Category Archives: Abroad Advice

Guest Blog Spotlight:Friends with Benefits: Sustaining Your Study Abroad Friendships

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Thank you to Tiffany Harrison for providing us with this awesome blog post. Learn more about Tiffany at www.wwjanedo.com

Friends with Benefits: Sustaining Your Study Abroad Friendships

It was a typically cold Scottish night and there were eight of us squeezed together around a table at the pub. It happened to be a disco-themed music night, and the lights of the disco ball reflected off our laughing faces. We’d decided to play a game of “pass on the dance move” where one person would perform a move and then pass it on so that it continually progressed around the table. The waving of our arms and bobbing of our heads lacked any sort of choreography, but we didn’t mind. It was enjoying each other’s company that mattered the most. Continue reading →

Guest Blog Post: Eating My Way from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and Stopping at Every Street Corner

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On any given street corner from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, at any hour of the day or night, diners perch on miniature plastic stools, hunched over steaming bowls of noodle soup. But Vietnamese phở is more than a steaming bowl of noodle soup; it is a national obsession that flirts with full-on addiction. But you can hardly blame the Vietnamese, because—and pardon my language—it’s so f***ing good. Continue reading →

Travel Companions

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While abroad, many students take the opportunity to travel as much as possible- country-hopping in Europe, exploring the countryside, or just going on an adventure in their host city. Regardless of where you’re going or how you’re getting there (train, donkey, motorbike), your travel companions are going to have a huge impact on your experience. With the right friends by your side, even the most miserable of trips can be hilarious and enjoyable. Remember: your closest friends may not always be the best of travel companions. You may adore your BFF from school but if she hates getting dirty and you want to go hiking, it’s probably wise to find a new partner for the camping trip you’re planning. Continue reading →

Sports and Travel

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While Red Sox fans venerate Fenway Park, the same can be said of FC Barcelona fans and Camp Nou. As any college football fan in the SEC will tell you, the rivalries between their schools are inveterate and intense. The same is true in Australia, where 10 out of 16 Aussie-rules football teams vie for AFL supremacy in the Melbourne area alone. And as much as Americans cheered for our Olympians in 2008, we all remember the sheer spectacle the Chinese orchestrated in Beijing. Indeed, sports are just as meaningful a way to understand a foreign culture as they are a means of reflecting on our own. If you are studying abroad or just traveling and want to immerse yourself in the culture around you, be sure to take a look at what sports the natives are following. Here are just a few examples: Continue reading →

To Be or Not To Be (Together) : Long Distance Relationships

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If you have a serious boyfriend or girlfriend and are planning on spending time abroad, you’ll have to face The Question: whether you should stay in the relationship during your trip or take the opportunity to be single and independent. Reasons for ending the relationship  before studying abroad can range from the hedonistic (“I want to meet foreign hotties”) to the healthy (“Spending time without a relationship will help us both grow”). Make a list of pros and cons if you have to: this decision will definitely impact your experience in the coming months. Continue reading →

Ok, we get it, you went abroad!

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Talking to recently-returned study abroad students can be fascinating, but it can also be frustrating. Friends come home bursting with stories- some talking incessantly about all the amazing things they did or bemoaning how much they miss it, or even making vague and earnest plans to return as soon as possible. Sometimes, it may seem like they have left their mind behind in their host country.
For some people, constantly hearing about a fantastic abroad experience can be a source of jealousy or annoyance. Not everyone has a chance to travel and it’s even harder to be stuck at home when you wish you were out exploring like your friends abroad. It’s always important to be respectful to your friends and family when you come home. Of course they want to hear about your adventures and share in your happiness, but don’t forget that everyone else has been living their lives since you were gone too. Continue reading →

Host Families and Gifts From Home!

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While not all study abroad programs include a homestay, the experience of living with a local family can be a great way to immerse yourself in the culture. If you don’t have this opportunity, it’s always interesting to get to know the family of a new friend- a roommate or classmate from the nearby area who would be happy to have you come spend time in their home. You may find new perspective on your host country and make new friends in the process. Continue reading →