Contributors: Anai Ramos (UC Berkeley), Danella (Dani) Escalante-Regalado (UC Berkeley), and Emma Baltadano-Bañales (UC Santa Cruz), 2024 blog writing contestants

You know your friends and family care about you, and their concerns come from a place of love and protection. When they raise questions about studying abroad, they’re often expressing deeper worries about your safety and well-being.

Keep this in mind: Pursuing your dreams is a testament to the love and values your parents instilled in you. While it can be difficult to step away from their expectations and concerns, your journey is a reflection of the efforts and the opportunities many of our parents worked so hard to provide.

Anai Ramos (UC Berkeley)

Understanding these concerns and answering them with solid information shows you’re invested in planning for your own success, which can help transform worry into support.

Anai Ramos in Seoul Korea

Anai Ramos (UC Berkeley)

Here is a step-by-step process for thoughtfully talking with your family about studying abroad.

Step 1: Use a Soft Launch Approach

Breaking the news to your family that you want to study abroad can take courage, especially if your family is Mexican like mine. You may be faced with your mother’s melodramatic collection of questions like, “Why are you going so far away from me?”

Anai Ramos (UC Berkeley)

Introduce the idea of studying abroad early—ideally before you enter university or your freshman year, so it doesn’t come as a shock. Ultimately, your decision to study abroad will be something they are proud of, so it shouldn’t be kept a secret.

Start by casually mentioning an interest in studying abroad well in advance. Share your excitement and the reasons you think it’s a great opportunity. Here are some useful talking points from UCEAP’s What Families Want to Know:

Reasons to study abroad infographic for parents

Source: Gaining an Employee Edge: The Impact of Study Abroad on 21st Century Skills & Career Prospects in the United States, Institute of International Education (https://www.iie.org/publications/gaining-an-employment-edge-the-impact-of-study-abroad/)

Step 2: Address Common Concerns

As a first-generation college student from a traditional Hispanic household, the idea of traveling alone to an unfamiliar place without the support of my parents, family, or any established support system was daunting for both me and my family. However, the experience fundamentally reshaped my sense of individuality and personal responsibility, teaching me to embrace life’s unpredictability rather than fear it.

Dani Escalente-Regalado (UC Berkeley)

Here’s how to address the most common concerns:

“I want to be sure you’re safe”

  1. Share UCEAP’s safety record and emergency protocols, including mandatory student travel insurance.
  2. Show them the support built into every program (see the Support subpage for the program you want to take).
  3. Explain how the program provides on-site orientation and ongoing support throughout the program.
  4. Offer to research current safety rankings about your destination together.

Emma Baltadano-Baneles in Rome

Emma Baltadano-Bañales (UC Santa Cruz)

“Will it cost too much?”

  1. After talking with your financial aid advisor, show them a breakdown of how your financial aid and scholarships apply to study abroad.
  2. Explain how studying abroad can add value to your degree.
  3. Show them a detailed budget comparing your costs abroad versus staying in the US (start with the cost calculator on the program you want to take).
  4. Share a list of specific scholarship opportunities you’ll pursue.

Pro tip: Consider asking for their help reviewing your scholarship applications!

Once accepted at UCSC, the opportunity to study abroad went from a distant dream to a reality. My family and I continued to feel doubtful, especially about the financial challenges. However, after months of saving and applying for scholarships, I embarked on my journey. I flew thousands of miles across the ocean to chase my dream of getting to know a part of the world I never thought I could.

Emma Baltadano-Bañales (UC Santa Cruz)

“We won’t be able to reach you”

  1. Have some research ready about phone, internet, and video conferencing options at your destination.
  2. Create a communications plan together with specific apps and a schedule of check-ins.
  3. Share the program’s emergency contact information.
  4. Investigate your family’s passport situation and how they can visit abroad.

Remember to practice active listening skills and respond to their concerns with facts. Include your friends and family in the research and planning. Stay patient—they may need time to adjust to the idea—and keep the conversation ongoing rather than trying to resolve everything at once.

Pro tip: UCEAP has a required travel sign-out process for students leaving their program’s city, so local staff can find them if needed.

Step 3: Make Your Case for Study Abroad

When presenting your case for studying abroad, focus on the specific, concrete benefits rather than the travel aspects.

Outline the academic advantages

Using your research, articulate the academic advantages and frame it in terms specific to your major and your future with statements like these:

  • These courses in biology are pre-approved and will count directly toward my degree requirements.
  • This program at Sciences Po, Paris, offers political science classes I can’t take at my UC. This will add value to my major.
  • Taking an intensive language course in Spain will allow me to complete my minor over the summer.

One of the highlights of my academic experience was taking a Spanish film class and a social game theory class. These courses broadened my understanding of their respective subjects, and the diversity of the coursework fascinated me.

Dani Escalente-Regalado (UC Berkeley)

 

Emma Baltadano-Bañales in Paris with the Mona Lisa

Emma Baltadano-Bañales (UC Santa Cruz)

Explain the career advantages

Express the value of study abroad in terms that highlight career benefits with statements like these:

  • Adding international experience to my resume increases my chances of standing out to employers by 25% (according to the 2020 QS Employer Insights Report).
  • Studying abroad will help me develop cross-cultural communication skills and I’ll build an international professional network of contacts.
  • The internship will give me relevant experience in my field with an international focus.

Studying abroad left me feeling empowered and motivated to continue traveling and learning about the world. It was easily one of the best experiences and decisions I’ve ever made.

Emma Baltadano-Bañales (UC Santa Cruz)

Share the personal growth advantages

Let your family know about skills you’ll develop with statements like these:

  • Living and studying abroad develops problem-solving skills, confidence, and independence.
  • Learning to manage daily life in another culture helps build maturity and self-reliance.
  • The skills I’ll build will benefit me throughout my career and my life.

Try to share stories on The Californian Abroad blog from past participants who are similar to you and use specific examples that are relevant to your goals. If going to graduate school or working abroad is a goal, for example, highlight the international network you’ll build.

Step 4: Research Your Intended Destination Together

Anai Ramos in Jeju

Anai Ramos (UC Berkeley)

Help your family visualize your intended destination by showing them where you’ll be studying and what your destination has to offer. By sharing videos, photos, and articles about the city and country you’ll be living in, you’ll familiarize your loved ones with the new environment and ease their concerns. Heck, they may even start to get excited for you!

Anai Ramos (UC Berkeley)

Studying abroad comes with a whole list of things to research: weather, money, language–the list goes on and on. Involving your family in that research will help them feel more comfortable with your decision.

See how to research your destination so you can stay safe, save money, and be well-prepared for your experience.

Step 5: Build a Support System Together

Getting around Paris was much easier than back home. The transportation systems are built to be accessible, and schedules are consistent. I enjoyed my commute to class every morning on the underground metro and taking the tram or bus to different parts of the city to explore.

Emma Baltadano-Bañales (UC Santa Cruz)

Turn your family’s concerns into positive action by working together to prepare for your study abroad experience. Having a strategy and plan will help all of you feel more prepared and trust that you’ll be safe while abroad.

  1. Review the program and support options together.
  2. Create a shared digital folder for important documents and contact numbers.
  3. Make a shared checklist of predeparture tasks and activities like applying for a visa.
  4. Invite your family to attend virtual info sessions, orientations, and the What Families Want to Know Webinar.
  5. Review the travel insurance coverage (it’s included in the cost).
  6. Create an emergency contact plan, including local healthcare facilities and embassies.
  7. Set up international phone service and create a WhatsApp group for family communications.

Embrace this journey with confidence, knowing that your family’s love and your determination will guide you through this exciting chapter of your life. Take the leap, stay true to your dreams and embark on what I promise will be the experience of a lifetime!

Anai Ramos (UC Berkeley)

 

Learn more about all the ways you can embrace this unique and transformative experience: