Foreign Festivals! – Dragon Boat Festival

Happy Dragon Boat Festival!  Today in #China we are celebrating the Duanwu #端午 festival!  It’s been a Holiday here for more than 2000 years!

It celebrates the Famous #poet #quyuan. Devoted to #China 🇨🇳, he wrote beautiful poems about its history, nature, and people. When the invading Qin armies approached, he chose to drown himself rather than see his beloved country fall.  Although they sent out many #dragon boats to look for him, they could not save him in time. 
 So to commemorate his memory, every year they eat  #粽子 (aka Zongzi), a sticky #rice #treat wrapped in banana leaves. And the big cities send out Dragon #boats for big battles and races on the lakes and rivers! Cool!
WHAT HOLIDAYS HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED?!?

Interview with Featured Study Abroadist ~ Lauren Hall!

Lauren in Prague

Yeah! We have a new featured Student Abroad Interview!  Ladies and gentlemen, meet Lauren Hall, author of the blog “I’m Coming For You, Prague” https://ohivebeentoprague.wordpress.com/.

This lovely young woman has been blessed with the opportunity to give European culture a try, more specifically Prague in the Czech Republic.  You heard that right, the beautiful land of classic and varied architecture, delicious foods, beautiful art, centuries of history, and more.  What a chance!  

Although she’s busy being awesome and having amazing fun times, she was kind enough to agree to an interview about her study abroad experience — why she went, why this program, the country, and more.  Thanks Lauren!

Also, please don’t forget to check out her blog “I’M COMING FOR  YOU, PRAGUE” for more information about her trip abroad!  She’s a great story-teller!

INTERVIEW

Where are you in Your Education? (Sophomore, Junior, Etc.–Highschool/College)

Lauren: “I am going to be a senior in college. “

What have you decided to/are you interested in studying? 


Lauren: “I am majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders and minoring in Child Development and International Studies. I want to get my masters degree in Speech Pathology and become a Speech-Language Pathologist. I do not know if I want to work with children or older adults yet.”

Why did you decided to study abroad; what sort of things did you consider?


Lauren: “I always wanted to travel Europe and I knew that once I graduated college, got my masters and got a job, doing this would be very difficult. My school has a very good study abroad program and I knew that I would not let myself miss out on this. “

Book Review: “A Cheap Ticket For Student Travel”

“A Cheap Ticket for Student Travel”

by Gary Chen

A small little guide for the average college student on saving while they travel.

Gary Chen’s new book, “A Cheap Ticket for Student Travel” is a great, yet short, read for college/low income students interested in traveling (especially traveling abroad).  At only 23 pages (in PDF form), you can read through it pretty quickly, but it offers some great insights into how you can travel even on a college student’s budget.  

He opens with a pretty strong argument for traveling while you’re young ~ time, energy, and lack of ties.  This is something I wish a lot more students would keep in mind; by the time you have jobs, families, and other demands on your time and attention, traveling becomes less and less of a likelihood.  Since traveling can significantly add to both your accomplishments and the broadening of your experience, taking that awesome trip now is a pretty good idea.

Most of his advice officially starts in Chapter two, where he begins with the important saving tool – Planning.  This carries through the next two chapters during which he discusses how  even little things like grouping nearby locations together can save money on costs.  Chapter 5 is where he really gets into precise methods of saving as opposed to more general recommendations.  He also has a really great form on pages 17-18 that helps you list out your expected expenses and likely total.  I think filling this out is a great way of reminding yourself precisely how much this might cost you and what you need to save. Throughout the book, he offers some great means of saving and I like the main message he communicates — traveling doesn’t have to ruin you financially!

Writing style: Some of the writing could use some editing and there were a few choppy areas, but overall I found it to be a quick and easy read.  A great addition to the ebook is the number of internal links Chen offers his readers–he frequently links to relevant and interesting articles relating to the subject of discussion.  Particularly helpful are the links to discount sites and saving tools; I might even use a few of these!

If you are interested or thinking about traveling, I recommend checking his book out.  You can find it on Smashwords as a FREE E-book (I like the free part, it matches his theme 🙂 )

READ ON SMASHWORDS

Interview with Featured Study Abroadist ~ Genny Parshley!

(c) Moyan Brenn on Flickr
View his website at: http://earthincolors.wordpress.com

Hi everyone!  I’m so excited today because we have a really great post!  

I would like to introduce to you GENNY PARSHLEY, author of the blog “CHEERS” parshley.wordpress.com.

Have to admit, I’m pretty jealous of her right now; Scotland has always been a dream of mine. . . . purple heather,  dashing kilts, ivy-covered castles. . . Sorry, got carried away for a minute!  

Anyway, after reading the amazingly in-depth and inspirational posts she has shared about her trip on her blog, I asked if she would be willing to answer a few questions about her study abroad experience.  Because she is wonderful, awesome, and all things good, she agreed!  Not only that, she offered some really great insight into what goes on with the Study Abroad Process and the motives of those who make the decision to go for it.   So read on and see what you too can learn from her adventures!  

Also, please don’t forget to check out her blog “CHEERS” for more information about her trip abroad!  Definitely worth the read!

INTERVIEW

Where are you in Your Education? (Sophomore, Junior, Etc.–Highschool/College)

Genny: “I am a Junior or Third Year as they call it here!”

What have you decided to/are you interested in studying? 


Genny: “I am studying Public Relations—that’s my major—and Non-Profit Management is my minor! My major interest is studying Non-Profits and subjects related to social justice.”

Why did you decided to study abroad; what sort of things did you consider?


Genny: “I knew that I wanted to study abroad during college from the age of about 12. Traveling the world has always been a dream and a priority for me. I love the idea of going to a place where I know no one, where anything can happen. Though, I should say that that concept terrifies me as equally as it excites me! When considering when and where to study, a few things came to mind. I wanted to study in the spring so I didn’t have to miss my home university’s football season…nothing is better than college football season! Also, I didn’t particularly want to go abroad my senior year because I wanted to be able to spend my last year in the place I have to call home with my best friends. I also had to consider, of course, where I wanted to study but I’ll answer that question in #5 :)”

“Nations Chasing Harvard Merge Colleges to Ascend Rankings”

by Oliver Staley via ‘Bloomberg“

 

Ten miles from King Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles, another monument to French ambition is rising out of muddy wheat fields.

Twenty colleges and research institutes are combining to create Universite Paris-Saclay, soon to be one of France’s largest universities, at a cost of about 6.5 billion euros ($9 billion). It’s France’s bid to crack the top of rankings that increasingly dominate international higher education.

“Our ambition is to be among the top 10” in the rankings compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said Dominique Vernay, chairman of the foundation creating Paris-Saclay. “The first goal is to be the top university in continental Europe.” . . . .

“Top 10 Best Countries to Study Abroad”

“Shaping career, getting a good degree and having a handsome salary falls under every students’ dreams. There are colleges and Universities in and out of the country providing great opportunities for students who are hardworking and brilliant. However, going abroad on a student visa can be really difficult because of high competition and irrational cutoffs that occur at different times. Studying abroad can be really a rewarding experience. With several opportunities and a wide- scope on related field can help students learn everything through the times they go through on a foreign land.

There are several colleges abroad that provide opportunities to international students but this shall require strength and confidence in the students together. . . . “

“US University Delegation Arrives in Israel to Forge New Study Abroad Partnerships”

By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZI

“A delegation of 13 representatives from leading universities and study abroad programs in the United States arrived in Israel for a weeklong visit, geared toward developing new study abroad collaborations with Israeli institutions.
Masa Israel Journey, a partnership between the Jewish Agency and the government, organized the visit along with the Foreign Ministry.
While in Israel, the delegation, comprised of. . . .”

 

“Tips And Tricks To Consider For Your Study Abroad Experience”

by Hannah Armour via “NYU Local“

You’re doing it. You’re really doing it. You’re running off to Sydney, Prague, Paris, Shanghai, or (insert one of NYU’s many study away sites here). But woah, woah, woah, hold on there young lady or sir. You need to get your shit together before you leave the country. The next semester will be one of studying (cough, drinking) across . . . .

 

 

“Cheap Travel Tips for International Students”

by Katelyn Ruiz via “US News“

“Many international students have already seen parts of the world and the insides of airports in locations that many American college students can only dream about. So, semester breaks provide the perfect chance for international students to do some local exploration.

During my first Christmas break as a student abroad, I had almost three weeks of free days to fill up. Some of  . . . .”

 

“Troy University Launches Study Abroad Scholarships for Students”

via Dothan First

“Troy University is launching a new program to support its students who wish to study abroad.

The program, the Chancellor’s Award for Global Competitiveness, will make available a significant number of $750 scholarships this year for eligible TROY students participating in Troy University-approved study abroad programs. The scholarships will be funded, in part, from the University’s Car Tag Scholarship Program.

“Studying abroad can be a life-changing experience for our students,” said Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor. “Today’s world requires a broader understanding of people from other cultures and  . . . .”