When I was a senior in high school, my French class teacher had a brilliant idea for us to participate in an international penpal exchange. All we had to do was sign up and a company did all the rest. As soon as I found out my penpal was an Irish guy from Northern Ireland, I…
Cell Phones Abroad
In today’s modern world the use of a cell phone is essential, especially when traveling abroad. It can be difficult to navigate and understand cell phone use and coverage abroad and it is at the very least a safety promotion to always have a working cell phone. Thus, Scott Ozaroski of DePaul University reached out…
Study Abroad or College Abroad?
When I was a Bachelor’s student, I had the opportunity to spend a trimester College abroad at Flensburg University in Germany. I was studying German at the time and thought it would be easy once I was accepted to the exchange program. But several things stood in my way. First, I hadn’t anticipated the cost. I was told…
Unspoken Rules in Study Abroad
“What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say” —Ralph Waldo Emerson Before you go abroad, it is important to know the unspoken rules within the customs and culture. Most of the time, we don’t think twice about what we’re doing, let alone how it might be offensive. If you knew…
Re-entry: Four tips for helping students cope
While adjusting to life abroad may be rough, coming home is often even harder for many students, especially after a life-changing study abroad experience. Here are four strategies that I have used to help students prepare for the difficulties of returning home. 1. Talk about it. This strategy may seem obvious, but is often ignored….
Pre-Departure Orientation: A Faculty Led Essential
Pre-Departure Orientation is arguably one of the most important, yet often overlooked or glazed over aspects of a faculty led abroad program. It is essential not only for the students, but for the benefit of the leaders. It is a time to set the tone for the program, lay out expectations, procedures and for faculty…