Developing Your Study Abroad Personal Project: 3 Steps for Student Success

Guest Post By Narda Antón - EdOdyssey’s Academic Advisor (Peru)

As a part of EdOdyssey’s semester study abroad, each student has the opportunity to create a meaningful personal project. Studying a semester abroad can be one of the most important experiences of your life, and you’ll want to have a piece for your professional portfolio that differentiates you from other study abroad students and young professionals.

When you walk away from this experience, you’ll come away with a unique project that showcases your passions and skills. With EdOdyssey, you have the opportunity to learn more about the local culture and improve your Spanish and show your academic knowledge.

I’m at the front of the classroom walking students through Personal Project process!

At Pontificia Católica del Perú (PUCP), you’ll gain local knowledge from your classes and experiences outside of the classroom. Most importantly, you will also be able to develop a personal project that you can bring home and share with your professional prospects in the future. 

Your unique project will create engagement with the local community as you research a topic that interests you during your semester in Lima. Each student develops each project during a semester and I, as the academic coordinator, will guide them through the whole process.

Below are three main steps that I recommend to my exchange students to accomplish an excellent personal project:

STEP 1: Choosing Your Personal Project Topic

For you to choose the topic of your personal project, you should keep these three key questions in mind:

What topic would I like to explore during my student exchange abroad?

In the initial stages, you will have three topics that you like and you have worked on at your university. Then, you will identify which topic best  fits the reality of the country where you will study and if it is possible to consider it for your personal project.

The topic you will choose will be developed during your semester abroad. You will have to write at least a 10 page essay and make a final presentation for your exchange peers at the end of the semester.

For this reason, it is important that you take into account how accessible and easy it will be to obtain information about the topic you are going to research. For example, some former exchange students chose an interesting topic that they developed in their classes at PUCP and even had the chance to talk to their professors and receive recommendations about their project.

How will my personal project contribute to my exchange experience?

One of our study abroad alums loves dogs and studied Sociology. Her personal project analyzed dogs in different neighborhoods in Lima!

During your exchange, you will have the opportunity to do different activities such as playing sports, taking dance classes, going on excursions to different parts of Peru and even doing volunteer work.

To develop a good personal project, I recommend that the topic you choose is linked to some extracurricular activity you decide to do, so this way you can match your project with your personal experience.

 Here are some examples of past projects:

• A former exchange student, Joe, who was part of the swimming team of his home university, decided to choose “Peruvian university swimming competitions” as a topic for his personal project. He even joined the PUCP swimming team in order to make his exchange experience better. He did some research on university swimming competitions in Peru and did some interviews and surveys to his teammates and coaches in order to write his project essay. In addition, for his final presentation, he showed photos and videos of his training and competitions he participated in during his exchange. His major was International Studies.

• Erin, another former student, was interested in applying to medical school at her home university, chose 'Amazonian natural medicine' as the main topic for her personal project. She had the opportunity to participate in an excursion to the Peruvian jungle, which was organized by EdOdyssey and visited some treatment and rehabilitation centers. At the centers, she had some interviews with medical specialists and collected important information on the topic in order to write her essay and make her final presentation. Her major at her home university was Anthropology.

What impact will my Personal Project have on my career?

Identify how your personal project will add value to your career. For example, when you graduate or when you get a job in the future, how will your Personal Project help you? Are you potentially thinking about a Masters program? 

Don’t forget about your big picture goals and ambitions, and how this project can help serve you to accomplish those goals!

STEP 2: Investigation & Research

Your personal project will have a significant impact on your exchange, so it is important that you dedicate time and effort in order to succeed. Please keep in mind that I’m here to help all students succeed, but please take note of the following tips so you can have the most fun possible with this project!

Be organized: When you start researching your topic, you need to get yourself organized. I recommend that you create a monthly schedule that includes the tasks you must do and the amount of time you will spend on those tasks. 

This will help you to focus on the project and you won’t miss out on your other academic activities.

Step by step: The development of the personal project happens throughout the semester so it will take you a few months to complete it. It is important that you identify the parts of the project and set weekly assignments and goals.

Support: During the semester, you will have my advice and support in the development of your project. We will have weekly meetings that will allow you to present updates and advances with me soI can provide you with feedback  to guide you and improve your project.

Stay calm: Doing your personal project is not an easy task, so it is okay if you feel a little overwhelmed during the process. Remember to stay calm, take a deep breath and reach out to me if you have questions. If you’re proactive during the semester, and keep an open line of communication with me, you’ll enjoy the process and create a better project!

STEP 3: Final Presentation

At the end of the semester, you should present your personal project with your exchange colleagues in order to share your experience and receive feedback. For the final presentation, I recommend that you and all students studying abroad with EdOdyssey complete following:

Style Points: Present your project in a creative and eye-catching way so your fellow students pay attention and get curious about your topic. You’re encouraged to  include photos or videos from the beginning and final stages of your project.

Final Presentation Duration: Your presentation should last approximately 10 minutes. You will include the objective, development and conclusions of your project.

Demeanor: Feel comfortable and relaxed so you can give a confident image to your audience.

Your personal project will bring together your passions, academic skills and knowledge in order to have the best exchange experience abroad. Remember to focus on the three steps described: the choice of topic, the  research and the final presentation, taking into account the time and effort that each one will take.

With proper organization, strong motivation and a good guidance,  you will be able to develop an excellent project that will have a valuable contribution to your professional career!

Ready to get started?

Four Reasons Why A Gap Year Makes Sense

If you are currently a senior in high school, you are going through the stressful college application process. What was something that never crossed my mind during the beginning of my senior year of high school? A gap year.  

The idea of taking a year off from school does not cross the minds of most seniors eagerly applying to college.  It’s existence may be known, but a gap year is not followed through by most. It feels natural to attend college right after graduating from high school, but it is important to ask yourself if this path is right for you.  

My parents were initially hesitant about my year off from school, but it was not hard to convince them that a gap year would add tremendous value to my studies and life. I assured my parents that I would make the most of a gap year and that it would be a productive year.  I was fortunate that my family was extremely supportive of my decision, and everyone was excited to see what I would do.

What is missing from the natural path however is a breath or even a couple breaths to take a step back and think about your journey.  One of my initial concerns was the perception of taking a gap year. I was worried that a gap year may appear to detract from my path of studies and achievement.  However, I became reassured that a gap year would only enrich my path after having several conversations with my family, guidance counselor, and teachers.

I was also concerned that I would be missing out on college and feeling connected to my friends going off the college.  However, when I thought more about this, I remember getting advice from my high school principal that in hindsight, this is only one year of my life. In the moment, I may have been concerned about missing out on college, but in the future, when looking back on this point in my life, I may be able to appreciate this year for myself even more.

If you have made the decision to dive into a gap year, you may be thinking “Now what am I going to do?  Here are some ideas:

Intern

A great way to gain some real life experience is through obtaining an internship.  This gives you the opportunity to pursue an interest or field of study that you may be drawn to, and may even help you decide what you want to study in college.  

You will be able gain some professional experience, build your network and references by meeting incredible people, and also build upon your own portfolio. You can additionally obtain a job to earn some money for your future, and this can be combined with an internship, depending on if it is a paid or unpaid position.tra

Volunteer

Nothing is more rewarding than the feeling you have after helping others and making a difference, regardless of size or scale.  You can volunteer in your own community, or go outside your hometown and volunteer somewhere out in the world!

Personal Project

Perhaps you have wanted to accomplish a personal goal or had a special project that you wanted to do during high school but did not have the time.  Now on your gap year, you have that time to work on a passion project to build your skills and portfolio . This could be photography, a writing project, learning a new instrument, or even learning a new language!

Travel

One of the best ways to go outside of your comfort zone out into the world and learn more about yourself is through travel.  It is very possible to travel on a budget, while going on an adventure of a lifetime and diving deep into different cultures of the world!  This is the perfect option for an experience that will allow you to grow as a person and gain some independence.

Traveling abroad opens yourself to new views of the world, with exposure to new foods, languages, and cultures that maybe you have never knew much about.  A gap year gives you time to actually think about and give you a better idea about what you want to do in your future. High school does not provide students with time to ask themselves what they like and what they’re passionate about. Travel can provide a great window of opportunity for this, and this is especially valuable before starting college.

If you decide that taking a gap year is the right choice for you, I would advise that you still apply to college in the fall of your senior year of high school.  All universities do not have a deferral policy, so you must determine if your desired school(s) has a deferral policy or not. It is best to apply to college in the fall of your senior year if you are considering a gap year because this way you will not stress out about applying to colleges during your gap year.

The beauty of a gap year is that it is yours to mold and plan.  You can easily combine any of these ideas! A gap year is not for every student, you may want to go straight into college or maybe the thought of doing something different excites you!  

Curious to learn how a gap year changed my life? Check out How Study Abroad With EdOdyssey Prepared Me For Harvard!