Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with studyabroad

Too much choice!

showbiz_liz — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:19:44 -0800

I want to study abroad. I have absolutely no idea where. Help me narrow it down! I've decided to take a ninth semester of college abroad. It would be during the 2010 fall semester. I've never been out of the country, and everyone I know who has studied abroad says it's the best experience ever. I am super excited about the possibility, but...

Problem is, having never been out of the country, I have no idea where I'd like to go. Or, rather, I'd like to go everywhere. Thailand, New Zealand, Italy, Brazil, who cares! My school offers programs in like 100 countries, so that doesn't help narrow it down.

I don't speak a second language. So I'd like to go somewhere where either: everyone speaks English; enough people speak English that I could get by; and/or I could pick up basic conversational skills in the language in the eight months or so before I go.

I'd like to go somewhere that's somewhat different from America- so, like, probably not Canada- but I would also prefer a place that is socially free enough that I can bare my arms, talk to men, drink, etc in relative safety (I am a white female). So probably not Saudi Arabia either.

I know this question is still pretty broad. I guess I'd just like to hear about either your great study abroad experience in x country, or your opinion as a world traveler on the best place for a newbie to jump in.

Study Abroad Prep

PaulingL — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:59:44 -0800

What do I need to do/know/remember before studying abroad? Monday night I fly to Spain, where I will be living for the next 6-8 months, in Salamanca. I will be studying there at the University of Salamanca.

Details:
For the first semester, I will be living with a host family. They consist of a homemaker (female, age: 60 ) a retiree (male, age: 64) and their son who comes home apparently for "meals" living just outside of town.

For the first month, I will be alone. After that, another student will be joining me, but I will have my own room still.

The second semester I switch to my own room in the "Reisdencia."

Where you come in:
What things to do I need to do beforehand that I may have forgotten?
What should I know about studying abroad/Europe/Spain that I may not?
What must I remember to do now, during, and after my experience?

Any anecdotal advice/comments/suggestions/questions/etc. are extremely appreciated!

I know enough not to say, "Bork bork bork!"

WidgetAlley — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:43:11 -0800

I am going to be studying in Sweden for five months! What do I need to know to make it as beneficial an experience as possible? I am a 21 year-old female third-year student who will be studying sociology and geography at Mid-Sweden University for five months come August, on the Sundsvall campus. Needless to say, I am extremely excited and want to make this as awesome as possible. What do I need to know to survive and have a great time? What is the big thing you wish someone had told you before you went to Sweden? General Sweden-related advice and Sundsvall-specific recommendations are both more than welcome!

MBA Wanted: Help me get to Spain!

OuttaHere — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:22:49 -0800

How do I fulfill my dream of getting my MBA in Spain? (Argentina is on the menu too). My main goal is to get my MBA, and I am currently a United States Citizen, however I have family in Spain. Morning Mefites,

This is my first question. I am young, have about 2 years of good work experience behind my back, but I am starting to go a little crazy. My wanderlust is taking control and my dream of studying abroad again needs to be fulfilled.

I have lots of family in Spain, my Grandparents were born there and have already spoken with family members who are pretty high up in the government who have told me obtaining a visa should be no problem, even a non-student visa, so I consider myself slightly lucky in that regard. I currently am looking at good International Business Schools in Spain where I can get my MBA. There are several top-notch schools in Barcelona and Madrid that I am looking at. The one problem is that I may not have enough work experience to get accepted (I'm at the complete low point). I think that with a killer GMAT score, my work experience, and my experiences studying in Spain and Argentina previously may help as well.

So what I want from you guys are suggestions, tips or ideas. I am currently in a rut at my job, unhappy, doing the same thing over and over and I realize this is part of life, but I really want to move forward and get my international experience going. How can I, a young 20 something get to my MBA in Spain. The main problem I have right now might be funding, I know I will have to get student loans for my MBA program so any suggestions on how to fund a plan like this would be of great help.

Also, does anyone else have experience getting MBA's abroad, especially in Spain?

Another thing I am looking at is potentially saying HECK with my current job (which I think is great experience) and moving down with my friend in Buenos Aires for a year in Argentina, and maybe trying to find work there that would qualify as experience. However I'm not sure if I could get anything more than an under the table teaching job there. Any suggestions?

This is my first Mefi question, you guys are the best, so any help would be great!

Foreign language prep.

Genco_Olive_Oil — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:47:28 -0800

I'm in a humanities field and I will likely need to learn multiple languages. As a Master's student, I'm scheduled to take around 3-4 courses each semester, with much of my second year devoted to research and writing a master's dissertation. My question concerns foreign language prep....when is the optimal time to do that? Do I travel abroad this summer and shore up on what I know? Or do I take care of the problem during my first few semesters? What are the pros and cons of traveling abroad vis a vis taking care of the problem domestically (e.g., either at my school or some other program in the states, unaffiliated with my school)? Another angle I'd appreciate some perspective on: I intend to apply for a PhD program at the conclusion of my master's, how would experience abroad (albeit it will only be for a month) look differently than studying in the states? Does length of stay matter, as well? Thanks in advance. -Genco

University of Salamanca Housing

PaulingL — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:56:48 -0800

Help me choose living accomodations while studying abroad in Spain! Starting at the end of August, I will be studying abroad at the University of Salamanca.

This involves a one month "intensive month" and the Fall Trimester and Winter Trimester.

As of now, I have planned to live with a host family for the first month and the Fall Trimester, and then switch to the Residencia for the Winter Trimester to get the best of both worlds.

What do you think? Any suggestions? Any experiences with anything similar?

Preemptive tongue untying

trouserlouse — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:38:20 -0800

Finding pronunciation-intensive courses abroad for French or German. My dream would be to work with a (French or German) teacher, going over each individual sound in excruciating detail to make it automatic, gradually building this into larger units, as well as intonation and other key patterns. If it takes an hour to nail done the exact vowel sound, then so be it. I don't need grammar or basic vocabulary or other basic 101-level stuff. I do need active correction, however, as opposed to passive listening methods.

I know from bitter experience you have to start right: I've studied languages without doing this, which means excruciating and long unlearning of bad habits and a lot of problems that persist to this day.

Grammar and vocabulary have always come pretty easily to me, and i would be happy to work on this myself with other materials. But while my pronunciation could be worse, I know that without intensive work my accent and diction will not naturally just "get better" over time. Knowing this has really made me self-conscious in speaking foreign languages, and if I could overcome this barrier at the very beginning I think I could progress very quickly in other parts of the language.

I mentioned French and German because of the places it'll be easiest to do this (and my interests), but if there are similar courses in any other languages I would be happy to hear about them as well.

Reference me that recommendation, please.

ElectricBlue — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:43:54 -0800

How should I approach my professors for recommendation/reference letters for a job that doesn't yet exist? I'm trying to wrap my mind around the situation, but I can't quite figure out how to work everything out in a tidy manner. So... Hivemind to the rescue! :)

I'm a current senior in college. I'm spending my last semester abroad. My study abroad lasts from March until August. So while my friends are graduating and "hitting the pavement," I'll have a very late start in hunting for a job.

Alas, I don't know what job I'll go into after college. It'll hopefully be something creative--writing, graphic design, etc.--but that's all I know.

I've been staying on-campus for the past six weeks. But I'll be kicked out of the dorms on Sunday. (Literally: someone's moving in my room that following Monday!)

My problems:

1) I'm leaving campus this Sunday. This week could be the last time I ever see my professors.
2) I'd love some recommendation/reference letters for future jobs from my professors while I'm still fresh in their minds. The problem is, how can they write a letter without knowing what job I want?
2b) Should I ask for them to emphasize my character? Traits that are in both fields of graphic design and writing?
3) There's no way that they can complete a letter in the next few days. I was thinking of giving my professors a SASE addressed to my parents' house so that they can send the rec letters at their leisure. But is that the best idea?
4) Am I overthinking this? ;)

So, to summarize: I think that it would be a great idea to go ahead and get some rec/ref letters from my professors before I leave for a study abroad. That way, when I get back from Europe, I can immediately hunt for a job. But I'm leaving for Europe soon, and I have no idea what job I'll be hunting for.

If you have any advice, that'd be awesome. Thanks in advance!

Alone again or do you have any fiction recommendations?

ecmendenhall — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:19:04 -0800

Stories of life abroad w/r/t aloneness and the inscrutability of culture. Any recommendations? I'm a college junior finishing the first semester of a year abroad. I've been immersed in a foreign language and culture for four months—just enough to feel like I'm no longer a dumb tourist, but also enough to start to realize how hard it is to understand this place and how easy it can be to construct my own bullshit about the things I see around me. I've had an awesome time so far, but there's a definite feeling of aloneness that comes from living in this limbo between transient sightseer and wizened local, along with the more general detachment from friends and family back home that comes with living halfway around the world for a little while.

Surely, some writer out there has felt the same way. Know of any fiction, memoirs, travel writing, essays, criticism, &c. about living abroad, aloneness, and the travails of trying to understand a foreign place?

Thanks!

Help me pick a fun yet handy gift for my good friend.

halogen — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:28:04 -0800

What going-away gift should I give to my 21-year-old friend who will be spending the next seven months in Egypt/Germany? My good friend and former roommate is going to Egypt for a bit over a month to a friend and travel to adjacent countries, followed by six months of EU parliament studies in Freiburg, Germany. I am having lunch with him tomorrow for the last time until he returns next year, and would like to give him a thoughtful and practical going-away/Christmas gift.

He is a political science/economics major (pre-law) who is more knowledgeable about current and past world affairs than anyone else I know, he just turned 21, and this will be his first time traveling beyond this continent. He cares passionately about history, government, atheism, the German language (he would absolutely not allow me to do his homework while we lived together) his iPhone and really, really wants to make sure we keep in touch and don't grow apart while he is gone (we'll be communicating over phone/IM/email when he's gone).

He's already made sure he has all the essentials he will be needing in Egypt and in Germany (seriously, he's thought of everything), and I would rather not inconvenience him with anything bulky.

Catch: I will be driving out a few hours to see him, so I need to be able to acquire the gift, if tangible, before 10 am on Sunday in Houston, Texas. Also, I am poor, so cheap is good (up to $40, but less is better).

Unfortunately, my brain is no longer functioning correctly after a set of grueling exams, and I can't come up with any decent ideas. Please help me, hive mind!

I'm 26 and am very confused about whether or not I should extend my study abroad trip

starpoint — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:43:53 -0800

My mother thinks I should stay home. I'm having an internal conflict about what I want to do. Whenever I tell myself I want to return to Copenhagen, I immediately doubt it and think I should return home. If I say I want to go home, I feel like I will regret not returning to Copenhagen forever. I'm 26 and a graduate student. I have lived in the same town my entire life, going through all of my schooling there (preschool through college) and also I am enrolled in grad school there (at the same university where I did my undergrad). I was living at home while going to school.

My grad program is 2 years long and this is the first half of my second year. I decided to study abroad in Copenhagen for the Fall semester to try something different. I've had a good time here overall, yet I feel like a semester is too short and there were a lot of things I wanted to do but didn't have enough time to do (such as traveling around Denmark and Europe, experiencing more of the Danish culture). It's just taken me 3 months to get used to it and now I only have a month left before it's time to go home.

Therefore I am considering the idea of returning to Copenhagen after the holidays (I'm going home for at least a month for Christmas and New Year's). Both my school in Denmark AND my school at home say it's possible.

I am living off of federal loan money and I will have considerable debt after graduation next December. But I am not taking out any more loans than I would have had I not gone abroad. I feel that I will be in debt no matter what so I may as well make it count for something.

My mother is not happy about me wanting to return to Copenhagen after the holidays. She did say that it's my life and I have to do what I want, plus she told me I didn't have to justify my reasons for wanting to go back. So I thought she was cool with it, even if she was sad.

But then last night she sent me an email asking me to reconsider; that her heart is broken far more than I can imagine. She said that she wishes she could tell me how much I am needed at home, and that she has a strong feeling that I should stay home, that it may be intuition and that she wants our family together again. She said she had a lot of fun things planned for us to do while I was at home in the Spring. Also she said I would save money.

I feel horrible and I have no idea what to do now. I don't know if I should just stay home or if I should go back abroad or what. I feel that a lot of her arguments are emotional (except for the one about saving money) and that it's just hard because I've never lived away from home. Plus she isn't married so I think she has put a lot of her focus on my brother and me. I don't know if it's just empty nest syndrome or if I am being selfish by wanting to experience another country for 5 more months. I will be home for good in June, until I graduate and decide the next step to take in life.

I haven't responded to her email yet and I don't know what to say. I'm doubting whether or not I want to return to Copenhagen. What if her intuition is right?? If I go back abroad and something horrible happens to me?

On the other hand, I am 26 years old and I'm the only one of my friends who still lives at home and has never ventured off. So it's not like I am being completely out of line by wanting to stay a little longer...right? I have a good relationship with my mother and I don't want this to drive a wedge between us. I don't want to hurt her. But I have to make decisions about what is right for me...I just don't know what the right decision to make is. How can I help her cope with this?

Thanks for any suggestions and I know this question was long.

How to buy & send an English book within Chile, but pay from the U.S.?

ElfWord — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:47:32 -0800

How to send an English book to Santiago, Chile, from within Chile, but paid for from the U.S.? I have a friend who's studying abroad in Chile, and I'd like to buy her a book for reading during flights / bus rides / etc. Where, or how, might I be able to buy a good, English-language, fiction book from within Chile (to cut down on shipping time and costs), that I can pay for via credit card or PayPal from the U.S.?

I have in mind People of Sparks, though any good, easy-reading fiction would do, but Amazon.com's international shipping costs too much and takes too long (she'll only be with her host family for another two weeks).

Suggestions? Ideas?

Rules for remaining in UK while new visa is processing

nímwunnan — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:25:38 -0800

Need info on applying for a Tier-1 (Post-Study work) Visa in the UK while holding a soon-to-expire student visa. My current visa expires on Halloween, and I fit all the requirements for the Tier-1 visa extension. I hear from reliable sources that as long as I've applied for my new visa, I can remain in the UK while it's processing. Can anyone here point me to the official rules about this, just quell my worries?

Zürich ist zu reich...

stvspl — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:24:23 -0800

What do I do in Zürich for five months, and which websites can eliminate the need for this question? (Especially if I'm on a relative budget) I'm moving to Zürich for a study-abroad program for a few months, starting in two weeks. I'm very excited, but realize that I will have a bunch of free time with little idea of what to do. All websites I've found have focused on tourist locations and things, but I assume there have to be some websites focused on locals. Right? (Think Not For Tourists in New York.) Auch spreche ich Deutsch (so German websites are OK). Considering the USD/CHF exchange rate and the fact that I'm fairly poor to begin with, things that take into account money would be great.

If there isn't, I'd love some suggestions of fun places to go, things to see, bars, restaurants, museums, whatever.

If it matters, I'm a college junior, enjoys your typical cultural phenomena, etc etc blah blah blah.

(previously but the internet has changed in 2 years)

Work Hard and Hope for the Best, or Stay Safe and Lose It All?

dmaterialized — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:43:10 -0800

Am I making a huge mistake? I'm deciding whether I should take a term off from my beloved college in order to work in the "real world", scraping together money for a study abroad program (Semester at Sea). My instincts say to do it, but I'm suddenly hesitant and wonder if others might have suggestions. Here's where it stands. I planned on making tons of money this summer doing freelance work (in a job that in the past has made me quite a bit of money), but that didn't work out. Instead of having a wad of cash at the end of summer, I've basically broken even. Now I have to figure out what to do next-- and as senior year looms, things seem to be getting desperate.

I intend to go on Semester at Sea this spring (my final term)-- yes, I managed to convince the faculty to let me! SAS is literally the most important goal I have, and I desperately need to be on that boat, but I'm not sure how to make ends meet-- especially since the cheaper rooms all got snatched up and it now costs $5,000 more than it was "supposed" to.

I'm an entering senior in college, paying for the whole thing myself and have no family assistance whatsoever (thanks to a lot of financial aid, I have just enough cash to finish two terms there, but that isn't much). Semester at Sea costs $23,000 -- not including personal expenses or additional fees that might come up. Of that, roughly $12000 of my aid will transfer, and there is a $10k workstudy grant if all goes well. That pretty much means I could go-- though without a cent to spare (not even enough for things like plane tickets etc).

If I forego college for one term, it hinges on getting a full-time job (9-5) as well as supporting myself through my existing freelance work and bartending (which I haven't yet gotten a job in, but feel like I will if I give it some more time). I can stay at a friend's place for very little rent, and will have ultimate freedom (one of the things I seek most in life). I'll be running myself into the ground, but I really think I might be ready for the "real world": at least, I hope so. And at the end of it, I would be able to save up some money and have an amazing trip--potentially even able to buy a nice f/2.8 for my DSLR!

Things to consider: I would be leaving behind some people I care very much about and who I might not see again (including a long-term relationship that I'd pretty much have to give up on), I would need to graduate college a term late (and miss a whole year of watching my friends grow up), and I don't know how the job market is in NY (though I have an incredible amount of skills, I seem to have consistent trouble getting work normally). The advantage is that I would be applying for a fulltime position (with more than 4 months available to work) and I imagine there are certainly more opportunities for those than for part time/internship work. If it doesn't work, though, the whole thing is a bust.

If I stayed at college, I would be dirt-poor (just like always) and potentially miss out on being able to afford the trip (even if I got a gig bartending in the town, it wouldn't be enough to save up). Even things like visas, memory cards, or plane tickets might be more than I could handle. I have credit card bills that I would need to set money aside to pay over the 3 months I'm at sea, and I'm not sure how I could do that either. It would be so comforting, so easy, to go back-- but I'm not sure it's the right choice in the long run. I sense that I'll be changed a lot after SAS and I think being independent beforehand might be really important.

I'm pretty much at the max of my financial aid, though it's possible I might be able to take out a $5-7k loan. My credit's not great, so I'm not too sure of my chances of that.

I'm just trying to think this out-- what seems to you to be the sanest idea? Strike out and hope that a job will be waiting (I'm doing tons and tons and tons of research), or go back and be happy, finish school, and move on as best I can (my college is paradise on earth, and nothing else will ever be quite like it)? And what other options might I have for this kind of thing? Are there appropriate loans I might look into that are outside the normal structure of financial aid?

The whole thing is incredibly scary to me, but exhilarating... is it really just a question of courage, and working is obviously the right choice, or am I right to be cautious of abandoning ship in this economy?

Study Abroad: Nantes/Paris

Solon and Thanks — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:47:16 -0800

I'm a French major (a sophomore) at an American university weighing my options for study abroad and I'd like some input, especially about Nantes, France. I apologize in advance if this sounds obnoxious; I'm aware that I'm a very lucky person to have this "problem."

My plans, until recently, were to study for February-June 2009 in Paris. I've just decided to investigate the idea of participating in two study abroad sessions, since it recently became affordable thanks to some scholarships that will apply. There is a program in Nantes that looks great and I've heard good things about, but I've never been to that area. It's similar to that Paris program afaik despite location.

So: I have many options. I would like to go abroad for the second semester of the upcoming year (spring 09), and perhaps for either fall 09 or the 09-10 school year. I don't know how to distribute this. (Paris full year? Nantes semester? Nantes full year? Paris semester? Both semester? Paris but not Nantes, vice-versa? I have more opportunities than just these two, so it's fine with me if an answer is "x city is overrated - don't bother.")

Paris is an amazing city, but perhaps too touristy for my needs (which are: learning French. I'm at an middle/upper-intermediate stage and really want to get better.) Though it would, I guess, be an easier place from which to travel during holidays/weekends. I've never been to Nantes but heard good things, and I'm guessing it would be much less expensive than Paris (though I'm doing a home stay either way, so rent/groceries aren't a factor.) I like Paris, but also like the smaller-town feel of places like Chartres.

To get to my point: What are your impressions of visiting each, or of living in either area? I've briefly visited Paris, so I'm specifically interested in hearing from people who have visited Nantes or Brittany, or have lived in either city. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

Saving money in Lyon.

flibbertigibbet — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:16:01 -0800

How can I save money and still have fun while in Lyon for a month? I'm going to Lyon for a month this summer as part of a university program to improve my french. Yay! I'll be going with 19 other students from my university.

The details are that I'll be living in the Guillotières neighbourhood, "5 minutes by foot" from the Université Lumière Lyon 2 (the Université's "why Lyon is amazing" page). Airfare, rent, and half of tuition are all being taken care of. The rooms all have kitchenettes, and there's going to be free breakfast every morning (but I don't know if there's a limit on how much you can have).

At most, for food AND fun, I'll have $500CAD. More likely is $200CAD. I really, really do want to have fun, as I'm living at home and really don't have the opportunity to do whatever I want. This will be amazing. So I ask: how much will food cost? How can I get cheap food (and where)? What are some cheap places to have visit, or go drinking?

Bonus points if the 'fun' places are weird, or have to do with art (just about any type, but I love medieval art and post-1900 art the most) or architecture.

I live at home, and have barely left the cities I've lived in (Edmonton/Ottawa), so I'm a real newbie about every aspect of this. It's all very overwhelming, and I'm completely at a loss of how much to expect things to cost in a foreign country, so any help would be appreciated.

How do I survive in my third language?

Planet F — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:42:17 -0800

Please help me survive a whole year of school in my third language! I'm heading off to Germany on an academic exchange next year, and every time I think about it I get really excited and bouncy... then I get really scared. German is my third language and I'm far from proficient in it (although I'm assured that two years of German are all that are needed to survive in a German university). All my courses will be in German, and I definitely need to be able to understand them!

So here's where I need some help. I'm looking for a way to record my lectures (digital voice recorder of some sort, not an mp3 player) so that I can replay them with almost perfect clarity. I'd also like suggestions about ways to translate the words from oral into written German... Is there any software out there that will do this for me fairly accurately? Where could I get a handheld translator that would be small enough to fit in my pocket?

Some specifics about the recorder:
-Smaller is better
-some way of orienting the mini-mic towards the professor/whoever might be speaking so that that's the only (or main) voice that can be heard, and it can be heard clearly
-I'd really like it to have a built-in battery... Batteries are notoriously expensive in Europe, so instead of filling my suitcase with batteries on the way there I'm trying to get all rechargeable devices
-bonus points if it's cute
-Under 200$ Canadian, preferably under 100$ but I feel that that's slightly unrealistic.
-available for purchase in/shipment to Ontario

Also, if anyone has been in this position before, what are some helpful hints you can give me about staying sane while not understanding very much?

Thanks!

How difficult would it be to transfer to a North American university?

Andy Harwood — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:01:27 -0800

I'm half-way through my second semester at Winchester School of Art and I'm thinking about transferring. I'd really like to study in Canada or the US but I'm worried that it would be prohibitively expensive or horribly complicated to set up. Exactly how difficult would it be? Would I have to pay full tuition without any financial aid? Would the different education system cause a lot of problems? What other hurdles would I have to overcome?

British student wants to study in North America

Andy Harwood — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:59:38 -0800

I'm half way through my first year at Winchester School of Art and I'm already getting a little bored with Winchester. I've always wanted to spend some time studying in Canada or the US but I'm not sure how to go about it. I've looked into WSA's student exchange program but it looks like the only link they have in America is for fashion students (I'm doing graphics). Do I have any other options?

Iron Love Triangle

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:06:40 -0800

I have two best friends. I was about to confess my love to one, when he told me he was dating the other. Coping mechanisms? I actually can't believe I'm posting one of these.

3 gay men, we'll call them me, Dan, and Tom. Dan and I are both on a full-year study abroad to Tom's home country; Dan and I know each other from the summer before through a mutual friend, Dan and Tom know each other because Tom studied abroad last year at Dan's home university. The three of us do everything together - I can't think of a single night out in the past month that hasn't been the three of us plus some combination of others. They form the foundation of my social life in this country.

When I first met Dan, I developed a minor crush on him. I quickly put it in the drawer, because we were both going to be really the only person we knew in a foreign country, and it didn't seem like a good thing to expose to screw ups. It faded, as it should have.

After coming back from winter break at the end of December, however, my feelings for Dan returned. They've intensified over the past two months, to the point where this past weekend I decided that I needed to come clean and just get a resolution one way or the other. I decided that our friendship was definitely strong enough to survive a rejection, and figured out what I wanted to say.

Tonight, I got up the courage to talk to him, said "Dan, I need to talk to you about something." I went down to his room (we live in a dorm together), and we made smalltalk for a while. Just as I was about to launch into my preplanned statement, he said "I have something to tell you. Tom and I are kinda going out now."

I played the good friend and pretended to be happy for them, even counseling Dan through his fears about screwing up their friendship. All the while I'm freaking out inside. Apparently, the backstory is that last week Monday, they hooked up and decided "Well, we're best friends, so why not?"

(I know it was only a week ago, but I find for various reasons that it is unlikely that they will break up soon.)

This situation is obviously terrible and painful for me. My two best friends, who form the majority of my social universe in a foreign country, are going out - and I have very strong feelings for one of them.

After talking to a lot of friends, I've decided that I'm going to have to let Dan know what's going on, as he will undoubtedly be asking soon why I'm acting weird. I've decided on full disclosure so that they will know where I stand and why I'm having a difficult time with it, and so that they can hopefully take steps to mitigate the effects their relationship will have on me. I am almost certain that is the reaction that they will have - they are reasonable, good friends, who will have my interests at heart.

The more difficult problem, and what I need help with, is how to cope with the situations I will be finding myself in, as no amount of their mitigation will completely eliminate the painful emotions I'll be feeling in their company. I would like to continue hanging out with them, but will also obviously be working on expanding into new friendships. I plan on seeing a professional as soon as possible.

My question boils down to: what advice do you have for me in coping with this situation, and all the future situations that it will create?

I've set up the e-mail address ironlovetriangle@googlemail.com for questions or to contact me on the side. Anonymous because I don't want this drama associated with my name for the rest of the time the internet exists.

Advice for Studying Abroad in Germany

internet!Hannah — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:18:47 -0800

I have just been accepted into a study abroad program in Germany for next summer, and am very excited! But now I would like some advice. I just got accepted into a five week Study Abroad program in Germany to study the history of medicine and veterinary medicine, with a scholarship. Obviously, I am ridiculously excited. However, I would like some advice.

First off, I speak no German, and have no real knowledge of the country. Does anyone have recommendation for a good guidebook and a book on basic, conversational German I could pick up and start looking over? I will be staying with a host family in Düsseldorf, and part of the course is getting exposed to German culture and learning a bit of the language from them, but I would love a leg up.

Secondly, we have all of our weekends free, and are encouraged to travel and sightsee during them. Since I'm staying in Düsseldorf, I'm planning to visit Amsterdam for one of the weekends, since it seems close by. I'd also like to go to Berlin. Does anyone have any recommendations on other good, nearby places to visit, as well as what I should see, how I should travel, and where I should stay?

This brings me to my next point: I will have a Eurail train pass, and since a scholarship is covering a good deal of my program fees, I'll have (hopefully) around $2000-3000 (USD) to spend on these weekend trips. Is this going to be sufficient for traveling and spending nights at hostels on these weekends? Any advice in this area would be great.

And finally, does anyone have any general advice for preparing to travel? The program is in July and August 2008. I've started the process to get my passport, I'm trying to get airfare taken care of right now, and I'm saving money like none other. What else should I be doing?

Pertinent info: I am a 20 year old white female from Texas. I have never been out of the country (sans one trip to the Bahamas when I was little that I can't even remember). I have no criminal record.

(Also, I know a lot of these questions will be answered during my program orientations in the Spring. But I want to know now, gosh darn it!)

Is Lonely Planet my best bet?

kyleg — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:45:30 -0800

What is the best UK travel guide to give to an American student spending the semester there in the spring? She'll be in Gloucestershire, with short trips to London and around the Continent depending on time and budget.

I'd rather avoid those seasickness wristbands.

you're a kitty! — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 22:31:00 -0800

What should I give my mother for her upcoming trip around the world? My unbelievably cool mother will be attending the Scholar Ship program this spring, starting in Hong Kong in January and travelling west from there (itenerary here - how seriously cool is that?). I want to make her a care package or get her something wonderful as a send-off/Christmas gift, and since a lot of you are well-travelled I figured I'd come here for advice. She'll be living on the ship, so she shouldn't have too much trouble with weight; she'll also have a computer with (I assume) internet access. I'll obviously want to include some reminders of home and other personalized things you can't suggest, but what else would be useful, comforting, or especially cool to send off with her? What would you want to have with you if you were spending four months on a cruise ship, finishing your bachelor's while traversing the globe?

Incidentally - anything I should ask her to bring back for me?

What resources exist to help me become comfortable with a dialect of Japanese?

mezamashii — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:35:14 -0800

In preparation of studying abroad in the Tohoku region of Japan next year, I am looking for useful dialect-related tools and resources. Background: I'm currently planning to study abroad for an academic year at Tohoku University. This would be next year from October-July. I'm currently in my fourth year of Japanese study, and about at the intermediate level (500+ kanji, between JLPT 3 and 2).

I have recently become aware that the Tohoku-ben dialect is notoriously difficult to understand. I'm thinking that in addition to my normal Japanese classes it may be a good idea to expose myself to this dialect now so I don't have (as much) linguistic shock when I arrive.

I have already found sites such as http://hougen.u-biq.org/, but I am also looking for other stuff. Things that come to mind as useful would be suggestions of Anime, Dramas, and Movies set in Tohoku region (and with dialect). Also the more traditional language resources like recorded conversations and books explaining dialect differences beyond what Wikipedia provides would be useful.

It may be the case that I am a little bit too antsy about this little issue (in proportion to other things I could be worrying about), but I'd rather hear the opinions of people with more experiences than me. If you've studied abroad/lived in Sendai or Touhoku, please let me know how your experience with respect to language / dialect differences.