When American students study abroad, the experience is short-lived, often treated like a vacation. For international students who travel to the ASU for college, their experience is more different
Abroad in America: The unique opportunities and barriers faced by international students in the U.S. – The Arizona State Press
When I was taking grad courses in computer security 20 years ago, about 1/3d of the class were international students, mostly from India. Some were upper class undergrads (meaning juniors and seniors) taking grad classes. For them, their study abroad was for the full 4 years, to earn a degree in computer science at a U.S. university. Similarly, the grad students were doing their full degree program in the U.S. By graduating from a U.S. university, they qualified for the Optional Practical Training or OPT visa upon graduation which permitted them to work in the U.S. for about 2 and 1/2 years, during which they could also apply for H-1B visa or residency visa positions.
Similarly, when I did my MBA, all of the international students in the program were there for the full MBA program – not a one semester study abroad.
By comparison, most U.S. study abroad students do a summer program shorter than a full semester, some do a full semester, and a smaller percentage do a full year. Relatively few students from the U.S. do a full degree program abroad. I knew undergrads who had done study abroad and a few of them said their program was more holiday than study; that said, I also know students who were working hard and focused on learning their academic subjects and developing cultural experiences in other countries.