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Studyin' Abroad

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Christophe:
(crossposted from that other forum I post on religiously.)

I'm giving serious thought towards studying abroad when I become a college Senior next year, since it would probably definitely be an awesome experience and I don't have to be in crusty old Merced for a semester. However, I have no clue where I want to go. The list of countries participating is here, I'm thinking about UK/Scotland/Ireland mainly because I'm crap at all other foreign languages (though my girlfriend wants me to avoid Scotland because she thinks I'm going to gorge myself on deep-fried everything. She's partly right). Hell, Canada would be awesome too. I'm also considering the UC center in Washington DC.

Any suggestions? Or fun tips to avoid myself coming back penniless or anything?

Oli:
You can live in Scotland and not be a greasy deep fried pizza guzzling tub of shit! We have italian restaurants and farmers markets and fruit and everything!

Really though, it is kind of hard to suggest somewhere for you to go because, well, it is a pretty big decision and we don't really know what you're looking for in a university/place to live. If you do decide to come to the UK you've got to remember that it is fucking expensive here compared to the US and that our peanut butter is different to yours. I know a lot of americans that are studying here though, so it is definitely doable.

sean:
I mean if you go to DC you will probably get to hang out with me at some point.

Studying abroad can be really cool though! My sister studied in Rome last semester and really enjoyed it! I have no input on where you should go, but you should definitely try it!

Christophe:

--- Quote from: Oli on 07 Sep 2008, 19:22 ---deep friend pizza guzzling tub of shit

--- End quote ---

I would see this band.

I guess a little background on myself is necessary- I'm currently a Business Management major, Creative Writing minor. For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to go to the British Isles- James Bond, Austin Powers and The Beatles do funny things to a kid, and Joy Division, The Fall, Trainspotting and a bunch of other things do funny things to me as an adult. The list of participating UK universities is here, I'm giving some thought to a university in London or the University of Glasgow (partly to die of clogged arteries and stalk Tommydski).

benji:
I did my study abroad in college in India and loved it. It was easy getting by there without any Indian languages. Everyone speaks English for the most part. The same thing would probably be true of any other countries on that list that used to be British colonies. I noticed Hong Kong and South Africa, as well as Australia and New Zealand. It will be true in a lot of other countries as well. I've spent time in Israel, for example, and didn't have any trouble. So if the language thing is the only reason why you like the British Isles, I would suggest that you have more options then you think. Actually, just clicking on those little map things seems to bring up some information, including what language you need to know to take the classes.

I would look over that information and then answer the following questions for yourself:

What sort of cultural experience am I looking for? Do I want to sip tea/coffee at a European cafe? Do I want to eat dinner in tent somewhere in the third world? Do I want to explore parts of nature that I would never see at home?

What do I want to study? Different programs are going to be good for different things. If there's one that fits well in to your major, you may want to choose that one.

How much stress can I take? Let's face it, every study abroad option is stressful, but there's a big difference between getting lost somewhere in London and not being able to figure find your bearings for a while, and getting lost somewhere in Cairo and not being able to find anyone who speaks English except for the heavily armed military officer who scowls at you the entire time. Consider both your mental and physical health and be honest with yourself. If the developing world is going to be too much for you, then don't go. I definitely saw it turn out badly for a couple of folks in India.

How much support does this program give me? Some programs are great. They'll have experienced professors who will help you to explore the country safely without telling you what to do at all times. Other programs will just kind of turn you loose and you won't know who to talk to when you're feeling homesick or when you're in some sort of trouble. Others may smother you, filling your day with so much academic work and requiring so many check-ins that you don't get any chance to explore the country at all.

How much will it cost? Well, that's always a consideration somewhere. This is more than just tuition. Just hanging out in Europe is going to be expensive. In India, a few hundred bucks made me one of the richest people in town. If money is a concern, you may want to consider conversion rates and how much cost of living is going to run. I imagine some of the cost of living will be part of your tuition, but even if they provide a place to sleep and 3 meals a day, you'll occasionally want to hit the town or see the country side.

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