6 Tips For Researching Your Prospective Study Abroad Country

by Allie Mitchell via “ULoop“

Studying abroad is one of the more exciting things to experience in college. It gives you a chance to see the world while possibly earning college credit along the way. You learn about different cultures and become more aware of the world around you.

Most people regret the decision to not study abroad while they can. They regret not going out of their comfort zone and leaving for a new experience and large perspective. Although, all of this is wonderful, but before considering studying abroad, looking into where you want to go, for how long, and any other things that are necessary should be priority number one.

Aer Lingus “Study in Ireland Program”

“Ireland” by JuliaMedia

For my first return post, I thought I’d share a nice deal offered especially to Study Abroad Students!

According to their website, AerLingus (an Irish airline) is offering students studying in Ireland a special deal this summer through their “STUDY IN IRELAND Program.”

They’ll be offering “special airfares and a free date change to their return flight.” I like how it says you can change your return flight. Probably because so many students fall in love with Ireland and just want to stay a little bit longer (I know I did!).  Actually, it says you can even move the date of your return flight up (but who would want to?!?).  

The offer is for travel to or from Dublin or Shannon, Ireland on the following dates:

• August 17-December 20, 2016 (Fall Semester)
• January 6 – May 30, 2017 (Spring Semester)

Flights include those to/from Boston, Chicago, Hartford (as of Sept. 2016), Los Angeles, New York, Newark (as of Sept. 2016), Orlando, San Francisco, Toronto, and D.C.  Only individual students studying abroad get this special plan. 

However, the website also offers “special fares for Family & Friends Interested in travelling with or visiting the student while in Ireland (fares based on availability).” Awesome! Your best friend could come and visit you too!

For more details about the specifics and limitations, you can use the following resources:

• Website: https://new.aerlingus.com
• Email: specialdeals@aerlingus.com
• Phone: (877) 351-6665

If you try this program out, let us know how it goes! Excellent? Good? Bad? Terrible? Pass it on!

DISCLAIMER: This website is not affiliated with Aer Lingus in any way. My and my website are not responsible for anything AerLingus does or the program they are offering or anything else. I’m just letting you know what the website says.

Berkeley Study Abroad offers summer program in Havana, Cuba

by Ishaan Srivastava via “The Daily Californian“

After a historic resumption of U.S.–Cuba diplomatic relations and a relaxation of bilateral tensions, Berkeley Study Abroad is now offering a summer study abroad program in Havana, Cuba.

The course provides students with the opportunity to spend one month exploring the geographical and historical transformation of Cuba from colonial times to the present, all while living and studying in “the spirited capital of Cuba.”

“Cuba is — and has always been — a marvelous and fascinating country,” said program director Elizabeth Vasile. “It is a great place to see rapid transformation taking place.”

Vasile, who received her doctorate in geography from UC Berkeley and now conducts research in Latin America, has been leading tours of Cuba for about five years on behalf of organizations such as National Geographic. She approached the geography department chair and study abroad office last year with plans for the program, and received swift approval.

“Unlike a traditional classroom, we’re going to be going out in the field and observing the landscape for ourselves,” Vasile said, adding that her two primary objectives for the program are to instill in students a nuanced understanding of the complexity of Cuban history and the ability to critically observe the world around them.

Peer institutions such as Harvard College and Princeton University have offered similar programs even before President Barack Obama announced his intention to renew diplomatic ties with Cuba. The campus had previously offered a similar program that lasted from 1999 to 2003.

Other organizations such as the travel agency Marazul — which will be providing logistical assistance for UC Berkeley’s program this summer — have been organizing visits to Cuba since 1979.

Members of UC Berkeley’s faculty have maintained professional ties to Cuba despite longstanding diplomatic tensions. Anthropology professor Nancy Scheper-Hughes fondly remembers having invited Cuban medical professionals for a seminar in the early ‘90s, noting that then-Chancellor Chang-Lin Tien was happy to write a letter officially inviting her guests onto campus.

“He even asked whether we could invite Fidel Castro,” Scheper-Hughes said. “That would probably have been a step too far.”

According to Scheper-Hughes, such programs provide students with an opportunity to experience Cuba “before it becomes totally neoliberalized.”

Despite a history of bilateral political animosity, both Scheper-Hughes and Vasile said student safety would not be of exceptional concern in Cuba. Kaylee Yoshii, a campus senior who has visited Cuba multiple times on research trips,noted that the attitude toward Americans in Cuba is welcoming despite the decades of diplomatic hostility.

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Student studies abroad three semesters, makes lifetime of memories

by Matthew McClure via “The Lamron”

Coming to Geneseo, I knew I wanted to study abroad for at least a year. I knew I wanted to go beyond my past linguistic and travel experience in Europe. This semester, I am returning from three semesters of studying abroad in Vietnam, Canada and Haiti. Study abroad has been an incredibly formative part of my undergraduate career—and my future plans—in both expected and unexpected ways.

The Global Service Learning Program in Borgne, Haiti proved to be a turning point for me. Through this program, I applied my interests in foreign language, intercultural competence and international education to connecting communities in Borgne and Geneseo. My experience in spring 2013 not only focused my academic interests, study abroad plans and career goals, but also had a lasting impact beyond that one semester. My service learning project became the design and organization of a Haitian Creole language preparation component for the course.

Immediately after the Global Service Learning Program, I knew I wanted to learn Haitian Creole and return to Borgne to help develop our program and relationship with the community. I traveled to Boston to attend the Haitian Creole Language and Culture Summer Institute, working with leading Haitian Creole scholars and collecting resources and teaching methods in order to help improve our Haitian Creole crash-course at Geneseo. As a result, I was selected to the Clinton Global Initiative University in 2015 to help support the first public library in Borgne.

In the fall of my junior year, I spent my first semester abroad in Vietnam. I went into the semester expecting a wildly new experience; one where I would learn an exotic new language. What I got was a semester where I was not only independent, but also the only native English speaker in my class. After learning Vietnamese, I could communicate with the locals and also speak to the internationals that spoke English. I met an extraordinary variety of people, both in Ho Chi Minh City and on my travels in Southeast Asia.

Perhaps the most surprising group I met in Vietnam was the Saigon Swing Cats. I had fallen in love with swing dance my freshman year, but I did not expect to find a club in Vietnam. It was a fascinating mix of locals and expatriates—mostly young professionals—gathering together to dance a vintage American dance. This is where I saw the overlap between my international interests and my dance interests. . . .

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Longer study abroad opportunities heighten cultural understanding

by Maddy Perello via “The Daily Aztec”

San Diego State’s Study Abroad Office is “committed to building a global learning community … (and) preparing students for an increasingly globally interconnected future,” according to their website. To me, studying abroad is all about being immersed in an unfamiliar culture with the hopes of bringing new perspectives and awareness back home. I asked a couple study abroad veterans if they felt like their time abroad was long enough to do so. – 

The program consisted of one class taught in English by professors from SDSU. In addition, the students helped out at a bilingual, semi-private K-12 school. “The only thing is I would have liked to study in a university in Spain,” she said. “I thought we would study at the University of Granada or something, and then go to the K-12 school later, but we had our class in the K-12 school too.” She did say condensing a class into just four weeks was hectic and a little stressful. “I would have liked to have gone for a semester, only because it felt a little rushed,” Sakaria said. “I didn’t feel like I had enough time. I can’t wait to go back.” The students on the trip stayed in dorms with Spanish students, Sakaria said really made her feel immersed in Spanish culture. “We had meals together every day of the week, went to events together, and went out at night,” she said. – . . . .

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From CEA Study Abroad

“From CEA Study Abroad”

Changes to the US Passport System

We are just now getting this letter from the Chinese Embassy, but it applies to all US travelers!

“The U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China, would like to inform U.S. Citizens that the U.S. Government will no longer be able to add additional visa pages to U.S. passports starting January 1, 2016. Instead, 52-page passport books will be issued at no extra cost. This worldwide change enhances the security of U.S. passports.

 

U.S. Citizens who require extra pages in their U.S. passports should make an appointment to come to the U.S. Embassy’s American Citizen Services unit before December 31, 2015. Once the change goes into effect worldwide, we recommend that U.S. Citizens who travel frequently renew their passports early to ensure they have enough blank pages for visa stamps from other countries.” 

To make an appointment: visit the US Embassy’s webpage

 

See travel.state.gov for more information on entry, exit, and foreign visa requirements.

 

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How to Plan Weekend Trips While Studying Abroad

by Lindsay Robbins via “SR[Trends]”

If you haven’t already left for your study abroad experience this fall, you probably will soon. And one of the first things you’ll want to do is plan trips to the other countries you want to visit while you’re there. It can be a little confusing and scary to be planning all of these on your own without the help of your parents. But it really isn’t that difficult, and I have some tips to help you figure out how to book your trips, save money, and have fun on your weekend trips!

 

1. It’s definitely better figure it all out early, so that you can find cheaper travel and places to stay. If you try to book a trip a couple of days before you leave, the prices will be jacked up. By that point, people are willing to pay more as long as they get the trip, so that is why businesses do that. So avoid that by planning it all out early! Beside a spontaneous trip I took to London at the end of the semester (expensive!) and my trip to Greece after school ended, all of my weekends were planned out way far in advance, and I was able to get cheaper prices because of it. When my roommate and I first went to London (the end of January, yes I did go twice), we were able to get plane tickets that were only £34! Which was like a little less than $40. And most of our flights ended up being less than $90, and our hostels were usually pretty cheap too. RyanAir tended to have the cheapest flights, so we ended up using them a lot. Just be prepared for a chaotic and slightly uncomfortable trip. It’s first come first serve in the seats so you want to get there early!

2. Using comparison sites when booking. If you use a site that shows you many options, instead of using the airline site or the airport site, then you will be able to find a better deal, for both flights and hotels/hostels. You’ll have more options, so you’ll be able to pick the one that best fits both your budget and your schedule! A good site to use isBookingBuddy, who will give you tons of choices for flights. You could save up to 50% just by using their site!

3. Know what you want to do before you get there. I wouldn’t say plan out each trip right when you book it (if you book early like I suggest), but a couple of days before you leave, you should check out which attractions you want to go. Often, if you check online, you can get discounted prices, or you can check to see if they have student discounts so you know to show your student ID at the ticket counter. Sometimes they’ll have packages for a couple of different attractions, which can save you money if you plan on going to every one of those places, but if you aren’t, then I suggest avoiding those. Some of the best things I did was free walking tours of the cities. First of all, it’s free, and walking is a great way to take in the city and figure out your way around it. Plus, the tour guide usually has lots of cool stories and things that you wouldn’t get from a bus tour. One time we even got to taste some cheese from Amsterdam. The only thing you pay for is tipping your tour guide at the end, however much you think it’s worth. You can buy tickets online so you don’t have to worry about finding out where to buy it there. So before you leave, definitely see what you want to do so you can have some sort of schedule and not completely miss what you want to do or forget a site to see.

4. Use sites like Hostelworld.com to help you get better rates on places to stay. This is how I booked all of my hostels, and I had no problem finding nice places in good areas that weren’t too expensive. They have reviews from people who actually stayed there so you can see what they say and base your decisions off of that, so you know exactly what you’re getting at your hostel. To get the lowest prices, you’ll usually be sharing a room with more than just the friends you’re traveling with, but it’s always fun to meet new people! If that makes you uncomfortable, there are private rooms, and you should be able to find a place that will have those, or room that only house 4 or 5 people in a room, for a low price. . . . .

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Travel Cheap And Travel Young: 10 Countries You Can Visit On A College Budget

by Clay Winoweicki via “Elite Daily”

With the travel season upon us, it’s time to begin exploring again and creating memories that last.

Like everyone else, I’m pretty much broke and can’t afford to go on a luxury trip across Europe, but just because the university takes all my cash doesn’t mean I can’t still travel.

Here is a list of 10 countries that rank on the low-end for cost right now:

Bolivia

Home to many activities and sites, this cheap country will have you living like a king for less than you would think. You can get a nice place to stay, food, transportation and even alcohol for less than 20 USD per day.

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Thailand

Thailand has been trying to revamp its tourism as of late and many tourism companies have been offering excellent deals. I’m a huge advocate of hostels, but if that isn’t your thing, you can get a private room with a bathroom for less than 30 USD per night.

If you are open to bunks, you can easily get by for an entire day on that price.

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Greece

With the state of the economic condition in Greece, prices are low and the tourism will help bring in some more much-needed money. The country is mind-numbingly beautiful and features amazing coasts and architecture.

This is one of the best locations in all of Europe for cheap travel. . . . .

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How a Broke College Student Saw Europe

by Mandy Wallace via “MandyWallace.com”

I don’t usually take risks like this.

Sleep on a stranger’s couch? In a foreign country? Forget about it.

I’m usually the one warning friends not to meet people online. There are weirdos out there, you know. And never would I ever go home with a stranger.

Yet there I was, scrolling through profiles online. Name after name in country after country of people willing to lend their couch to me. Ghent, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels. You name the city. You’ll find a couch there with your name on it.

I mean, travel beckoned. And I was broke. Can you blame me?

Here’s how it happened.

Wanderlust: Won’t Take “Nein” for an Answer

Where: Tübingen, Germany.
When: Winter break, 2008.
Who: Nathan and Mandy Wallace, American study abroad students with an itch to travel.

Sure, I could have stayed cooped up in my dorm room. Germany was beautiful enough. Swirling snow, but not so much to be annoying. Hunting for mushrooms on the edge of the Black Forrest. Castles. Baroque churches and medieval architecture. Glittering Christmas markets and mulled wine.

But the world was too close not to explore it.

So this suspicious-of-strangers, no-risk-is-worth-putting-your-life-in-peril, small-town Bakersfield girl was ready to put her life into a stranger’s hands.

Several strangers, as it turned out. . . . .

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