Misconceptions Of Greece As Seen On The Media

Abroad101 is please to introduce Monica, a study abroad student with College Year in Athens. Here’s what she has to say about studying in a destination that has some negative press:

Demonstrations in Syntagma Square

It can be difficult to decide where you want to study abroad when numerous destinations await you. It gets even harder when you weigh in political, cultural, economic and many other factors. Greece is an amazing, historical and picturesque country. However, when families and students in America see Greece portrayed as a dangerous and economically unstable country, it can be one of the first to be crossed off the list of study abroad options. After being here a little over a month, I quickly realized how skewed the media portrays the situation here.

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MassChallenge 2012 is officially open!

Governor Deval Patrick at MassChallenge 2012

Photos courtesy of Bostontweetup.com

Happy Friday from Abroad101! This was an awesome week, especially because yesterday afternoon was the MassChallenge 2012 launch!  Abroad101 was a winner of the first ever MassChallenge in 2010 and we’ve been reaping the benefits ever since. Yesterday, over 200 CEOs, entreprenuers, investors, start-ups and local politicians gathered for the 3rd annual MassChallenge kickoff event and warmly welcomed in this year’s hopeful applicants. With a drumroll and a ring of the gong, MassChallenge 2012 officially opened! There was much excitement in the air and we felt lucky to have been a part of the enthusiasm.

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Jake’s Top Ten for Taiwan

Taipei 101 Tower

Go to the top of Taipei 101: First on my list is an undeniable tourist staple, the iconic Taipei 101. Opening at the end of 2004, Taipei 101 is now the world’s third largest skyscraper. With 101 floors above ground, this monster of a building reaches 1,670.6 ft at the tip of its antenna spire. Located in the Xinyi District on the eastern side of Taipei city, I believe this is a must see for any visitor to Taiwan. Although I have been in close proximity to the tower twice now, I am waiting for that perfect weather day to take a trip to the top. Continue reading

How My Photography Class Became a Lesson In Italian Cooking

I love photography, and when choosing my classes for Florence I made sure to pick a photography class. The class I chose, however, had the wrong prerequisites listed. It said that I needed to have taken an introductory class, and I have taken three. The problem was that I have done all of my photography in the dark room and had no previous experience using digital, which was needed. This is how I ended up in my Italian Cooking class.

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What can Boston do to keep start-ups in the area?

 

If you ask local entrepreneurs, the answer is lots of things! Last week, Abroad 101’s President and Co-Founder, Mike Stone, was featured alongside other local entrepreneurs in a Boston Globe article “Can Boston be the hub of the start-up universe?” Mike’s sentiments on the Boston start-up scene reflect the need for more angel investors. This would help retain strong start-ups in the early stages, rather than losing them to places like Silicon Valley. “Investors should create more angel groups to attract, grow, and retain early-stage companies, which can then benefit from VC funds. We need people to see Boston as a destination, not a stepping-stone. What starts in Boston should stay in Boston.”

Well said, Mike!

This editorial is just one piece of increased dialogue in Boston around supporting the investment infrastructure. This morning, Senator Scott Brown held an Access to Capital for Small Business Roundtable to facilitate thoughts on both lending and investing for small business.

What other ideas were mentioned in the article? Everything from enticing the media to focus more on the Boston start-up scene, to looking for more diverse investors, to providing better entertainment and practical resources for local entrepreneurs. Boston clearly holds a bubble of strong, smart entrepreneurs. Let’s do everything we can to keep them here!

My New Home Away from Home: Apartment in Florence


In Florence, I live in an apartment with two other girls from my school, Jordan and Dominique. I knew Jordan before coming, and met Dominique when I moved in. So far, we have enjoyed some cozy movie nights and cracking up at Dominique’s hilarious sense of humor.

Our apartment is at the top floor of our building, which is in a great location between the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio. It is considered the fourth floor, but the bottom is considered the zero floor, and with two flights of stairs per floor, we walk up about 100 stairs to get to our apartment!

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Taking the Road Less Traveled in Sorrento

This past weekend, two of my classmates and I decided to explore the town we live in for the first time.  It was our first month anniversary of being in Italy (as well as my anniversary of falling in love with Italy), and we hadn’t yet had the chance to really experience and enjoy the small town we live in. Most of our time thus far has been spent walking the main town of Sorrento.

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