Discover Incredible India

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Abroad 101

Our Cool Program of the Week – IISAC’s Semester India Program with Mar Ivanios College and Kerala University in Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala.

Discover Incredible India and off the beaten path Kerala, known as ‘God’s own Country’ blessed with sandy beaches, backwaters, lofty mountains, dense rain forests with unique flora and fauna. Students will use weekends to explore the wonders of the nature in Kerala, its culture, religious diversity and also to enjoy the tropical weather of one of the paradises of the world.

Participants enroll full-time for a minimum of five courses, leading to 15 transferable credits.

Find out more about how you can apply for this program at Abroad101:

https://www.studyabroad101.com/programs/iisac-kerala-semester-abroad-in-kerala-india-program

Abroad101 Student of the Week #0043 – Rebecca Metzler

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Abroad 101

This week’s Abroad101 Student of the Week is a sophomore at Texas Tech University. Rebecca Metzler is a pre-nursing major who plans on heading to nursing school and eventually pursue a career as a mid-wife or neonatal. She is currently a member of the Double T Health Service Corps which is an organization that not only exposes her to knowledge about the field of nursing but also hands on experience at local organizations in Lubbock! Outside of school Rebecca devotes a majority of her time to volunteering. You can either find her at UMC Hospital, where she works along transports or the Therapeutic Riding Center, working with children. Way to get involved in your community, Rebecca!

Rebecca will soon be studying abroad in Port Elizabeth, South Africa through ISA service learning! Through this program she will have the opportunity to become educated through volunteer work and workshops covering topics such as HIV/AIDS, poverty, community wellness, and early childhood development. Rebecca is ecstatic to participate in this program because she will be learning through hands on experiences and become more educated about African medicine and healthcare techniques.

To help make this awesome goal a reality she has started a fundraising Mission to help cover some of the costs of the program. You can check out Rebecca’s Mission here!

The Abroad101 Student of the Week initiative awards a student who created a Mission for a study abroad program on GoEnnounce with a donation to their fundraiser. Learn more about this partnership from Abroad101 CEO Mark Shay and GoEnnounce co-founder Melissa Davis here.

We’re making weekly donations to study abroad fundraisers! We hope you can help us assist these students in reaching their goals and make their travel dreams a reality. Visit here to help with this mission. To find out more about studying in South Africa, like Rebecca, visit the Abroad101 program page.

Stay tuned for our next Abroad101 Student of the Week!

– See more at: http://blog.goennounce.com/abroad101-student-of-the-week-0043-rebecca-metzler/

The Study Abroad Advantage reaches 2,000 members!

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Abroad 101

The Study Abroad Advantage is a Linkedin Group designed to help study abroad alumni bring their experiences to the professional market. Students who have returned from abroad are encouraged to publish a review of their experience abroad and use this to highlight their ability to communicate, to use social media and their new perspective on the world. In addition to a place to network with other study abroad alumni and alumni group organizers, the Group features postings on career development and advice on how to apply lessons from abroad to the professional world. Prospective employers are invited to join the group to do some recruiting of the members and promote their firms.

The group hit a milestone last week with the 2,000th member, a student named Alexis Lupton from Brigham Young University. We asked her to comment on her study abroad experience and she said “I am always willing to embarrass myself a little for the greater good.” She went on to add more detail about her study abroad experience.

My study abroad experience was quite different than most, in that my study abroad was a travelling one instead of in just one city. We also did not have a traditional classroom. Our classrooms included: the UN, the U.S Embassy, Pepsico, UNESCO, and every where in between. My experience really taught me a lot about myself. I learned how important it is to step out of your comfort zone and really try new things. I saw the world from many different perspectives, from the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral to the slums of Paris. Sometimes plans change unexpectedly and you just have to go with the flow (like our Morocco trip being cancelled and going to Vienna instead). I gained the independence to be able to do things alone even though it may have seemed a little unnerving, and you too, in the end, truly will not be let down. Overall the world is a fascinating place and my study abroad instilled a desire to always continue exploring.

Alexis Lupton – Student at Brigham Young University

If you’d like to connect with Alexis, you’ll find her profile on Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/alexis-lupton/26/107/152

We invite you to get the study abroad advantage by joining and becoming active in “The Study Abroad Advantage” https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Study-Abroad-Advantage-8159424/about

Abroad101 joins the Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad initiative

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Abroad 101

First and largest study abroad review website commits to increase study abroad participation by doubling it’s tuition crowd funding initiative

February 25, 2015 – Abroad101 has joined the Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad initiative to help more Americans to gain international experience through study abroad programs. This is one of more than 450 new commitments announced by IIE.

IIE’s Generation Study Abroad seeks to mobilize resources and commitments with the goal of doubling the number of U.S. students studying abroad by the end of the decade. Abroad101 has been helping advance study abroad since 2007 through the publishing of study abroad program reviews, detailed first-hand accounts of students experiences abroad. Since that time, more than 23,000 reviews have been published on StudyAbroad101.com, the field’s most comprehensive directory of study abroad programs.

Under the new partnership, Abroad101 will take concrete, action-oriented steps to expand opportunities for study abroad by doubling its financial commitment to the Abroad101 Student of the Week enterprise. Started less than a year ago, this study abroad tuition crowd funding initiative helps an ambitious and deserving students boost their fundraising efforts by contributing cash, endorsement, and a social networking push. By linking the student’s fundraising campaign to reviews, the Abroad101 Student of the Week uses the success reported by previous students to help the aspiring students draw support from their friends and family.

Abroad101’s CEO Mark Shay points out that many parents and family members who may not have gone to college or studied abroad themselves have a hard time understanding the benefits of an international experience. According to Shay, “Every day, dozens of reviews are added to Abroad101, and each tells a story of a young person’s individual triumphs and set-backs; testimonials to their learning and self-improvement. Abroad101 is committed to helping bring study abroad into the mainstream, one student at a time. We strive to not only help them find the best fit program, but also take those experiences and help them jump-start their careers.”

As of November 2014, Generation Study Abroad partners to date include over 300 colleges and universities of all sizes and types across the country and around the world, as well as 13 governments, 16 education associations, 67 international partners, and 56 study abroad, K-12, and social network organizations who have committed to specific goals to increase the number of U.S. students studying abroad. Commitments include actions to diversity the population of students who participate in study abroad and provide additional financial resources to make this possible.

IIE launched Generation Study Abroad early this year in the belief that the number and proportion of today’s students who graduate with an educational experience abroad is far too low. Currently, fewer than 10 percent of all U.S. college students study abroad at some point in their academic career, according to the Open Doors Report on International and Educational Exchange published by IIE with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Generation Study Abroad aims to grow participation in study abroad so that the annual total reported will reach 600,000 by the end of the decade.

“Globalization has changed the way the world works, and employers are increasingly looking for workers who have international skills and expertise,” says Dr. Allan Goodman, President of IIE. “Studying abroad must be viewed as an essential component of a college degree and critical to preparing future leaders.”

About Generation Study Abroad

IIE’s Generation Study Abroad seeks to significantly increase study abroad participation by bringing employers, governments, associations, and others together to build on current best practices and find new ways to extend study abroad opportunities and resources to tens of thousands of college students whose needs are not currently served by existing programs. Generation Study Abroad will sustain an ongoing dialogue about the need for more students from all backgrounds and in all fields to gain international experience. This will include research to identify and break down barriers hindering students from studying abroad, communications to share strategies and best practices to increase study abroad, and fundraising to mobilize additional financial resources. IIE will also hold a Summit on Generation Study Abroad on October 1-2, 2015 to engage stakeholders in higher education and all commitment partners.

About Abroad101

Founded in 2007, Abroad101 is the first and largest study abroad review website. Focusing on American college students looking for a semester or term abroad, this innovative platform connects past and future students, parents and advisors and program providers through its market-leading online evaluation tool. Abroad101 grew from one partnership at Tufts University in 2007 to over 215 college partnerships today. The Abroad101 directory of study abroad programs is the most comprehensive database in the field today. To learn more, visit: http://www.studyabroad101.com

About the Institute of International Education

The Institute of International Education is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 19 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,200 member institutions. IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government agencies, foundations, and corporations. IIE also conducts policy research and program evaluations, and provides advising and counseling on international education and opportunities abroad.

But How Did Study Abroad Help Me In My Career?

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Abroad 101

Static

When I arrived in Barajas Airport in Madrid, I was greeted by Cristina Blanco, the (fabulous) director of the program. My mouth felt sticky, I was terribly jet-lagged, and still left-over anxious over having had my visa inspected. When I saw Cristina holding the sign that said CIEE (just like the literature said she would be), and wearing a big smile, I was relieved. At least, I was relieved until she said “sshhhrrrrshhsshhrrr.”

This was what castellano sounded like to me.

I smiled emptily at her. “¿Cómo?” I asked. “What?”

“Sshhhrrrrsshrr,” she repeated kindly, pointing over to a growing group of young people about my age.

Over there. She wanted me to go over there and join the rest of the group. I nodded and moved in the direction she indicated, but I had understood nothing. I was terrified.

It all felt so unfair. I had studied Spanish in school for eight years. I knew words! I knew a lot of words! I listened to Juanes all the time! I liked Pedro Almodóvar films! And instead of feeling confident, the entire world turned into static.

At first I cried a lot. I was exhausted after having a five minute conversation with my host family. I fell asleep watching my English language DVDs every night. But after two weeks or so the static began to clear out. The shhhhrrrrshhhhhh sounds distilled into words that I recognized and could soon use. Two months in, I was able to joke with my host family, and on the airplane home I was able to discuss Spanish politics in Spanish.

editors note: You can read the full program review on Abroad101!

But how did this help me in my career?

I teach American Literature and ESL (English as a Second Language) in a high school in Queens, New York. Approximately 70% of my students are former English Language Learners, and of these 55% speak Spanish at home. Speaking Spanish is obviously useful. Anywhere you work in the world, speaking Spanish can only be an asset. But you probably already knew that.

Those two weeks I spent lost in static taught me more about second language acquisition than I could learn from a textbook. The strategies I used are strategies that I encourage my students to use.

Sit in the front of the classroom and minimize distractions.
Read for the gist of paragraphs rather than trying to understand every word on the page.
Use context clues when you can and a dictionary when you can’t.
Use physical and facial cues to help construct meaning.
Ask people to slow down or say it again.
Ask for help and ask questions.
Speak your native language when you need to. It’s totally fine.

I strongly believe that I have a better understanding of how to teach literature to ELLs and former ELLs because of my experience abroad. Teachers of ELLs are encouraged to discuss strategies for learning, as well as concepts to be learned. I had to learn these strategies for myself, so when I present these ideas, I am speaking as someone with experience, not someone who only read about these strategies in Chapter 2. Because we have all braved the static, we know we can trust each other to get to the point where the words come freely.

– Elizabeth Tanzer-Ritter
For StudyAbroad101.com

Elizabeth Tanzer-Ritter

I am in my eighth year of teaching English and ESL in the highly diverse New York City Public Schools. I graduated from Brandeis University in 2007 with a major in English Language and Literature and a double minor in Secondary Education and Spanish Language and Literature. I studied abroad during my junior year of college. I studied in Alcalá de Henares, Spain in 2006 (and it was awesome). I earned a graduate degree from Queens College in English Education in 2011 and a certificate in TESOL from St. John’s University in 2013. I love what I do and I am so grateful to be able to apply my experiences abroad to my experience in the workplace.

2015: Study Abroad by the Numbers

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Abroad 101

Study Abroad Destination popularity from StudentUniverse.com –

Every year, thousands of American students visit other countries for a semester of study abroad. But where are they all going? We took a look at the most popular city destinations from students from all 50 states (based on our booking data).

Check out the results displayed on the map below.

Want a discount on your flight or excursions abroad? Visit StudentUniverse.com, use promo code 2rq9hk9sg5ab at checkout* and receive $20 off your international flight!

Abroad101 Student of the Week #35 – Dakota Lum

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Abroad 101

The recipient of our Abroad101 Student of the Week award is Dakota Lum, a freshman at Northern Arizona University. Dakota is an electronic media and film major with a minor in Spanish. She loves rugby and even started her high school’s girls rugby team her senior year. On top of being athletic, Dakota is a hard worker when it comes to academics and has multiple favorite subjects. Just this semester she is balancing 19 units, work, playing rugby, and launching a photography business with her mom.

Dakota has aspirations after college to land a job within the media industry. To help her reach this goal she has has applied for a journalism internship in Florence, Italy through World Endeavors. This trip abroad will not only allow her to gain invaluable experience in her field of study but she will also be learning Italian! Learn more about Dakota and her Mission to study abroad in Florence here!

We’re making weekly donations to study abroad fundraisers! We hope you can help us assist these students in reaching their goals and make their travel dreams a reality. Visit here to help with this mission. To find out more about studying in Florence, like Dakota, visit the Abroad101 program page.

Stay tuned for our next Abroad101 Student of the Week!

– See more at: http://blog.goennounce.com/abroad101-student-of-the-week-0035-dakota-lum

Abroad101 Student of the Week #32 – Wes Lindenmuth

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Abroad 101

Abroad101 Student of the Week winner #32 is Wes Lindenmuth. Wes is currently a junior at the University of Cincinnati. He is a communications, business, and information technology major who is looking to study abroad in Florianopolis, Brazil for the spring 2015 semester. He will be attending the Universade De Federal Santa Catarina, which is one of the top 5 universities in South America.

Wes is very excited about this opportunity because it will allow him to build international connections that are essential to his fields of study. While in Brazil, he will be specifically studying international economics and portuguese. Wes believes that understanding international business, as well as learning a new language, will be tremendously valuable to his academic development and professional versatility. And we couldn’t agree more! Check out Wes’ Fundraising Mission for his plane ticket to get him to Florianopolis here!

We’re making weekly donations to studyabroad fundraisers! We hope you can help us assist these students in reaching their goals to make their travel dreams a reality. Visit here to help with this mission. To find out more about studying in Brazil, like Wes, visit the Abroad101 program page.

Stay tuned for our next Abroad101 Student of the Week!

– See more at: – See more at: http://blog.goennounce.com/abroad101-student-of-the-week-0032-wes-lindenmuth

Abroad101 Student of the Week #34 – Lydia Santoscoy

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Abroad 101

Abroad 101 Student of the Week #34 is Lydia Santoscoy from the University of Texas at El Paso. Lydia is a junior, studying business (marketing to be exact). She has a strong passion for education and not only loves to learn herself but enjoys sharing the joy of learning with others. Lydia participates in many extracurricular activities such as dancing, painting, poetry and more. In the future Lydia wants to focus on teaching underprivileged kids throughout the world, in order to become more culturally sensitive. This will help her in the future a a marketer when she eventually attempts to market for green energy innovations.

Lydia is planning on studying abroad this coming semester and is headed to Heredia, Costa Rica and will be attending the world renowned university, Universidad Latina. This is one of the largest private schools in Costa Rica. She will be studying marketing (with a concentration in Latin American) while having the opportunity to experience a new culture. Lydia will be living with a host family and immersing herself in the Latin American culture. We think this study abroad experience is a great stepping stone to help her reach her ultimate goal of becoming a marketer for a green energy corporation (solar, wind, or green materials such as hemp) targeting Latin America! She has started a fundraising Mission to help with the cost of the expensive airfare needed for this trip. You can check out Lydia’s Mission here!

We’re making weekly donations to study abroad fundraisers! We hope you can help us assist these students in reaching their goals and make their travel dreams a reality. Visit here to help with this mission. To find out more about studying in Costa Rica, like Lydia, visit the Abroad101 program page.

Stay tuned for our next Abroad101 Student of the Week!

– See more at: http://blog.goennounce.com/abroad101-student-of-the-week-0034-lydia-santoscoy

Abroad101 Student of the Week #33 – Aaron Hurd

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Abroad 101

Our Abroad101 Student of the Week recipient # 33 is Aaron Hurd, a sophomore at Colorado State University. Aaron is a political science major with minors in Spanish and Arabic. He enjoys many things such as baseball, soccer, and experiencing other cultures. In the future, Aaron hopes to accomplish many goals that range from attending graduate school to going into the intelligence field. Aaron has always dreamt of perfecting his spanish speaking skills and it looks like he has the opportunity to do just that by studying this spring at La Universidad de Alcalá in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. He’s one step closer to this dream with the help of our friends at Abroad101. Learn more about Aaron and his educational adventure by visiting his fundraising Mission here!

We’re making weekly donations to study abroad fundraisers! We hope you can help us assist these students in reaching their goals and make their travel dreams a reality. Visit here to help with this mission. To find out more about studying in Spain, like Aaron, visit the Abroad101 program page.

Stay tuned for our next Abroad101 Student of the Week!

– See more at: http://blog.goennounce.com/abroad101-student-of-the-week-0033-aaron-hurd

Abroad101 Blog

Study Abroad News

Author Archives: Abroad 101

Discover Incredible India

Abroad101 Student of the Week #0043 – Rebecca Metzler

The Study Abroad Advantage reaches 2,000 members!

Abroad101 joins the Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad initiative

But How Did Study Abroad Help Me In My Career?

Static

2015: Study Abroad by the Numbers

Abroad101 Student of the Week #35 – Dakota Lum

Abroad101 Student of the Week #32 – Wes Lindenmuth

Abroad101 Student of the Week #34 – Lydia Santoscoy

Abroad101 Student of the Week #33 – Aaron Hurd

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