The big OE

Preparation

2006-09-19T10:48:00.000+12:00

What do people have to prepare before they go away for an OE?

OE and Education II

2006-09-05T12:19:00.000+12:00

People made comments on an earlier post saying that the educational background does not impact on whether someone plans to do and OE. My interviews indicate that the reasons why people want to do an OE are similar for people from different educational backgrounds. Do different forms of training shape people's OE though?

What to do on an OE?

2006-08-25T10:57:00.000+12:00

Some people say they are planning to do a different job overseas to the one they do at home simply because they want a break from what they are doing. They also want to take the chance to do something totally different that they will never get a chance to do again. They see the opportunity to do that during an OE as the 'beauty' of it.
Those who have 'OE experience': to what extent can you just do whatever you want to do on your OE? Are there any limits?

Out of your comfortzone

2006-08-23T11:04:00.000+12:00

Some people that I interviewed said going on an OE means getting out ofyour comfortzone. They talked about pushing their boundaries and challenging themselves - which sounds scary at first. One participant said that she doesn't know why people get so excited about scaring themselves - like they do whent they go away for an OE. Why is that? Why do people accept these scary things?

OE and Education

2006-08-07T11:02:00.000+12:00

Do you think the level of study or qualification someone achieved is likely to be a factor that has an impact on the probability of doing an an OE?

social support

2006-07-31T13:19:00.000+12:00

When I interview people, I ask them about other people's reactions when they tell them about their OE plans. So far, all participants agreed that most people who are close to them (in particular their parents or siblings who have been on an OE before) are supportive and encouraging.
Those of you who have been or are overseas: Did you experience the same? If not, who was less encouraging and what were their arguments?
Those who want to go: What's your experience?
Or those of you who encourage others to go: Why do you support their plan?

Bad OE

2006-07-22T14:59:00.000+12:00

Another interesting - and controversial - question in my interviews is whether an OE can be bad. Some participants said an OE can be 'bad', e.g. if you experience a lot of bad things, don't feel 'comfortable' overseas and, therefore, don't enjoy it.
Others said there is no such thing as a bad OE - even if you have bad experiences, they all contribute to personal growth in the end. Therefore, an OE is always good.
What do you think?

"Everyone does it"

2006-07-19T19:14:00.000+12:00

"Everyone does it" - this is one thing that came up in the comments and in my interviews. It makes me think whether this is enough of a reason for some people to go away for an OE.

Going - Not Going

2006-07-18T20:12:00.000+12:00

Young New Zealanders who want to go away for an OE are not asked for their reasons why they want to go - whereas people who don't want to go are often asked for their reasons. Why do they have to almost justify themselves for not going?

OE in Australia?

2006-07-17T19:52:00.000+12:00

I've done some interviews about the OE now and thought it was interesting, that some of the participants would not consider spending time in Australia as an OE. I probably would - Australia is 'overseas' from New Zealand. Is that not an 'overseas experience'? What do you think?

What's this blog about?

2006-07-17T19:16:00.000+12:00

I first came to New Zealand as a study abroad student and I noticed that a lot of the young New Zealanders I met talked about their 'OE'. When I heard about this, I actually had to ask them what that stands for. I liked the idea of the OE; that young Kiwis take time away from New Zealand to travel and explore other parts of the world, to live and work in other countries. For me, this was something new and seemed quite different to the way many young people in Germany live their lives. I had, and still have, all these questions:
What is this OE?
Why do so many young NZers have an OE - or least talk about it?
What are their reasons for going away?
Are they scared about going or have any concerns?
That's why I'm doing this research, which includes interviews with young Kiwis, questionnaires - and this blog. I'll post statements here to seek discussion about the OE.
I'd like to hear from more young Kiwis about their OE ideas - what are yours?