *ere doing *hat they *ere good at but not trying to do so$ething they *ere un#a$i"iar *ith. I thought students cou"d "earn a "ot o# kno*"edge *hi"e "i+e ha((i"y *ith

Xie 5 nati+e students. )his artic"e 1ust changed $y (ers(ecti+e that so$e o+erseas students $ay #ee" #rustrated about their (oor in+o"+e$ent abroad. %#ter +ie*ing source about ho* students get bene#its #ro$ internationa" students and ho* internationa" students $et di##icu"ties in o+erseas study& I *anted to #ocus $y attention again on $oney& *hich I had ta"ked a "ot on nationa" "e+e". %s #or $e& schoo" tuition can be a big cost #or $y #a$i"y. )hus& I #e"t that it is necessary to "ook at so$e sources about ho* high tuition can a##ect #a$i"ies o# internationa" students. !hen I headed to 7oog"e search again& there *as a"*ays so$e +a"uab"e ne*s *aiting #or $e. !ith the key *ord 5high tuition o# internationa" students6& I success#u""y #ound a (ro(er source about the high tuition o# internationa" students. %"though $y ne,t source does not $ain"y ta"k about the burden cause by the high tuition& it does gi+e so$e re"e+ant in#or$ation to $e. In the artic"e& the author cites an inter+ie* o# internationa" students that her #a$i"y had to $ake so$e sacri#ice to $ake it (ossib"e to (ay #or her high tuition and her (arents a"*ays in#or$ her to sa+e $oney as $uch as (ossib"e. 54y (arents are a"*ays te""ing $e not to go out as $uch and to cook instead o# eating out.6 )he students said. %#ter reading the ne*s& I got an idea that it is not yourse"# *ho cou"d decide i# you can go abroad #or study& but the #inancia" abi"ity o# the *ho"e #a$i"y. I understood that (eo("e *ho *ant to study abroad ha+e to take the #inancia" abi"ity into consideration. )his research does re#resh $y $ind. 8e#ore I go abroad& I *as on"y thinking about ho* *onder#u" the o+erseas education is and ho* e,citing it is to $ake #riends *ith %$ericans. Co* I ha+e a tota""y di##erent +ie* to*ards $y research 2uestion. 8ased on $y o+era"" research& the ans*er #or $y 2uestion de(ends on ho* $uch con#idence #or their co$$unication ski""s and their a##ordabi"ity o# the high tuition. I sti"" don3t kno* $uch

Xie 6 about *hat internationa" students can get bene#it #ro$ study abroad& such as (ro#essiona" kno*"edge or i$(ro+ed "anguage ski""s. For $y #urther research& I *on3t #ocus on the disad+antages o# study abroad any $ore. Instead& I *i"" (ay $y attention to ho* study abroad can he"( teens "earn better and ac2uire $ore needed ski""s to get success in the society *ith ra(id"y increased co$(etition.

!ork Cited Institute of International Education. Institute o# Internationa" 'ducation& 12 Co+ 2012. !eb& 15 Oct 2013 Da+e""e& Douis. 5)he .ur(rising 8ene#its o# Internationa" 'nro""$ent6 BusinessWeek.com. 8"oo$berg 8usiness!eek& ? Eune 2013. !eb. 12 Oct 2013. .hi& Xingsong. FCegotiating =o*er and %ccess to .econd Danguage Resources< % .tudy on .hort@)er$ Chinese 48% .tudents in %$erica.F Modern Language Journal G5.B /20110< 5?5@5HH. cademic !earch "remier. !eb. 12 Oct 2013. Sood, Suemedha. The Statistic of study abroad bbc.com. 8ritish 8roadcasting Cor(oration& 26 .e(t 2012. !eb. H Oct 2013. !ang& Aongyi. 54ore Chinese .tudents Returns to Find !ork a#ter .tudy %broad6 Chinadaily.com.cn. China ;ai"y in#or$ation Co& 1? Oct 2013. !eb. 1G Oct 2013. Yogalingam, Umayangga. Shouldering the Burden of High Tuition Fees theunderground.com. The Underground, n.d. Web. ! "ct #$ %.

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