Until recently, studying abroad was a popular expedition for undergraduates caught by the travel bug, and looking to experience the world beyond daily campus life. But there seems to be a new trend on the horizon! Now, more and more graduate students are venturing beyond their classroom studies to immerse themselves in the benefits of learning abroad.
Skype, or video chatting by any means, has been the best thing to hit the study abroad world since they invented international calling cards.It is a free and easy way for students to keep in contact with their friends and family back home. But maybe tools like Skype and Facebook make it too easy to keep in touch. Continue reading
Due to the recent disappearance of a California student studying abroad in Madrid, we thought compiling a list of helpful tips would help you feel safe while enjoying your time abroad!
Tip #1: Buddy System!
You are never too old, too wise, or too confident for the buddy system! It is simple, yet effective, and proven given it’s timeless success. No matter how well you know your city, it is always a good decision to walk home with at least one friend. Besides having good company to reminisce about the night or day’s events, walking in groups provides for a safer, more secure way of getting home. Continue reading
Given the recent Earthquake in New Zealand, Cyclone in Australia and political unrest in Egypt, we thought we would put together some helpful tips to stay safe while abroad, even in the wake of a disaster.
Riots and protests weren’t what many students bargained for when they chose to study abroad in Egypt this year, but after having been evacuated from the country, many sentiments are anything but happy to be back home.
Staff and families back at the home university have noticed an unusual trend from the students who had to be evacuated from Egypt: they did not want to leave. After all, many traveled to this African country ready for adventure, ready for anything. If it were up to them, they would still be watching the riots from the rooftops of their schools, or even be right down in the action. Continue reading
Regardless of whether you’ve taken 9 semesters of French or even spent 6 months in China, becoming fluent in a foreign language doesn’t just happen because you’re studying abroad. It takes work, and a lot of work at that. Many students like to think that the language will simply soak in and, voila!, one morning they wake up and they’re parle-ing like a true Parisienne. But in order to truly be comfortable with a second or third language, you have to be the language; you have to live the language. To help, here is a quick guide to (mostly) assured fluency when studying abroad… Continue reading
Thank you to Tiffany Harrison for providing us with this awesome blog post. Learn more about Tiffany at www.wwjanedo.com
Friends with Benefits: Sustaining Your Study Abroad Friendships
It was a typically cold Scottish night and there were eight of us squeezed together around a table at the pub. It happened to be a disco-themed music night, and the lights of the disco ball reflected off our laughing faces. We’d decided to play a game of “pass on the dance move” where one person would perform a move and then pass it on so that it continually progressed around the table. The waving of our arms and bobbing of our heads lacked any sort of choreography, but we didn’t mind. It was enjoying each other’s company that mattered the most. Continue reading
As we continue to collect more data, the Abroad101 team is excited to start generating reports on study abroad trends. Here is a sneak peak of some of the exciting conclusions we are finding: in this sample of 374 post-abroad students, 96% are likely to travel abroad again, 78% of whom are definitely planning on venturing outside the US for another international experience. Continue reading
We did it: 5,000 reviews!!
Special thanks to James Madison for appearing on the $5,000 bill, as well as the Proclaimers, who “would walk 500 miles” 10 times over to reach our total count!
Here’s to another 5,000! Thanks to all of our incredible partners and devoted students for contributing their insights to our community.
