Studying broad is an unforgettable experience. From great foods and impressive traditions, to stunning stories and interesting people, you will always recollect this adventure. You might be wondering in what way can studying abroad truly affect you, and how can it change your perspective of the world.
For starters, studying abroad means immersing into a new culture. It means accumulating memorable, life-changing experience. You will meet new people whose opinions differ, you will debate interesting topics while having a beer with your international friends. You might even learn the country’s language, and develop amazing communication skills. Your perspective of the world is going to change because your universe is going to expand.
Best Resources to Consult Before Studying Abroad
Of course, studying abroad is not all sunshine and rainbows. You might need some advice on what to avoid or to respect, depending on the country you are visiting. Some cultures are more orientated toward religion, while others have dynamic racial conflicts. You must be prepared before you go in order to stay out of trouble. Take a look at the best resources you could use in order to know what to expect.
1) Abroad 101
As the name clearly defines it, Abroad 101 is a great resource to use when you study abroad for the first time. The website has great reviews written by people who’ve gone through similar experiences. You can also find great comments on study abroad programs, and tips on what places to choose. If you wish to study in a specific country, you can narrow down reviews until you get to your desired choice.
2) The Abroad Guide
This website is dedicated for people who have zero experience traveling. For example, they taught me how to pack lightly when going on an adventure – they gave me basic tips that I was not aware of before. The Abroad Guide can also help you find scholarships and grants. They have great money saving advice! It is a great resource to use when you know nothing about traveling and studying abroad.
3) Go Overseas
Besides studying abroad, Go Overseas offers teaching abroad programs, and language school opportunities. In addition to that, they also have great tips on high-school abroad, and amazing internship offers. Check this website out if you want to want to accomplish something extraordinary this year!
4) College Tourist
College Tourist is a student travel bloggers’ website. It introduces different topics such as cultural shock and how do deal with it, how to spend Thanksgiving in the United States, or how to make friends easily. This advice is truly going to benefit you if you prepare to study abroad. Although it might seem an easy peasy lemon squeezy experience, traveling to another country and experimenting a new culture can be challenging, and sometimes even tiring.
Lauren Phelan, manager at Essaygeeks says, “The major factor that affects us when traveling abroad is the cultural shock. Wherever you travel, people act differently, and there is no point in changing your values in order to fit in. Make sure you respect their traditions and accept their habits, but never change who you are in order to feel included. Believe me, cultural shock can change people and make them forget their values. But is that really what you want? Analyze yourself constantly and do not let yourself influenced!”
5) Girl in Florence
This blogish website is mostly popular among people who travel to Florence, Italy, but it can be an amazing tool for anybody. There are multiple interviews you can read on Girl in Florence – the interviewees will discuss interesting topics and will give amazing tips on how to study abroad. The woman who owns the website is American, so she is really easy to follow and simple to understand. She gives out great personal suggestions and advice on how to travel efficiently.
Wrapping Up
The above list is going to help you with your travels. Yes, getting out of your comfort zone can be quite scary, and yes, there are a lot of risks that come with this decision, but hey! If you are brave enough to do this, you are brave enough to conquer the world. Two basic rules, wherever you travel: know the politics and dominant religion of the country. With these two at hand and all the above knowledge, you will be just fine traveling abroad. Good luck, my friend!
Chris Richardson is a journalist, editor, and a blogger. He loves to write, learn new things, and meet new outgoing people. Chris is also fond of traveling, sports, and playing the guitar. Follow him on Facebook and Google+.
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