So what are you going to do with that?

When I tell people that I recently completed a Master’s in international education, their first comment is, “Oh, cool, so you want to teach abroad?” I try not to make a face as I say no and explain what I actually want to do. It’s not that I’m insulted by their assumption that I would want to teach abroad — I think teachers are superheroes with talents way beyond what I’m capable of — rather, I am discouraged that “education” is still seen in the narrow viewpoint of a school with a teacher and a classroom and a textbook.

Education touches every facet of my life, and I’m surprised that more people don’t recognize this in their own lives. I learn when I’m at work, while watching the news, reading books, talking to friends, walking down the street, and traveling to new places. That last one is key; traveling and learning go hand in hand. Putting the world “international” in front of “education” simply means that I want to be a part of people’s learning abroad.

You may see this area referred to as CIDE: comparative international development education. I like to sum it up as just international ed, because I think that encompasses most of what it accomplishes. So what exactly do I want to do with a degree in international ed? So many things! Here is how I explain the three basic arms of international education:

1. Americans going abroad: I started studying international ed because I wanted to work for a study abroad office. Study abroad, work abroad, intern abroad, and volunteer abroad opportunities all fall into this category of helping Americans learn about different countries and ways of life. Someone has to design and administer these overseas experiences (and leave the teaching to the professors).
2. Visitors coming to the United States: Just the same as above but the other way around. People of all ages come to the United States to study, intern, volunteer, or temporarily work. Helping them with visas, language classes, and whatever other cultural changes they need to face is a great way to encourage international exchange.
3. International collaborations in education: That’s a broad title, I know, but it’s truly a broad area! Advocating for worldwide girls’ education. Organizing international conferences. Funding HIV prevention and education. Developing a bi-lingual curriculum. Building and staffing a school for migrant children. Collecting indigenous methods of environmental sustainability. Establishing temporary schools in emergency and disaster areas. Researching rural educational attainment. Running continuing education programs for women who never worked outside the home. Advising leaders on higher education policy. Promoting global literacy. If it involves connecting people from around the world with the goal of helping each other learn something new, it’s international education.

People may have different ways of explaining international ed. I probably left out some things that others would include. So when you hear the phrase “international education,” keep an open mind. It’s probably something you’d care about.

Foreign service exam for dummies

I took the written portion of the foreign service exam yesterday afternoon. It wasn’t a very big deal to me. The most stressful part of the process was that I had to go to West Virginia to take the thing (wonder why Western Pennsylvania wasn’t granted a test site? Did they do something bad and get it taken away?) But the trip out of town was fun, and both Jon and I took only 2.5 hours to finish the thing, so we hit the outlet mall when we were done.

I have always considered applying for the foreign service, but I have lots of other career options as well, so my heart will not be broken if I don’t pass the written exam. But I thought it would be a good experience to take the test, and if I do pass, then I’ll just have to see how far along I can get in the loooooong application process. All in all, I don’t think the test was hard at all. The hardest part is writing a full essay in 30 minutes on a vague, complicated topic.

Most people go into the test unsure of what exactly to study. I think the only real way to prepare is to take the test. The next time, you’ll know what to expect. I’ll share my study topics below and how helpful I think they were in the exam. In 3 to 5 weeks, I’ll let you know if I passed. Then I can actually judge if my study method worked!

1. United States Constitution: I read the whole thing, including amendments, and took some practice tests online with Constitution questions. I also talked to my Constitutional scholar boyfriend about things I was unsure about. I think it was helpful. So the biggest tip here is to find someone who loves to nerd out about the origins of our nation and pick his/her brain!
2. World Geography: I’m a huge geography nerd, so I’d say I was over-prepared in this area. I did tons of fun quizzes on www.sporcle.com (and will likely continue to do them regularly for fun. Yup yup!)
3. World History: I did quizzes online to prepare, but really if you have a good memory of high school history, you will be fine. Also, knowing things about regions of the world that are often in the news is helpful.
4. Thirteen Dimensions of FSOs: These are the qualities the FS seeks in candidates, found here. For the personality section of the test, it is extremely helpful to review these qualities and feel comfortable talking about them in relation to your life experiences. It’s also helpful to review your resume closely.
5. English Grammar: Know how to write correctly. Honestly, I didn’t study for this part at all (I’m a former journalist and copy editor.) The only thing that is important to note is that the Foreign Service uses Chicago Style. If you don’t know what that means, you should study more about English grammar.

And that’s it! I think if you study a lot, you will probably stress yourself out too much. It’s a test of general knowledge, so you either have it or you don’t. If you don’t pass, just take it again (it’s free!) If you don’t pass again, you probably aren’t right for the job. No big deal. There are lots of other great ways to get involved in public policy or international affairs. You know, like international education. Good luck, test-takers!

UPDATE on 6/30/11: I passed! So, I stick by my list above.