Study Abroad

Blln

sup bros, i've been spending all month trying to nail down my plans for study abroad next semester (fall sem junior year) stressing and googling and wikitraveling my way around the internet trying to find the best possible place/program/time/etc. i know smogon has a bunch of college-aged/soontobe college-aged/post-college-aged users and was wondering if anybody had any good stories/experiences/tips/life lessons/pictures from spending a semester abroad, or if anybody was going through the process of deciding whether/where to study abroad?

as for me, i'm pretty sure i'm going to stockholm in fall through a special program at my university but nothing is set in stone - don't speak any swedish and don't love the cold but everything i've heard about the program and city look pretty great so far! it's prtttttty picturesque at least:

stockholm-old-town.jpg


ps: do european college students do semesters abroad??
 
yes they do, a friend of mine spent a semester in spain and my cousin has been in slovenia for about 2 years. i've thought about this as well. i'd enjoy trying out belgium
 
This is the one I personally did a few years back:

http://www.semesteratsea.org/

Little bit pricier than when I did it, but here it is in a nutshell:

You're on a cruise for several months (depending on which one you choose) taking fully accredited classes through the University of Virginia while at sea, and visiting many different countries abroad and literally around the world. To me, that beats the pants off any "traditional" study abroad, and as cliche as it sounds, it is literally a life changing experience. I enjoyed every second of it, with my only regret being that I didn't have any more time, it is that much fun. Feel free to PM me if you have any further questions about it as I'd probably start ranting on about how great it is lol. But yeah, you get students from around the country and world attending it, it is co-ed (in fact, the number of girls will outnumber the boys on any given voyage, just saying), and again, why settle for one country when you can visit many and get a worldwide perspective?
 
We get a bunch of European exchange students at my law school (University of Sydney) - a couple of Russian/Slavics, a few French and German too. Lots of Asian and Canadian internationals too.

Most, if not all, are done through formal exchange programs by their respective universities through a sister arrangement with ours.

I was too cheap and wanted to do too many electives, so I didn't go overseas for class myself.
 
i'm planning on going to paris next spring (or fall). i didn't put my race my application so hopefully everything goes well.
 
Lots and lots of foreign students come to Trondheim to study too. The student community is really great, the university is quite good, and if you don't mind the dark season (and equally bright season in the summer), perpetually crappy weather and a little cold, the city is quite great too.
 
i'm moving from shanghai to australia all on my lonesome what are some things to keep in mind if i want to survive and not live a fuck this gay earth life

please advise
 
I go to university of wollongong in Australia and we're pretty good with international students. There's a week long festival every year for the international students. I dunno too much about it but I did make friends with a Canadian third year that came ovewr for a semester. She had the time of her life year and loved it.

Also Earthworm goes to UOW too. Not trying to sell it or anything.
 
We also have international students here at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada all the time. We always had one or two international students in my communications media production courses and they always seemed to take something away from them. Beautiful city too =)
 
Poppy said:
i'm moving from shanghai to australia all on my lonesome what are some things to keep in mind if i want to survive and not live a fuck this gay earth life

please advise
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From what I've heard about Australia:

- Don't leave paved area. Ever.
- Don't turn your back towards any piece of foliage (if there isn't some nasty bug/bird/mammal/abomination in it wanting to ambush and kill you, the bush itself will).
- Stay out of water. Beware, the water itself sometimes comes hunting for you.
- Check any object twice before you touch it. Australian spiders can hide absolutely everywhere.
- Never walk more than twenty steps away from a bag of antidotes.
- The rabbits may look cute, but are disease-ridden. If you see one, hold your breath.
- Never insult the locals. They survive on this hostile continent, so they must be pretty tough guys.

Read up on Cracked.com for more information. That's where I got all I know about the place.
 
If you ever get a chance to study abroad, DO IT. GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO DO IT, AND MAKE IT A LIFE EXPERIENCE. There's nothing that even compares to seeing another country and taking everything in. The fact that you'll get school credit for it is a great added bonus. I wish I could have gone to Sweden =[

Cobraroll said:
Read up on Cracked.com for more information. That's where I got all I know about the place.
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:evan::evan::evan:
 
Dude our Spiders have health bars. Our snakes have fangs so long they need sheaths. Drop bears are fucking everywhere. BUT, It's all worth it because we are the sexiest bunch of people you will ever meet and we have the sexiest accents in the world.

You come to Australia for a semester as a boy, you will leave as a man.
 
I'm Australian, and I really want to study my postgrad (a second degree) at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver! How affordable is living in Canada for a foreigner like me, what's the club scene like, girls/music/arts/things to do etc? Also will I get converted to a Canucks fan by rabid locals?
 
Stallion said:
I'm Australian, and I really want to study my postgrad (a second degree) at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver! How affordable is living in Canada for a foreigner like me, what's the club scene like, girls/music/arts/things to do etc? Also will I get converted to a Canucks fan by rabid locals?
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Oh hey I go to UBC.

Vancouver is expensive. Probably one of the most expensive places in Canada to live in, especially near the downtown core.

Club scene is pretty big. I'm not into it myself, but a few of my friends are, and they always have a good time.

For girls, I hope you like asian.

For music, there's pretty much a music scene for most genres if you know where to look/put effort into looking.

Vancouver is a great city to visit and live in. We have a huge multicultural scene, and there's always something interesting to do. Plus, there's ski resorts just outside the city like Whistler or Grouse. I would recommend coming to Vancouver if you do have the money.
 
I did my study abroad in Japan for a full year. Overall, it was a pretty phenomenal experience, so I have to echo jrrrrrrr's sentiments.

For the language, make an effort, certainly. But I generally get the impression that enough people in european countries speak enough english that you'll be able to survive until you pick up what you need to know. That said, if you don't make any significant effort to learn the language then you just look retarded.

The program I did was just something through my university, so I can't really recommend anything on that front. :/
 
Brammi said:
Dude our Spiders have health bars. Our snakes have fangs so long they need sheaths. Drop bears are fucking everywhere. BUT, It's all worth it because we are the sexiest bunch of people you will ever meet and we have the sexiest accents in the world.

You come to Australia for a semester as a boy, you will leave as a man.
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Apparently, statistically, our girls are also laid back and sexually independent, so, you know, good club scene. I'm told. I don't go clubbing.
 
I'd say, if you have the chance, make sure you go out there and take it. Just make sure you're ready for any financial outlay it may cost, as I know international students don't get it easy, I live with one.

There are some doing my course (I'm in the UK) and they say it's one of the best decisions they've ever made, as they get to rapidly expand their skill set with new ways of learning. Also, as a city, I don't think I could recommend Stockholm enough, its absolutely lovely to say the least.
 
I did summer at London School of Economics,

A semester at Sophia University (Tokyo)

Months on and off, studying Japanese in Okazaki

In a year I'll be spending a year study/internship in Beijing

Study abroad is awesome :DD
 
I'm a black american who came from California...
But 10 years ago, I decided to take college (BS Math) in the Philippines. Became a basketball varsity (won 2 MVPs in a premiere college league) and finished the degree after 5 years. I have lot of invites for pro basketball but decided to finish my masters instead.

anyway, my experience studying abroad completely changed my whole life. I actually just became a Filipino officially and I have my own family here. But I go to my homestate every now and then. my advise is don't hesitate, take it as a journey but don't forget about your goal.
 
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