Re “Study Abroad’s Seven Deadly Sins” (The New York Times, Opinion, April 10, 2016):

Peter Coclanis’s article points out what he calls the “Seven Deadly Sins” of study abroad.  These “sins,” he says, allow “immature” students to treat foreign countries as their playground.  He ignores the fact that many of these “sins” are committed in the U.S.  He also premises his argument on the notion that most, if not many, students are easily led into temptation (and ruin).

Mr. Coclanis argues that readily available “suds” make American students abroad more inclined to spend their time drinking than studying.  But students abroad who show up to their 9 a.m. classes hungover are probably doing the same thing back home.  Mr. Coclanis disregards the many study abroad students who are less apt to partake in party cultures, or are simply more capable of balancing their social and academic lives.

He derides “slide courses”—classes taught in English that are not up to par with American university standards—as a study abroad phenomenon, again ignoring that they exist in the U.S. as well.  Of course, just as not all students abroad indulge in “suds,” not all classes abroad can be pegged as “slide courses.”  At the same time, if the classroom experience is the be-all and end-all of study abroad, then students might as well “stay at State U,” where Mr. Coclanis implies classes are superior.  Education abroad, on the other hand, might take place in more unconventional settings, such as at a cooking workshop, or in a discussion with one’s host family.

From his perch in academia, Mr. Coclanis has pinpointed a handful of actions he finds objectionable and attributed them to the study abroad experiences of immature students.  What he demonstrates, however, is the seventh deadly sin of armchair criticism:  stereotyping.