r/msu • u/mysterygirl133 • 5d ago
General Help with Study Abroad
Dude. I don’t know what to do. Looking for some advice from people who have been on this trip, or any trip for that matter. I’m a junior so it’s my last summer to go study abroad, but I’m unsure if it’s worth it. I want to go for the packaging experience, but I feel like it’ll be more like a vacation for a whooping estimated 15k. I have to decide soon since spots are filling up, and I have already been approved, just haven’t committed.
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u/NotaVortex Supply Chain Management 5d ago
These trips are for kids with rich parents who pay for everything. Absolutely not worth it if you will go in debt over it or increase the time it takes to pay off your loans.
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u/mysterygirl133 5d ago
I will say that my grandma has offered to help me, and I have some money set aside. I have the money, I just feel guilty about using it since it feels like a vacation
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u/ComeCulito 5d ago
Which one will you regret more? Missing the opportunity of this experience (friends, connections, growth, experience a different lifestyle at your age) or missing out because you feel “guilty”. You’re young, when are you ever going to have this much time again? Once you start working, you’ll have only 2-3 weeks of PTO. I think you should go diva ( if you can afford it of course )
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u/mysterygirl133 5d ago
Ahhh now this is a comment. Yeah, I’m mostly worried about deciding not to go but regretting it forever after. I doubt i’d regret not staying home if I went. Thanks for this advice!!
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u/homerjsimpson4 5d ago
Alternatively, I was very much not a rich kid. My parents captured rain in plastic totes when our water was shut off as a kid. I took out a personal loan to be able to afford to do fun stuff on my study abroad. And it was totally worth it, I wish I did more. Study abroad was one of the best experiences of my life. Money is temporary, experiences are what make life worth living.
THAT SAID, $15k is indeed quite a lot. I think after federal aid I spent maybe $3k-5k on my trip and it was a 5-6 week summer program. So like, a little debt is fine, but don't spend any amount you're not comfortable with. I just think study abroad is a very fun and valuable experience.
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u/abramsontheway 5d ago
Do it. You likely will never get the chance to spend that much time in Korea/Japan again and a ten day long trip there would cost you thousands anyway. Experiences like this are worth the money and you're getting credits out of it. It's a lot, yeah, but doing it in your 20s with others who'll become friends is better than going in your 30s or 40s. My two cents.
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u/flamingounleashed 5d ago
I went on this same trip. Are you out of state? 15k seems high. It definitely was worth it, but it would be hard to justify if you have to take out loans and go into debt. PM me if you have any questions.
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u/flamingounleashed 5d ago
There are also study abroad scholarships that are available, which I received.
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u/No-Long5784 5d ago
If you can swing it financially and feel comfortable doing so, do it. I did a summer abroad program which was only 6 weeks. I can’t imagine what a whole semester would be like. Even now, almost 20 years later it’s still one of my top 5 best experiences.
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u/mysterygirl133 5d ago
This is what I was looking for. I’m glad to hear you still value the trip 20 years later. I would hate to make the wrong decision and regret it. Thank you for this!!
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u/substocallmecarson 4d ago edited 4d ago
Packaging alumni who did the UK one here. Try your very best to do it. It's great experience, it's a credit, and you will gain a perspective on your field that very few professionals have- what do we do with waste with limited space? What is valuable that can be engineered for extraction after use? How does culture and politics influence design choices?
Also, you'll inevitably have a story to tell any and every recruiter. They love hearing about it (mostly just because they think it's dope, but also because it's great experience).
It probably doesn't have a 100% return on investment, but I'd think of it like 65% of the funds go towards a monumental learning experience and the other 35% are that once in a lifetime trip expense. I always highly encourage the packaging study abroad.
It's also unique in that it's industry focused, which is rare- This isn't biology class in France, you'll literally tour Asian manufacturing sites and debrief about what makes them unique from American sites.
Edit: talk to Aaron about scholarships/money if you haven't already. I got 500 from the school when i went on mine basically just for attending.
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u/Bokonon10 4d ago
If you can afford it, you absolutely should. I'm an alumni living in Japan now and see so many exchange students coming over here and having an absolute blast. Makes me jealous that I was never able to do an exchange program myself back in uni. Study abroad is an amazing experience if you can afford it and you should absolutely take the opportunity.
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u/Glum_Hamster_1076 4d ago
What does the tuition pay for? What are your out-of-pocket expenses? What’s the learning/class/tourist timing ratio? If there’s a healthy balance of learning and space to explore, it seems worth it. If you’re paying 15k, to hang out in Japan for the summer. It’s cheaper and probably better to pay 4K for a two week trip you plan on your own.
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u/Lady-of-chaos 3d ago
Okay so I did the religious studies in Japan trip where we were there for the whole month of May, do it, full on do it. You will do so much that you wouldn't normally get to do if you were to go later. The resources and experiences that you will have access to will make the trip so worth it.
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u/Excellent_Tree_1459 5d ago
If you have the financial means for it and you really want this experience, I think it's worth it. Sure, I've been to Japan and Korea before but it's not the same as going in your early 20s with other people in your age group and going through this together.
Since it's for school, you'll also have housing, food, and people that can guide you, which will help you navigate a little bit easier if you have anxiety travelling.