Studying abroad: not just for junior year

If the price to pay for a semester abroad in Japan is eight weeks of couch-surfing, Wharton and College sophomore Baylee Feore is more than happy to live out of her suitcase.

While waiting for the academic year to begin in April at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, Feore has been living with a different friend each week while she bides her time.

"It's the closest to homeless I've ever been," she joked.

But for her, temporary homelessness is better than missing out on all of her second semester of sophomore year.

Feore's decision to study abroad before junior year, which is the most popular choice for undergraduates, is unusual at Penn.

During the 2005-2006 academic year, only 51 seniors and sophomores studied abroad, compared to 596 juniors, according to Penn Abroad statistics, which have been consistent in following years. Freshmen are not allowed to study abroad.

Junior year is typically the most popular for studying abroad because, at that point, "you've met your core requirements, you've built your language skills, and you've had the opportunity to take at least three courses in your intended major," Penn Abroad director Geoffrey Gee said.

However, the idea of spending part of sophomore year abroad has become more popular throughout higher education, Gee said. At Penn, this trend is most supported by the Engineering school because it frees up junior and senior years for students to focus on their specific fields of expertise.

Feore, who is required through the Huntsman Program to study abroad for at least one semester, has non-academic reasons for shipping out this April instead of next year.

She is sacrificing this spring at Penn to avoid missing out on junior year traditions like Hey Day and to give herself time when she returns to claim leadership roles in on-campus clubs and activities.

Job opportunities are an additional factor for Wharton and College sophomore Julia Luscombe, who is currently studying in Senegal. She decided she'd rather miss part of sophomore year than miss on-campus recruiting as a junior.

But there are drawbacks to leaving campus earlier than most. Satisfying requirements and language proficiency are often concerns for students who choose to go international before junior year, Gee said.

Feore, who is not enrolled as an official student for this term, has been attempting to avoid that pitfall by sitting in on Japanese classes for extra practice before she packs her bags for Tokyo.

Another "downside," Luscombe wrote in an e-mail, is that she faces the possibility of not seeing some of her friends for at least a full year, if not longer, especially those going abroad fall semester of junior year.

Seniors face challenges of balancing study abroad with graduation, especially when academic calendars don't necessarily match up, Gee said.

Transcripts and grades aren't always processed on time, so seniors going abroad may be forced to walk the stage in August or December rather than in May with the rest of their graduating class.

But in general, Gee supports any student who elects to study abroad, regardless of his or her class standing.

"We're building international skills for people who are going to have international lives," he said.

And besides, said Feore, "If you can't have the adventures when you're young, when can you have the adventures?"

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