Michaela Mills, the Tigers Abroad marketing intern, writes:
As a business major, I often hear classmates in my major saying studying abroad is not beneficial for them or maybe not even possible. However in reality, these days more and more employers, especially in the business arena, are searching for prospects with a global viewpoint, international experience and even the understanding of other cultures.
Michaela, a business major, having fun whilst learning in Australia
When you study abroad, you immerse yourself into another country’s culture and learn how to adapt to living in that different culture. This is helpful for business majors because you are going to be dealing with so many different types of people. No matter what sort of business you work in, you will have to learn to adapt to your clients and what they need from you to have a successful experience. You experience this through studying abroad more than when you just travel because you are living and working with different people constantly. A great example is the farmstay; you are actually living with Australians and experiencing their daily routines.
Another obvious bonus of studying abroad is academic credit. Even though it might be difficult to find programs with business course credits you need for graduation, there is almost always a way to transfer credits for another requirement. Business majors usually need an international study credit or electives from studying abroad. The AUIP programs are great for this purpose because they are hands-on experiences and already in your school’s course credits making for easy course substitution.
Studying abroad also helps you break out of your academic routine. Taking a full semester of only business courses can become monotonous and boring. However with these programs, learning becomes fun again because you’re constantly interactively learning, not sitting in a classroom and listening to lectures like most on-campus courses.
Most AUIP programs occur over the summer, an ideal time so as to not spend an entire semester abroad and potentially reduce some of your semester course load without affecting your graduation date. Many business majors feel the need to spend summers interning somewhere. Thankfully with AUIP’s short-term programs, you still have a nice chunk of your summer remaining and you can find a business that will accommodate your internship start date.
There is always a way for any major to study aboard and it is beneficial for everyone. It’s a great experience that helps you and your resume grow. Just research your program and credit options, talk to your academic advisor, find the program that works for you and be on your way abroad.
