Enhancing your Study Abroad Experience After you’ve Returned

By: Michelle Campbell

As all study abroad alumni know, the thirst for adventure and new experiences continues to thrive long after the return flight to the U.S. has ended.  No matter where you call home, there are always opportunities to participate in activities to quench that thirst and enhance your study abroad experience. Whether you enjoyed meeting new people, going to cultural events, or dinning on delicious foreign food while abroad, there is always something you can find in the States to expand your global perspective even further.

Participate in Academic Programs with an International Component

If you are an enrolled student at a college or university, there may be one or two academic  
programs your study abroad experience can apply toward. At Florida State, there are two programs that include an ‘international experience’ portion: The Garnet and Gold Scholars Society and Global Pathways. Whether you studied, interned, or volunteered abroad, you’re experience can count as one of the components for each of these programs as a Florida State student. If you are interested in similar opportunities at your school, speak to your advisor to see what is available.

Participate in Cultural Exchange Organizations

This is another option for those still in school. Due to the high amount of students that come to the U.S. to study abroad, there are some universities and colleges that have established organizations to encourage foreign and American students to interact with one another. InternatioNole at Florida State is one of them. InternatioNole encourages students to “learn from, interact with, and have fun with one another through cultural, social, educational, and services activities on and off campus.” Don’t have an organization like this at your school? Consider starting one yourself! It’s a great way to get to know students from all over the world and participate in various cultural activities.

 

Become an English Tutor or Conversation Partner

Foreigners that move to the States without knowing much English or wish to brush up on their language skills seek out programs to learn or practice English with native speakers. Many of these programs look for volunteers to be tutors and conversation partners. You don’t have to be an English language guru in order to participate. Trainings are usually held to prepare tutors or conversation partners for what they will be doing. By volunteering for one of these programs, you’re able to assist individuals with a useful skill while establishing a new relationship with someone of a different culture and background. If you are a Florida State student or Tallahassee resident interested in one of these programs, Florida State’s Center for Intensive English Studies has a great conversation partner program and the Leroy Collins Library has an English tutor program (contact the library for more information).

Get your TEFL Certification
Interested in going back abroad? Consider checking off more places on your bucket list while gaining professional work experience abroad with a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification. With a TEFL certification, you can teach English in almost any country. There are different levels of the TEFL certification available, so do your research regarding what is required or recommended for the country in which you wish to teach. During your certification process, some programs provide hands on experience with teaching individuals whose primary language is not English. Students at Florida State can enroll in a TEFL program through The Center for Intensive English Studies.

The Two Best Methods of Learning Spanish Without Getting Bored

By Devyn Fussman
After getting accepted into the Valencia program, I realized I needed to learn Spanish quick, and three hours a week in class wasn’t going to be enough. After hunting around the Internet for ways to practice that wouldn’t feel like extra homework, I discovered two methods that have proven to be invaluable in helping to fill the practice void between Spanish classes.

The first was to watch the Spanish version of Disney movies. It’s easy if you have a Netflix account; just play a movie and switch the language to Spanish with English subtitles. There’s an impressive selection, ranging from animated classics to live action to Muppets and Mickey Mouse. The vocabulary is simple enough that it’s not too overwhelming for a beginner, and since most of us have seen Disney classics often enough to quote them verbatim, following the Spanish dialogue is fairly easy. In my experience, this was the best way to get used to hearing Spanish spoken by native speakers, rather than by an automated voice on a computer.   

The other, even better method I discovered for learning Spanish is Duolingo. Duolingo is an amazing language-learning app that you can download on any device for free. It provides lessons that include exercises in speaking, listening*, and translating both ways. You get four lives per lesson, and if you make it through without losing all of them, you can unlock more lessons. If you don’t lose any lives, you earn a “lingot,” which is Duolingo’s currency. Lingots can be used to purchase lessons that are more fun, like idioms or Spanish pick-up lines. Of course, the app doesn’t replace conversing with native speakers, but for me it did something no other method had done before: it made learning Spanish fun. It brought out my competitive side, and for the first time in years of learning Spanish, I didn’t want to stop.

The advantage to practicing on Duolingo instead of Centro is that, put simply, Duolingo is smarter. It doesn’t count off for typos or misplaced accents, though it will correct you and make a note of where the accent is supposed to go. It will also recognize what you’re trying to say even if you might be slightly off. For example, it asked me what the Spanish word for “road” was, and I put the Spanish word for “street.” Centro would mark that wrong because it only recognizes the answer that it’s been programmed to think is right. Duolingo allows for more wiggle room; as long as you’re in the general ballpark, it will allow you to continue without losing a life.

*Note that the speaking and listening exercises can be turned off if you don’t have audio capabilities.

Packing for a Spring Semester Abroad in Europe

By Femke Lang

What to wear, what to wear... that is the crucial question that all students struggle with when it comes time to pack for a semester abroad. Don't fret quite yet; I am here to deliver some sound advice to help ease your packing stress.




Pack Light
First things first, whether you're a fashionista and your outfit will determine the quality of your pictures, or you're the kind of person that believes a shirt is a shirt and you could care less, the rule applies to all: pack light, pack light, pack light. I cannot stress that enough!

Dress for the Climate
The main goal when it comes to getting the most bang for your buck is to bring clothes you can layer (and unlayer) to cater to the changing climates. When you first arrive at your destination you’re going to be in the midst of that country’s winter. Whether you will be in sunny Spain near the beach or in chilly England, don't discredit the time of year you will arrive and the potentially colder climates you may end up visiting. You have to pack for the changing of seasons. During the colder months, layer clothes to keep you warm. The cold days tent to outnumber the warm ones so you will still need to dress warm when the sun isn't out. As your study abroad experience comes to an end (unfortunately, it does not last forever) you will be able to head to the beach and dress a bit lighter. Just layer up and you will be able to conquer whatever weather is thrown at you!  

Keep it Simple
Another important thing to remember is to pack as many plain and solid pieces as you can. I am the first to pick out a fun and upbeat patterned shirt, but I promise, something plain will go a long way. Cheap flight companies are VERY strict and only allow one TINY bag. They will try to nickel and dime you if you go even the slightest bit over the allowance, so you want to avoid this at all costs. There will also be days (hopefully not weeks) that you will have to wear the same pants, shirts, outfits in a row. Fortunately, no one will be able to notice if you wear the same solid prints day in and day out (they may start to smell you though).  To be the most cost effective travelers, you will want to stick with the bare basics and pack the minimal amount. After all, the places you will be visiting are much cooler than any patterned Tee, so you won't even care!

Leave Valuables at Home
One last key note, make sure to leave all your nice and treasured pieces at home. A word of advice to you girls, I picked up some cheap clothes at my local Forever21 and packed items that I would not mind ripping, smelling, or having to leave behind if they didn't fit. Not only will it leave more room in your suitcase to bring things back home (wink, wink), but you will never have to worry about things getting damaged or dirtied. In general, you should leave anything valuable at home to lessen your anxiety of loss, damage, or theft from pick-pocketers. You really will adapt and be okay without these items and there are plenty of cheap and affordable places to buy any necessary clothing or other items that you may need!

Taken from SodaHead.com

I found this great website, here, to help give you some guidelines to follow and give you an idea on what to bring and not to bring to some countries you may visit!
MOST OF ALL, ENJOY AND CHERISH YOUR TIME ABROAD; IT GOES BY FASTER THAN YOU CAN BLINK!

** P.S. If you find that you have some extra room in your suitcase, feel free to pack me!**

'We Are Happy' in Valencia

Check out this awesome video from the Valencia Spring 2014 group!
 

 

Click here to see the video on Youtube