Tag Archives: Study Abroad

Pamplona, Segovia and San Sebastian: Weekends Done Right

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Photo: jimcintosh

Submitted by Kristen Schlotman, Global Ambassador in Madrid, Spain.

Jumping in Segovia.

I can’t believe I only have one more week in Madrid! This experience has been such a whirlwind. Never in my life have I done so much in less than a month. One of the best parts of studying abroad is traveling on weekends. The first weekend all of us in USAC were in Spain for the Running of the Bulls. Without a second’s hesitation we bought tickets and headed to Pamplona. Most of the other students in the program also bought tickets. We knew right away this was going to be a great weekend to bond and to get to know each other.

Pamplona was probably one of the crazier weekends of my life. The bus departed from Madrid at 2 PM on Saturday and by 8 PM, we were ready to experience one of the biggest celebrations in Spain. Dressed in the traditional red and white, we walked around the city taking everything in. By 1 AM, we were bar hopping, drinking calimocho (red wine and Coca Cola), and meeting people from all over the world. Sleeping was not an option. The city was too vibrant and exhilarating to sit it out. At 6 AM we lined up to watch the running. This was somewhat anticlimactic, but the night itself was one of a kind.

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Looking on the Bright Side in the Emerald Isle

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Cliffs of Mohr

 

Submitted by Brendan Bond, Global Ambassador in Galway, Ireland

Within a few days of arriving in Ireland, I learned something very important about this country. I was told, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.” Moral of the story is that the weather here is fickle, always changing and never making up its mind on whether it wants to be sunny, cloudy, windy, dreary, warm, cold, misty, rainy or downpouring.

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Breaking the Rules: Learn to ‘Flex for Culture’ in Turkey

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Photo: AntoniO BonvinO

Submitted by Rachel Whitcomb, Global Ambassador in Istanbul, Turkey.

 

Oh that’s right…I’m STUDYING abroad…

Sometimes you get so caught up in the traveling aspect of being abroad that you lose sight of what sent you here in the first place.  But of course, I’m attending class and doing homework, I would never forget!

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Love the 2012 Olympics? Take part in the Abroad101 Global Gold Challenge!

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Photo: GreenTea95

 

With the 2012 Olympics in London upon us, global competition is on our minds. The guts! The glory! The…awesome course selection and weekend excursions??

YES! Abroad101 is joining the fun with our own Global Gold Challenge, a head-to-head competition of countries competing for study abroad fame.  For an entire week during the Olympics (July 27 – August 3) we’ll be running a poll on our  asking YOU to get on board with whichever nation you think will come out of the Olympics with the most medals overall.

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Getting Out of Town: The Best Ways to Travel Abroad

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Photo: Drozd

 

If there is one thing we know, its that there is certainly a lot to prepare before jetting off to your study abroad destination. Where will I go? What will I study? How will I pay? However, there is perhaps one thing that may be more towards the back of your mind: how will I get around once I’ve arrived? You can’t take that bucket of bolts from high school you’ve got sitting in the driveway and your train card doesn’t really work overseas. Looks like you’ve got some research to do. Let us fill you in…

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The Abroad101 Guide to Summer Events

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fireworks

photo credit:
SJ Photography

Independence Day is upon us and the summer season is in full swing! Whether you’re studying abroad or at home, it’s definitely time to celebrate with food, friends, family and fireworks (the four essential ‘F’s of course).

But wait! What’s a college student to do after the biggest summer holiday ends?

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Staying Fit While Studying Abroad

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Abroad101 is please to have Monica, a study abroad student with College Year in Athens, contribute to our blog.

Gyros, baklava, spaghetti, gelato, pizza… Just some foods amongst many that study abroad students look forward to eating when they get to their destination country. Even the smells of these foods are hard to resist when they’re filling the air as you walk through the neighborhoods. It’s simple to say, “Whatever, I’ll lose the weight when I get home,” but we all know it’s much easier said than done. For people who like to live a healthy lifestyle, studying abroad makes that become a bit of a challenge. But, there are ways to stay in shape while being abroad, so don’t fret. Continue reading →

Culture in Contrast: From America to Taiwan

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When we travel abroad and encounter a different culture, our default reaction is to compare it to the culture we know. Jake is from a small town in Illinois, the following are some of his observations of everyday life in Taiwan:

There is a serious lack of garbage cans in Taiwan. Sometimes I have something I want to throw away, as people often do. In the United States you can find a garbage can just about anywhere, restaurants, classrooms, the library, on the bus, you name it. Here in Taiwan, there is apparently a much lower demand for trash receptacles, because I usually end up with garbage in my pocket.

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Do you have your passport ready? National Passport Day is Sat, March 10th!

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Is your departure date for international travel fast approaching? If you’re procrastinating the application or renewal process for your passport, you’re in luck. This Saturday, March 10th, the U.S. Dept. of State is hosting a National Passport Day! Area post offices and regional passport agencies are opening their doors to the public for this very reason.  Continue reading →

What’s New in Study Abroad?!

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DU to Send Students Abroad for Study Trips

Delhi University in India is preparing to send about 75 students on study tours to Australia, China, Colombo, Dhaka, and Kathmandu in hopes of enhancing the interaction among Indian and foreign students. For now these programs will only be conducted for a few weeks, however in the future they hope to send students for entire semesters. These trips are unique in that instead of taking formal classes during these trips, the students will be learning about the ins and outs of the universities, their courses, and how the establishment functions as a whole. After hearing about amazing and unique study abroad trips such as this one, you have to wonder how much a program of this caliber costs. What if we told you it was FREE, eliminating the financial stress aspect of going abroad? Read more about Delhi University’s study trips here! Continue reading →