Alex Draginoff reflects on his summer study abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and why he chose USAC’s program instead of his university’s exchange program.
Alex Draginoff, an accounting and international business graduate from the University of Cincinnati, spent 11 weeks in Chiang Mai, Thailand for the combined Summer I & II program through the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC).
Alex was drawn to the vibrance of Thai culture, its unique landscapes, and the business courses that applied to his studies. His extended stay in Chiang Mai developed into a seasoned understanding of global business operations from an international perspective. It was an experience that shaped his future career and sense of purpose as a global citizen.
“USAC seemed to have the greatest variety of places to travel to,” Alex said to UC News (University of Cincinnati, Ohio). “A longer-term study abroad gives you time to struggle, to feel uncomfortable for a bit but then you also have time to overcome it, by the end, you’re not wanting to leave.”
Many college and university students get their first taste of international travel by signing up to join their classmates on a short overseas trip with their instructor. These home university faculty-led programs offer familiar faces and a tight schedule. Other students make bolder investments — in themselves and their education — by stepping out into the world on yearlong, semester, or combined summer term programs.
According to a UC News report, long-term programs are typically structured in three ways: Exchange programs, external programs, and Co-op programs. An exchange program offers students the opportunity to study at a partnership university; an external program offers study abroad opportunities through a third-party provider; and a Co-op program is like a paid internship for students on specific education tracks.
The long-term study abroad programs tend to prepare students to be independent, well-informed people. USAC Chiang Mai is a Specialty Program model that appoints a Resident Director to help students meet new people, understand the regional culture, navigate the area, and much more. Think of it as having an advisor who is local to the area you’re visiting.
There are many advantages of having a USAC Resident Director in the Specialty Programs, but there are also Partnership Program models where students work with an international institution like they would in an exchange program.
USAC is an independent, nonprofit organization that offers more than 50 programs across nearly 25 countries. Its mission is to offer academic-focused, culturally immersive study abroad programs without unaffordable program fees.
For more information about USAC’s Specialty and Partnerships Program models, visit https://usac.edu/academics/program-models
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