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Secure Your Finances While Studying Abroad

With a careful approach to managing your finances, the opportunity to study abroad can be an exciting and memorable experience. Take advantage of finance tools like the Vision prepaid card, online banking and online bill paying services to ensure that your finances are well taken care of while you’re out of the country.

Simplify Payments While Abroad

Think about how much you will spend while you’re abroad. Go to the bank on a weekly basis and withdraw enough cash in the local currency to make purchases. Alternatively, use a Vision prepaid card to eat out and make purchases while abroad with no worry of interest charges or overdraft fees.

Online Tools to Track Your Finances

You can access your important financial accounts from virtually anywhere in the world. Create an online account for all of your bills. Your health insurance bill, student loan accounts and many other bills can be tracked from a distance. Set up an alert on an online calendar as a reminder of important bill due dates. To be really safe, create automatic monthly payments to your creditors from your checking account.

Use Bill Paying Services

If you won’t have time to watch over your finances while studying abroad, use a bill paying service. These types of services will receive your bills, scan them for you, make a payment from your account with your permission and send you electronic copies of all correspondence.

Entrust Your Finances to a Loved One

Alternatively, assign a trusted friend or relative to receive your bills each month and authorize him or her to pay bills on your behalf from your checking account. This option is the most ideal approach if you will be studying in a location with little access to the Internet.

Filed Under: Foreign Exchange Programs, International Credits Tagged With: , ,

Earn International Credit

You’re in college and want to earn some international credit. What is out there, and how do you choose?

  • Often, your own college or university will have a summer program where you can earn international credit. An International Summer Camp was held last year in Bejing, Wuhan, and Kunming, and provided opportunities for University of Hawaii students to learn about culture, language and economics of China.
  • Volunteer. Talk with your local college or university and the opportunities available. Companies like Global Crossroad, help with the organization of all course material and work with the school to give credit to the student.
  • Become an intern. Unpaid opportunities, internships are often tailored to the needs of the student and require a student who is solid in their academic studies.
  • Get involved in a Study Abroad Program. There are many programs offered with many varying alternatives when it comes to price, place and even type. StudyAbroad.com is a great place to start. Search by location, program type, or country.

Choosing between international options may seem a daunting task at first, but you will know your direction simply by looking at the options currently available to you and asking the right questions. How long is the program? Or what places are open for volunteers internationally?

Earning international credit may seem like a leap of faith to you in the beginning, either that, or you’ll be feeling so excited about the adventure that you are already forgetting what traveling to China is really all about. The good news is that you can take your fear as well as your excitement and put it in to good use. Wherever you decide to earn your credit, know that you will be a part of that unique sort of experience that can never be achieved even when you attempt to read about it between the lines.

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Traveling For A Broader Education

A persons education is defined by their previous experiences. Traveling around the world or even in your own country allows for a broader education. This is the purpose of foreign exchange students and field trips, as it allows the student to connect knowledge with reality.
The best example of traveling for a broader education is foreign language out of country field trips. Many programs are available where after learning a foreign language sufficiently the student can then travel to with their class to a country where that is the native language. American students will typically either travel to Europe or Mexico with their teacher to speak with natives in the country. This is the ultimate lesson for someone who is learning a second language.
Science is another subject for which field trips are used to enhance lessons and education. Students will often have the opportunity to go on field trips to a farm, waste water treatment plant or nature center. These field trips will often go along directly with a lesson that is being learned in school and presents the real world applications of the lesson.
Field trips are often thought to be more prevalent among elementary school children. This is because field trips offer an opportunity for children to get out of the classroom and learn by socializing with their teacher and students. In class learning rarely presents an opportunity for hands on direct learning that a field trip can offer, which is why children are so frequently presented the option to go on a field trip. These type of field trips are often to a zoo or museum. The field trips also allow kids to learn while having fun, which can make learning that much more easy. They also present the opportunity to have a break from the day to day grind of school learning, which can wear down on a child’s character quickly.

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How to Get By if You Don’t Speak the Local Language

ContentSometimes if you are traveling abroad, you may find yourself visiting an area where you do not speak the same language as most of the citizens. How can you get by if this happens to you? There are a few different options that may help you to best communicate with those you meet under these circumstances.

First, electronic translators have come way down in price over the last few years. These are tools where you can simply type in what you wish to say in your native language and it will quickly translate for you so that you can somewhat speak to those you meet. The downfall to this method is that it is very hard to do the reverse, because you may not understand common spellings or patterns in speech of the local language. This can also be a tough method to follow if you are visiting a country that does not use the same alphabet as the one you are used to. A similar solution would be to purchase a translation book, this gives you pretty much the same assistance, but moves a bit slower.

Next, you could consider hiring an interpreter. This is probably the overall best solution; however It can be very expensive. If you have an interpreter you would be able to communicate with everyone you met. Depending on the location you visit, it may be hard to find someone willing to take on this work. Check with local colleges and universities for your best chance at an affordable interpreter.

Finally, if you have a basic understanding of the language you may be able to get by without any special tools or assistance. Rudimentary sign language, pointing and simple words can go a long way in communication with people who speak any language on earth.

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Why Are Student Exchange Programs So Popular?

ContentYou may wonder, what are the reasons that someone would choose to join a student exchange program and spend such a long time visiting a foreign country? There are more answers to that question than can be listed in a simple blog post, but I will attempt to list some of the most common reasons. You may find that some of these ideas resonate with you, and you may consider joining such a program yourself one day.

First, people who join these programs generally have a passion for travel. They want to experience more about the culture and lifestyle of a foreign land than they can get during a simple family trip. There is always more to a place than the areas that tourists generally visit. Thank about your own town. Would someone visiting for only three or four days get the full impact of what life is like there?

Secondly, many people are able to gain credits for school by participating in these programs. Sometimes there may be classes offered or schooling offered in areas that a student can’t get in their home country. Additionally, it can be a great way to get practice with foreign languages. There is no better way to become fluent in another language than by using it on a day to day basis.

Finally, probably the most common reason for joining one of these programs is that some people simply have a strong sense of adventure and a desire to make new friends. Joining a foreign exchange program is often one of the highlights of a student’s school life. They can meet lifelong friends, engage in adventures that will never be duplicated and all the while they are learning about themselves and where they fit in the world. The experiences a student gets from an exchange program are priceless.

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Some Ways to Cut the Cost of Studying Abroad

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ContentHave you heard about people taking a semester or year and studying abroad? You may think that this is only something that happens in the movies, or maybe it is only something that extremely rich people can do. This is far from the truth. There are many different ways that an interested individual can spend time studying abroad. Yes, they could pay for the trip fully out of pocket and likely have excellent experiences this way. However, there are many programs available that enable those who are on a budget to experience life in another country.

First, if a person is already enrolled in college, there may be programs offered through the college that would enable them to go abroad and work on their education. These programs may be student exchange programs, which will greatly reduce the cost of living abroad. In many of these programs the student would live in the home of a student from their host country. Later on, the student’s family will then host a student in return. This saves money because the student living abroad does not have to pay for lodging or meals while they are traveling.

Another popular option for students that are hoping to travel abroad is taking a job as a nanny or au pair. The student will be given food, lodging and usually a small stipend of spending money in exchange for caring for a family’s children for a predetermined amount of time. A major downfall to this idea is that it can be hard for the nanny to find time to take care of all of the school work they are hoping to complete, tend to their duties as a caregiver, and spend any time experiencing the culture of their host country. This needs to be considered fully before taking a position such as this.

Filed Under: International Credits, Traveling Abroad Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Hosting a Foreign Exchange Student

ContentAlthough being able to travel abroad yourself is exciting, there are other ways that you can experience other cultures without ever leaving your country. A great way to open yourself and your family to this experience, as well as help with the education of a student is by being a host family for an exchange student.

There are programs where you can sign your family up to host a student from another country. These programs vary, but most will allow you to specify what age student you would like to host as well as if you would like to host a male or female. This will allow you to make sure you are hosting a student that will best fit in with your family dynamic.

There are certainly things you need to consider before signing up for such a program. You will need to have plenty of room in your home for the exchange student. They will likely prefer to have their own room. It is difficult enough to feel at home in a new country without having to share a room with a stranger. Another consideration is cost. Although the student will pay for their own travel expenses and have some spending money, they will need to be fed, and unexpected events may come up that you will be responsible for paying for.

Hosting a foreign exchange student will create lifelong memories for your family and the student you host. You will learn all about the culture of a foreign country, and you will be able to share your culture with a student who has traveled from a far away land. Your children will have the experience of a lifetime and make a friend for life. Considering all the pros and cons, you may find that this is a program that will be a good fit for you and your family.

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Choosing a Destination for Travel – Can you Communicate Well?

ContentMany people would like to experience another culture and travel internationally, but they are unsure where they should go. Your obvious choices would include countries in which you can speak the language. There are many countries where the people can speak multiple languages. For instance, you are from France and speak French, you may be more comfortable traveling to Canada than to China because French is a very commonly language in Canada.

If you are hoping to gain college credit while traveling you will want to make sure that classes will be offered in a language you can comfortably learn. It can be extra hard to learn a new subject, in an unfamiliar environment without adding the pressure of not being able to fully understand your teacher and fellow students.
If you want to travel to a country that speaks a language that is not native to you, you will want to spend significant time and effort in learning their language before visiting. It isn’t always necessary to know every grammatical rule so much as learning how to speak basic conversational phrases and understand what people may be saying to you. You may also want to study words having to do with food, especially if you have allergies or religious food restrictions.

Another option is visiting a country that may not speak your language natively but that a great majority of the residents can speak conversationally. In many Asian countries, English is learned in school so most of the residents can at least carry on a conversation with someone who speaks English well.

Communication is very important, and will make the difference between an enjoyable trip and one where you constantly feel stressed out. Don’t let your desire to travel make you choose a destination where you will spend the entire time being uncomfortable and not having your basic needs met because of communication barriers.

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Keeping Up With Your Studies While Traveling Abroad

ContentIf you are spending a semester abroad attending college, you will likely find yourself working extra hard to keep up with your coursework while still enjoying the benefits of living in a foreign country. You will need to develop some extra study skills to get your work taken care of and still enjoy your trip.

One thing to keep in mind is that you will likely have a long plane ride on your way to your host country and your way back home. This is a great time to get some of your work taken care of. If you have any reading that must be done this would be an especially great thing to work on because it is not as difficult as trying to work on a report or research using a computer.

When you are living abroad you may find that your host family’s schedule is a bit different that what you are used to at home. If you find that this is the case, this is a great opportunity to find time to get some work done. If you are an early riser and your host family doesn’t eat breakfast until 9, you will likely have a couple of hours each morning to work on homework and keep up with your classes.

A final thing to keep in mind is that your teachers are likely very supportive of your decision to travel abroad. Stay in touch with them so that you can keep up with any new projects your class is tackling. If your classes have an online forum or message board, check in often. You will likely find your classmates discussing any work that you may be having problems with. Keeping up with your school work doesn’t have to keep you from enjoying your time traveling abroad.

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Traveling To Learn

Learning is something that is sweetly complemented with travel. Traveling brings about new experiences and lessons that will stick with someone for life. It reveals new cultures, ways of life and methods of learning that a standard textbook could never give. Getting involved in learning abroad is a great strategy to enhance a students learning.
Foreign exchange programs operate by allowing a student to live and learn in another country for a specified amount of time. A trip of this magnitude requires a lot of preparation. The student must be mature enough to be separated from their parents and live in a completely different family. They must also know the foreign language of the country they wish to travel to very well. This means they must be able to speak, write and read the language well enough to learn in a foreign teaching environment.
Foreign exchange programs are also considered to expose a student to a higher quality education. When comparing various countries to each other its easy to see that some countries rank higher in education than others. For students wishing to learn a certain subject such as math at a higher level foreign exchange programs are optimal. Coming from a country with a lower standard of learning upon returning to their home country succeeding in college and the working world will be much simpler.
Earning credits internationally is also a great way to impress college admissions when aiming to get into a prestigious school. Colleges of high rank are looking for students that can handle the rigor of a challenging education. When a student participates in a foreign exchange program successfully it shows that they can adapt quickly to change. This is extremely desirable when making the academic step to college. A foreign exchange student also has a higher chance of receiving respectable scores on standardized tests.

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