Study Abroad - it changes lives - and the world! As our Wandering Educators will know, study abroad is one of my great passions - I've worked in study abroad, and am always (always!) promoting study abroad to students of all ages. I've got a great resource for you, on study abroad - Brooke Roberts' excellent site, Inside Study Abroad. Here, you'll find interviews with people involved in study abroad, tips for study abroad, and even a study abroad job board! This is a fun, inspiring site - one we recommend!

Brooke in China

We caught up with Brooke and asked her about Inside Study Abroad, international education, advice for students, and more. Here's what she had to say...

WE: Please tell us about your site, Inside Study Abroad...

BR: Inside Study Abroad is a resource for aspiring study abroad pros, current students, and even university and program administrators who appreciate a candid look at and perspective on study abroad. It's something I work on in my "free time" when I'm not running GoAbroad.com. :)

WE: What was the genesis of your site?

BR: It all started when I was running a one-person study abroad office at the University of South Dakota. After several years working in the field, the inside understanding and perspective I was gaining from my work seemed to be a waste if I couldn't put it out there to help the next round of study abroad pros. Year after year, I was seeing the same standard questions and posts on the various study abroad listservs. My hope was that Inside Study Abroad could become a resource for the field - for students, new grads, aspiring professionals, current administrators, and faculty, too. Of course, I throw in a bit of my own opinions and fun-loving snarkiness just to spice things up a little. ;)

WE: What led you to the field of international education?

BR: My grandpa ran over my car with a farm truck.

Well it's not that simple, but that's really how it all began. My Spanish teacher in high school told us about a two week trip to Spain and France she was leading. There was no way my parents could pay for the trip (I think it was $900 with airfare!) and my part-time job wasn't going to cut it either. I had started to lose hope. But my mom came in the house from the barn one day and said "Grandpa just ran into your car." He put a big dent in the driver-side door, but it was still completely functional. The insurance company gave me a $1000 check to get it fixed. I flew to Europe instead. Best decision of my life.

How did I start working in international education? Well, I basically didn't know what else to do. I had spent four years of college planning to be a political operative in D.C., but figured out my senior year that a life in the D.C. belt-way wasn't for me. I had no idea what to do next and an advisor suggested I become a study abroad advisor since I was clearly so passionate about it (I had studied abroad three times and was always helping my friends/peers navigate the process). Like most people I responded with, "Really? I can do that…AS MY JOB?!"

From that point forward, my goal was to be a director of a study abroad office. That goal has morphed over time, but I couldn't imagine working in any other field or industry.

One of Brooke's study abroad interview videos with Mandy Reinig of Penn State-Altoona & Mandy's Mashups

WE: How can travelers best dig deeply into a culture?

BR: For me, the best way I've found to really "dig deep" is getting involved in local activities where actual local people are present and participating. During college, I did an internship where I worked with true Londoners/Brits and when I studied in Switzerland I would hang out in the campus cafeteria after class chatting with and making friends with my Swiss classmates. When I was teaching English in China, I was pretty much on my own (almost no other American teachers to keep me company). So I had no other option but make friends with my teaching co-workers who were Chinese.

Don't be fooled! It's not easy to achieve real immersion, but the key is to make yourself have that first…and sometimes awkward…initial conversation with someone or to go to an event where you don't know anyone. I'm naturally an introvert so those initial conversations are painstaking, but it gets easier over time and totally worth the anxiety in the end.

WE: What advice do you have for students just starting to look into study abroad?

BR: My gut reaction is to tell them to please not go to one of the top 15 destinations (you can find that list on IIE Open Doors). But then I remember that there are hundreds of thousands of students out there for whom going abroad at all is a mystical thing that may seem unachievable. So, I try to temper my advice a little and just say "Go." Regardless of where you go, try to push yourself just beyond your comfort zone. If you're from a city, try studying in a small town. If you're from a small town, try a huge city on for size.

But it's not just about location - it's about your motivation to study abroad. What do you want to learn from the experience? What do you want to say, after the experience is over, you achieved? Asking these questions may lead you in a direction and place you never even thought possible or considered before.

WE: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

BR: I had an advisor in college who told me that I wouldn't like studying abroad Israel (and not because of safety or travel warning reasons). Just that I wouldn't "like" it. So instead I went to London. It was an amazing semester and I learned an incredible amount. However, if I could do it all over again, I'd say to that advisor, "I want to find out for myself," and go to Israel anyway. Sadly, I still haven't made it there…but I will. :)

WE: Thanks so very much, Brooke! LOVE your site - it's a fantastic resource.

For more information, please see:

http://www.insidestudyabroad.com/