The Study Abroad Journal will allow students to write down their aims, insights, provide some literary support for the experience, prompt an action plan for when students return home and provide a life-long reminder about their life-changing experience.

“How do we reverse engineer that, so they can say ‘it was awesome, because…’”

Brooke Roberts, co-founder of the journal and founder of Inside Study Abroad, said the inspiration for the idea came from hearing dissatisfaction among international educators about how students articulate their study abroad experience.

“[They say] ‘it was awesome’ but they have nothing to follow up because they haven’t really learned how to frame it in a really cool way,” she told The PIE News.

“How do we reverse engineer that, so they can say ‘it was awesome, because…’”

Brooke Roberts with the Study Abroad journal

“There’s so much research showing when you actually physically write down your goals they become much more real to you and something that you’re more likely to keep working towards,” said Roberts.

The journal also encourages students to write in the morning, outlining the agenda for the day, as well as in the evening, asking the student the most memorable part of their day, and what action they have taken to achieve their goals.

The journal is being sold at an initial price of US$24.99, with wholesale prices offered for purchases from universities (and a 10% discount available using code THEPIE).