Category Archives: Travel
Thinking Global: How To Spend A Year Studying Overseas!
In the past decade or so, the way the world works has changed dramatically. The wide-scale adoption of the internet in most nations has created a truly global marketplace, putting pressure on the way work is structured everywhere, but especially in the developed world. The current young generation cannot follow in the footsteps of their parents, as they will not be living and working in the geographic bubble that their elders did.
The global marketplace will put them in touch regularly with cultures from across the world, and the ones that understand cultural nuances, speak multiple languages, and consider/adopt different philosophies on work and life stand the greatest chance of success in the years ahead. One way to get a leg up if you are currently in college is to seek out and apply for programs that allow you to spend a year studying abroad.
This will plunge you into an environment where your peers will have an entirely different outlook on life, speak a tongue completely foreign to your ears, and where nothing seems to make sense (at first anyway). This will teach you practical skills like different languages, and soft ones like coping and adaptation skills, giving you an edge over those drifting through life back home without ever being challenged.
Besides, it comes with copious amounts of wine/tequila/sake/soju/etc during numerous nights out with new found friends from around the world, so what are you waiting for, young adventurer? If you are all set to throw your textbooks in your backpack and take off for the other side of the pond, here are the steps that will get the ball rolling towards you landing at a foreign university in a wonderfully strange land next semester…
What experience are you seeking?
Do you geek out on all things Asian, like anime, Hong Kong martial arts flicks, and the endless permutations of Thai food? Are you a hopeless romantic, seeking to wrap yourself up in the lavish lifestyle of Italy? Maybe you have a taste for adrenaline, making the extreme activities of New Zealand and the surf breaks of Australia your best move.
The point of all these questions is to get you thinking about your passions and interests. To find your niche in this new world of ours, you need to embrace the person that you are deep down inside with vigor. Accordingly, pick a destination that suits your personality well, or your year overseas will feel like a decade.
Go it alone, or have your current school plan things?
If the idea of going through the onerous steps of applying for a school all over again (in a different country no less, and just forget about all the other logistics) make you curl up in the fetus position, then going through a program offered by your school will likely be your best option. You’ll go to a specific country with professors from your faculty, and all the incidentals like your housing will all be sorted for you.
The downside of this though is that you’ll be seeing the country of your choice in a bubble, as you’ll be taught by familiar faces, and you’ll likely be housed with people from your own country, If you select your own program or apply for a foreign university on your own, you’ll have to go through all the administrative and logistical headaches that goes with expat living, but this way, you’ll have an educational and cultural experience that is much more true to your interests and desires than the former option.
Adjusting to your new home
Once you’ve gotten through the rush of traveling to your new home for an entire year, the adjustment process to an entirely different culture will begin. To avoid awkward situations early on, be sure to read up on cultural practices before departure, and review them regularly. Look up and practice essential phrases, then extend your studying to words related to your area of interest (e.g. if you love playing soccer, learn words frequently spoken during games … if your subject is business, seek out the words in the local language for terms used both internationally and in the local biz community).
Most of all, practice your favorite hobbies and sports in your new place of residence, and look for opportunities to pick up new activities that the locals like. This will engender new friendships, and improve your social skills with respect to people of different backgrounds, which is something that will prove to be an invaluable skill in the rapidly changing world in which we live.
Do you have any other study abroad tips? Share them in the comments!
3 Awesome Places for Spring Break!
While college is a fun place to be most of the time, the pressures of school can mount quite heavily at times. After all, you’re shelling out tonnes of money (often, it’s money you don’t even have) in order to gain a highly valuable piece of paper that will heavily influence the degree of prosperity that you may enjoy later in life. To add insult to injury, much of America in the second semester is often plagued by miserable weather, with snow, ice, and icy winds that just cut right through you.
Don’t you wish you were lying on a toasty beach instead this past winter, where shady palms, cold beers/fruity drinks, and the warmth of an ever-present blanket of tropical heat could have helped to take the pain of your nightmare experience with the polar vortex and midterm exams?
Don’t make the same mistake next year.
It’s July, and while all your fellow students are busy with their summer jobs, partying it up, or just chillaxing in general, now is the time to strike to get in while prices for next Spring Break are relatively low. While you will definitely benefit from getting in while demand for these vacations are still low, there is one question left to be resolved by you: where will you and your buddies be based for your week of fun and debauchery?
If that point has you stuck, let us help you out of your rut by suggesting three awesome places for Spring Break that you will never forget … ever!
1) Miami, Florida
If you started your search by checking out Miami flights for spring break, you’ve definitely picked a destination that will prove to be an unforgettable getaway for your and your mates. The South Beach area boasts one of the liveliest urban beaches in the country, with long stretches of perfect white sand, and endless masses of beautiful people out soaking up the rays.
Once the sun goes down, the nightlife a few blocks back from the beach pulses with activity, but be prepared to bring your wallet, as many places charge cover that costs at least $20, with many of their drinks costing just as much. Still, it will prove to be a classy night out, unlike the dive-bar atmosphere that you’re used to back in your college’s home town.
2) South Padre Island, Texas
If you’re seeking a more down-to-earth, drink until everything goes fuzzy type of experience, then chances are South Padre Island will be more in line with your expectations. The focus here is more on having a blowout good time then who has the fanciest watch. People usually check into a hotel, party until the sun comes up, passing out until they come to, head out to the beach to tan, play in the waves, and then proceed to do it all over again until it’s time to go home.
3) Cancun, Mexico
Sometimes, it takes leaving the country in order to elevate your Spring Break experience to the next level. Moving the venue for your mid-semester blow out to Cancun, Mexico achieves this beautifully, as you will be surrounded by sand so white it will blind you if you forget your shades back at the hotel room, local food that will blow Taco Bell out of the water, and the resident Mexican people gregariousness and love of life will enhance your time here, forever setting the bar for good times to a ridiculously high level!
Know of any other fun places for Spring Break? Share them below in the comments!
