Goals

Identifying Your Objectives

The process of setting objectives is a valuable exercise as you prepare for your Study Abroad experience. The better you are able to identify what you want from your study abroad experience, the more successful you will be in finding a program that will meet your needs. You will want to consider the goals you would like to accomplish while abroad and develop a clear plan to do so. By identifying your personal goals, you will begin to understand your motivations for wanting to live and study abroad.

Here is a list of the objectives most commonly given by students going overseas. Consider which of these apply to you.

Challenge of living and studying overseas
Desire to learn another language and culture
Desire to expand your own horizons
Desire to keep up with your peers or friends who have been overseas
Interest in learning in a different educational institution
Desire to build skills in communicating with people from other backgrounds
Need for a change
Possible advancement in future job or profession
Desire to get away from something personal or college life
Study particular subjects in greater depth than is possible at Butler
Other

It may be helpful for you to review this list occasionally while you are abroad to determine if you are making progress toward achieving your objectives. Also, it will be helpful for you to consider the questions below to help you further clarify your study abroad goals and what you need to do to accomplish them.

Where do you want to study abroad? Why?
What do you hope to accomplish by studying abroad?
Are there any course requirements that you must fulfill on study abroad? If so, please list.
Have you discussed your study abroad plan and its effect on your academic career at Butler with your academic advisor? (If not, please do so prior to applying for study abroad)
If you are interested in going abroad to study a language, are you proficient enough in a foreign language to enroll directly in a foreign university? Would you like to continue instruction in a foreign language while taking some of your course work in English? Or, are you a beginner seeking a program that combines elementary language instruction with additional course work in English?
What have past participants and international students told you about the country/program(s) that you are considering?
Are you interested in a program with classes in English or another language?
How integrated in the culture do you want to be while abroad?