Just about every college freshman dreams about a semester abroad, most catalogs and university web sites show various options. Surveys of high school seniors show that most expect to study abroad during their college years, but for many students, going abroad is just not possible or practical. Students get immersed in their studies, their extra-curricular activities, efforts to build start their career building, and let’s not forget their social circles. Then there are some students who for a variety of reasons can’t leave the country. They may be foreign students who worry about re-entry or they may have other reasons not to stray too far from home.

For those students who just can’t go abroad, there’s still hope, it is an option commonly called “Study Away.”

Study away is growing in popularity and have none of those hurdles in getting a foreign visa or being overseas at the wrong time. You can study in some pretty cosmopolitan international cities like New York or Washington, DC.   While there’s no visa required to study in New York, wander some of the neighborhoods and you might think you are in China, Israel, Russia or Philippines. Want to teach English, help foreigners transition to US culture, these big cities with large immigrant populations may have some of the same intrigue as ones overseas.

And then there are the cultural aspects of these international hubs. If you are an art student, how could you NOT want to spend a semester in New York for example? New York City is a mecca for art lovers, and with over 100 museums, many of them world-famous. Even if you lived in NYC and visited two museums per week, it would still take you about a year to fully experience the city’s art scene. So what’s a student who has boundless passion for art but limited time in the city to do?

Enroll in a Semester Away program in New York City!;
Below is a list of four NYC destinations that will provide art lovers and art students a representative sampling of what the city has to offer:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Image via Flickr by Monica Arellano-Ongpin

You can’t discuss art in NYC without giving The Metropolitan Museum of Art its due. The largest museum in the United States and one of the 10 largest in the world, The Met houses a permanent collection of more than 2 million works. In addition to its myriad artworks and artifacts, the museum offers classes, lectures, concerts, and workshops.

The Met marks the beginning of the city’s Museum Mile, which is a mile-long portion of Fifth Avenue featuring nine museums. On sites like Gogobot, you can find hotels near the Mile so you can devote as much time as possible to touring its venerated institutions.

The Guggenheim

Hosting over one million visitors annually, The Guggenheim is home to an expansive permanent collection of contemporary, early modern, Impressionist, and Post-Impressionist work. Its unique cylindrical building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is considered an architectural landmark. The Guggenheim is different from most other institutions because it does not compartmentalize its collection by era or medium. Rather, it presents the works as an integrated whole.

FIGMENT NYC

FIGMENT NYC is the result of the efforts of thousands of artistically inclined renegades to catapult art out of the climate-controlled, rarefied air of galleries and into hands of the people. FIGMENT is a free, completely volunteer-powered participatory art event that takes place on Governor’s Island during the summer. This summer, visitors can play mini-golf on a course designed by artists, interact with sculptures, and play in a tree house designed for all ages.

The Cloisters

A branch of The Met, The Cloisters museum and gardens feature medieval European art and architecture. Located in Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan, The Cloisters is a peaceful way to experience old Europe without enduring a transatlantic flight. The building itself was built from various pieces of European abbeys that were disassembled and sent to New York City in 1934. The art, which comes mostly from the 12th to 15th centuries, features notable works like the Cloister Cross and several Flemish tapestries.

If you visit the Central Park Met, you’ll receive a free one-week pass to The Cloisters. Likewise, admission to The Cloisters also grants you same-day access to The Met’s main campus.

It’s hard to do New York City’s art scene justice in one trip, but these four destinations are a great start. From artsy mini-golf to medieval tapestries to seven-ton Egyptian sphinxes, you’ll get a delightful taste of NYC’s best art.

Excited for more, to explore a global directory of study abroad programs in art, we encourage you used the advance search option at Abroad101.

Guest Posting from Victoria Moretti, a professional writer from the UK who contributes to Abroad101 from time to time. Victoria loves to write about businesses and macro economic affairs that move the needle. Her other loves include travel, long walks and flat whites.

For many people going off to a university, it is the first time they will be leaving home for a sustained period of time. The prospect of being in a new environment, combined with being at a new stage in life, and a new level of education, can be scary and exhilarating. If going to college in a different city in the US isn’t exciting enough, where better to spend a semester (or even your entire course) than at a university in the UK. A recent report on Ranstad Education tells us that there are now 500,000 university places in the UK, which is 30,000 more than were available last year. In other words, if you want to have the bragging rights to studying in a UK university city like London, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh or St. Andrews, there has never been a better time to make the move.

This isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. Life at college in the UK is a big change. Adapting to life in London or Manchester, for example, is an order of magnitude above life on an American campus. Here are some tips on what you need to know about university life in the UK in order to succeed.

Debts and Student Loans

Most students going to university on both sides of the pond usually end up with lots of student debt. Unless you have parents with deep pockets, you’ll be one of them too. Tuition fees in the UK have risen dramatically in the past years, from £3,000 to £6,000 a year, and in some cases, to the full £9,000 – the maximum the state currently allows. This, combined with one’s living expenses, adds up to a lot of debt.

If you intend on ditching life in the US for a few years studying in the UK, then you can get assistance for this from the government. Do bear in mind that while there have been large scale and extremely vociferous protests at the rise in tuition fees in the UK (the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, nearly lost his job because of it), they can still be substantially lower than they would be in the US. Something worth considering…

It Is a Learning Curve

Going to a university is both exciting and frustrating. If this is your first prolonged stint away from home, it can be a challenge without having your parents around. It is also expected that as you meet other people, you could be self-conscious, doubting your skills and even questioning your academic and social abilities. It can be tough, but you will adjust.

Expect certain commonalities in student life. While fraternities do not exist to the same extent as they do stateside, UK universities are extremely social places. You should be warned, though, that there is a real drinking culture in the UK, more so than the US. It’s worth keeping this in mind. You will be invited out and you will be expected to drink… a lot. If you are by yourself, this can put you in difficult social situations, particularly if you do not want to participate.

It’s All about Balance

If there were one word, which would describe a solid and sustainable approach to student life, it would be balance. You will have to learn how to balance your academic activities with social interactions. Everyone has a slightly different perspective on how to strike the best balance, but most would agree that too much of anything can be destructive. See the above.

One piece of advice would be to seek out and participate in activities you enjoy. There is no shortage of things to get involved in whether you are into sports, travel, politics, etc. Most student unions will run an information office where you can find out more.

You Will Make New Friends

It’s perhaps one of the biggest draws of doing at least part of your courses overseas: making new friends. Most large UK cities are extremely cosmopolitan places. You will be exposed to a wide range of cultures, languages and interests. This is true even outside London, which has become more of a global city in the same ilk as New York.

You won’t be the only American there, which should be reassuring to those who may be more tentative in terms of integrating with foreign cultures. If you do want a slice of home, find a group of American students you can mingle with too.

Remember to Study

It is important to make the most of all aspects of university life; the independence of living away from home, the challenges of your academics, the intense social life, the emotional ups and downs. But remember to study well. Remember the primary reason why you are at university, and remember the sacrifices you have made to have the opportunity to go there.

As a reminder: If you are looking for semester or sort-term programs in the UK, we invite you to search the Abroad101 directory of Study Abroad programs in the UK.

Guest Posting from Victoria Moretti, a professional writer from the UK. Victoria loves to write about businesses and macro economic affairs that move the needle. Her other loves include travel, long walks and flat whites.