One opportunity you have as an ISEP Ambassador is to give presentations about your ISEP experience. This is a great chance for you to enhance your presentation skills, articulate your experience abroad, and influence other students to take on the ISEP challenge.
You can give presentations to classes, dorm communities, fraternities or sororities, student organizations and clubs, etc. You may also consider doing this in conjunction with promotional presentations given by your ISEP Coordinator. Make it as formal or informal as you like; the important thing is to share your ISEP experience. Here are some tips for your presentation:
- If interested in a classroom visit, first get advice from your Coordinator. Then, check with the professor well in advance to get permission and set the date. Good departments for class visits are foreign languages and international studies and relations. For US students, Freshman 101 classes are a great way to get the word out about study abroad early.
- Bring photos of your semester abroad. You can be as fancy as making a photo slide show on power point or as basic as just bringing in some albums. Just make sure to choose appropriate photos.
- Use the ISEP Photo Slideshow PowerPoint presentation from Downloads section of this website. You can replace some of the slides with your own photos and quotes if you like.
- Use the ISEP Student Presentation PowerPoint presentation from Downloads section of this website. You can work with your home ISEP Coordinator to customize the slides for your university. Please do not change the slides that list specific information about ISEP programs.
- Prepare some talking points. Talk briefly about what led you to study abroad and why you chose ISEP. Spend some time talking about your ISEP experience abroad – your host university, your living situation, the host culture, daily life, friends, etc. Use some key colorful stories to show how ISEP is the experience of a lifetime and to get people motivated to have this kind of experience. Talk about what you have gained from the experience.
- Do not speak about inappropriate topics such as alcohol, drugs, sexual activity and do not use profanity. Although you may be realistic about your experience, refrain from discussing incidents that might frighten students from studying abroad such as getting sick, missing a flight, or losing your passport.
- Explain how ISEP works on your campus. Discuss the importance of contacting your ISEP Coordinator, academic advisor, financial aid advisor, etc. Don’t get too bogged down in this information as the ISEP Coordinator will be able to explain it in more detail.
- Leave time for questions. People will be curious about your experience and about ISEP in general. If you don’t know the answers, it is ok to say you are only a peer advisor and that you don’t know. It is very important to never give incorrect information. Refer students to your ISEP Coordinator, catalogue, and web site.
- Bring ISEP publications. You can use the catalogue to answer questions and pass out the brochures to promote ISEP.