Would you let your child do this?

Question

My oldest daughter will be graduating from high school next year and has started to become interested in going to college in Italy. We are italian and speak some here and there at home, but I'm not sure if I would let her go.
I asked in the Italian section if my daughter would be accepted there as an American. All of them said yes and those Americans that they don't accept are military base. They claim they crowd the bars and drink too much. hmm.
Would you consider letting your child attend a university over seas, not just to study abroad?

Justine is 17. I know there's plenty of drinking at colleges and all over in the US. Italians look down apon those who can't hold their liquor. I just found it interesting how they expressed their dislike for this so strongly.

She's interested in an Education major and does want to live there in the future. We've gone a couple times, she studies Italian in school and loves it. My only hold back is that i believe she can get a better education in the US and that schools are much different overseas.

Answer 1

I'm all for the idea and think it would be a great experience, but I'd have her do at least one year at a university here in the United States, especially if she hasn't spend a lot of time far away from home for long periods of time. Let her get a feel for the whole college experience: work load, being on your own, managing your own time. When she's finished with her first year and still wants to study in Italy, I'd say have a great time! I'm sure she'll learn a lot about the culture and language and it'll be even more meaningful to her since your family is Italian.
As for the education aspect, yes, an American Education major education would be best l if she wanted to live and teach in the United States. The education system of the US and Italy and VERY different. But if she wants to live and work there, both an American and Italian educational backround would be acceptable, but an Italian one would be more benefical.
Give her some time to think about this decision and research it together. Sure at 18 she's legally an "adult",but i don't know many who at 18 were fully capable of managing their lives on their own. She'll need your guidance. Best wishes! =]

Answer 2

If she is graduating next year, you have some time to do the research necessary. I seem to recall I started applying for colleges around November or December.So that is 5 to 6 monthes. I also remember wanting to go to school in Ireland and then changing my mind.Do you guys have the means to take a trip there with her? Maybe visit the colleges and some different areas, so that she can see how it is like. Drinking is prevalent in any country in the college years and beyond as well. At some point she will have to learn how to deal with that. You have to trust that you have imparted your morals and values in her. As an Italian family this is a great opportunity for her to experience some of her heritage and sharpen her Italian. It could be valuable to her later in life when she is applying for jobs that she speaks a second language. I would miss my child terribly, but I would also be proud that my child was spreading their wings and learning to be independent.

Answer 3

I think the thing here is, is she a responsible young adult. If so I would consider it but only after doing at least one year here at a major university to see how she does. Send here to a school away from home but in the Us and you will get your answer soon enough. She should respect your decision since it sounds like you will be paying if not then I would have to wonder what her intentions were in the first pplace. Also the education in other countries is nuch nore complex and hard. She may need a foot hold here for a year or so to be able to make the grade there.

Answer 4

I'm Italian and Spanish, and My mother and father know what their lives were like, so I'm not allowed overseas unless I'm married with children. She's an adult now ,but try and put in her head about the partying. Rent the movie under the Tuscan sun. Show her what the men are really like in Italy. If your daughter is mature, then let her go, if not, try and reason with her

Answer 5

As someone who just completed her first year 1500 miles from home and who had a foreign roomate, I'd say have her go to an American university for a year. College is completely different from HS, in a million ways, in how you study, in how classes are conducted and in learning to live on your own. The first year is always hard and to have to do that in a foreing country in a foreign language with new customs is gonna be alot harder. About 50 % of first years start the transfer process, whether the complete it or not is another story. Plus contact with ya'll will be alot harder because of phones.

I went from South Texas to northern Va and it was a huge difference, I had to deal with snow and ice and things like htat. My roomate was from the Carribbean and had gone to boarding school in Canda for HS, so she was used to being on her own, but she still spent the first 2 months bawling at night because it was so different and so much harder in another country. She hated it, it wasn't at all how she thought it would be, it wasn't the dream she had in her head. She had such a hard time with the different dialects, even though she spoke "english" it was so different it made class extremely hard. Learning Italian, and then dealing with fluent speakers in dialect are two very different things.

On a sidenote, I'd also go over there before because she still may get alot of slack for being american, alot of hatred. Not everyone but enough, I got attacked so often just because I was from Texas and so did my roomate, and people just have these stereotypes and she'll deal with that too.

Let her get used to the trials of college first before she sets her heart somewhere else.

Answer 6

I actualy have a friend who just graduated this year. She is going to college in Japan and will be gone for 5 years. It was a really fifficlt decision for her parents to make but she is so happy right now I think it was truely the best decision. You daughter will learn a lot and it can be really good to have an understanding of what thinking is like outside of the United States.

Answer 7

I would think carefully about letting my "child" do this.

Your daughter is not a "child." She is a young woman. If you have raised her well, then it's time to let her live her life. This sounds like a wonderful opportunity for her.

My husband is from South Africa, and moved to the United States to complete his Master's and Ph.D. As a graduate student, I have spent many summers abroad in different locations. Both of us have become better people for our experiences.

Answer 8

Sure,why not ? Would be a good experience for her. She could learn the Italian language more. Think it over and weigh the good and the bad reason,why not,first. If it was my daughter I would let her go.

Answer 9

Yes if it was with an accredited university. Other than being overseas and not being able to be home as often, it would be the same as going across country to attend a university.

Answer 10

If she was a responsible and sensible girl and it was financially feasible, I would let my daughter attend a foreign university. It would be a wonderful opportunity that she might never have again. Of course, if she was prone to getting into trouble, I'd probably say no, more for her own safety than anything else.