AFTER study life abroad
In this issue Your go-to guide for opportunities post-study abroad PURSUING AN ADVANCED DEGREE ABROAD pg35 Dr. Joseph Stanley highlights the advantages and challenges you will face if you decide to attend graduate school abroad CUPPA TEA AND A SIT DOWN pg39 Erin Browne takes you with her as she travels home from studying abroad in England
pg37 ISSUE 1 | June 2013 - May 2014
FINISHING STUDY SPONSORED BY ABROAD? WHAT’S YOUR NEXT MOVE? Top 10 ways to integrate study abroad in your life from expert Troy Peden, founder of GoAbroad.com Published by RateMyStudyAbroad www.RateMyStudyAbroad.com Go bEYoNd STUdY AbroAd! enhance Your resuMe, MaKe soMe MoneY and see The world! In this issue
Letter from the editors
Welcome to life post-study abroad! You are back home in the world of oversized burritos, amenities like ice cubes and air conditioning, and where age requirements are higher to drink but lower to drive.
The greatest online tools We originally had the Tonya and Noah for finding your next idea for Life After Study Abroad when we both returned adventure abroad! from studying abroad and realized there was nowhere to find answers to reverse culture shock. So we said to each other, “There needs to be an awesome, definitive guide for students coming home. We’re both recent study abroad students, we work in the study abroad field, we’re both dealing with reverse GoAbroAd.com culture shock, and we both want to get back out there! Let’s do The resource for this.” Our vision for this guide is an annual publication that students Tefl, Teaching jobs can access for free both digitally and in print. The publication includes six sections that will each take you down a different, and inTernships unique, and amazing path to returning abroad. Included in each section, you will find ways to do everything from teaching around The world! English to kids in Africa, to interning for innovative companies in Europe, to volunteering with elephants in Asia, and much, much more.
We hope you enjoy Life After Study Abroad and find the right adventure!
Good luck on your next journey abroad!
Noah and Tonya Editors of Life After Study Abroad
For advertising information, or to request copies GoAbroad.com to give to your returnee students, please email us at [email protected] The leading experiential travel or give us a call at 720.570.1702 x4012. resource, has over 30,000 Don’t forget to check out the digital version at opportunities abroad updated daily! www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com In this issue 01 02 03 intern abroad teach abroad TEFL Certification 01 Why an internship abroad is the 10 Is teaching in central europe 17 What’s next? Learn why missing piece on your resume for you? teaching english abroad should be your next international adventure 03 Top 10 benefits of interning abroad 11 Top 8 countries for teaching english abroad 19 TEFL certification –Your ticket to 05 10 ways to get the most out of 14 What to look for when considering teaching english abroad your internship abroad a teaching position abroad 08 Internship abroad 15 What study abroad never taught you 04 05 06 JOBS abroad Volunteer graduate abroad school abroad 23 Road to success – 6 long-lasting 27 How to get the most out of your 33 Did you study abroad in college career benefits of study abroad volunteer abroad experience and absolutely love it? Pursuing an advanced 26 Crowd sourced fundraising 29 Moving forward – volunteering 36 advice with FundMyTravel abroad degree abroad 31 10 unique volunteer programs
life after study abroad 09 25 37 Finishing study abroad – what’s your next move? 07 39 Cuppa tea and a sit down, my return from England
21 25 01 Life after study abroad
@LifeAfterSA Why an Internship Abroad is @LifeAfterSA the Missing Piece on Your Resume
by Jill Richardson www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com Life after study abroad 02
n today’s competitive job market, now more than Over the past several decades, the business world has taken
ever, recent graduates are searching for ways to advantage of the technological developments that foster INTERNSHIPS ABROAD Ienhance their employability upon graduation. globalization, and in doing so, has expanded its reach into Gone are the days when a solid GPA was enough to the global marketplace like never before. American companies guarantee quality employment. Students are now are now concerned with the opinions of Chinese consumers. looking to bolster their job prospects in a variety Brazilian companies take pains to market themselves to the of ways, including internships, volunteer work, and Argentine market. Australian companies work hard to capture involvement with student organizations on campus. Indonesian market share. In this interconnected world where business is conducted globally, the hiring and recruitment Given this uptick in extracurricular activities, it is becoming process is also morphing to match the new realities. increasingly difficult to find innovative ways to stand out from the crowd. The answer to this dilemma, students are increasingly Forward-thinking students and recent graduates understand discovering, can be found by setting one’s sights internationally these trends. They grasp that the key to gaining employability rather than locally. is to mold themselves to this new international model. And the way they’ve found to best do this? The world is changing in profound ways. Countries, citizens, and businesses are now more interconnected than ever, as International internships. the process of globalization continues to shape our world. Rarely do major companies solely operate in a single culture International internships have emerged as the perfect or country anymore. solution for young people who endeavor to build their resumes in a globally-minded way. By working abroad interns gain not only hard skills, but also the softer skills that allow them to thrive in any country. Interns learn how to communicate and collaborate with colleagues from different backgrounds and cultures. They also gain knowledge of foreign business practices, which can vary quite widely from American customs. It is these softer communicative skills - the foreign cultural and linguistic knowledge - that recruiters crave in their employees.
By devoting themselves to working in an international environment, students and recent graduates are preparing themselves for the future. Young professionals with international internships on their resume are sure to stand head and shoulders above the competition.
In today’s world, where multi-million dollar business deals are conducted in Mandarin, Hindi, and Portuguese, employees who can move fluidly amongst a variety of languages and cultures will be more valuable than ever. To this end, an international internship is a step in the right direction towards building cultural and linguistic fluency. Once attained, this international competency is a surefire way to solidify your resume and assure a lifetime of stellar job prospects.
About the Author: Jill Richardson is the USA Marketing Manager for CRCC Asia, a leading By working abroad, interns gain provider of internship placement not only hard skills, but also the in China. She graduated from softer skills that allow a person UCLA with a degree in History to thrive internationally. and Global Studies. Jill Richardson 03 Life after study abroad
Networking: Through your internship you’ll be able 05 to build an international network of contacts. The people top 10 you develop relationships with could help you secure a lead on a job in your field or host country, or perhaps even a job offer benefits at the end of your internship. At the very least, you can ask your boss
@LifeAfterSA of interning for a recommendation for future job applications. abroad Gaining experience in your field: If you 06 know what field you’re interested in, you can gain the practical experience you need to get ahead in the field. Employers are much more likely to hire someone who already has at least some experience in the field than someone who does not
@LifeAfterSA by Emily Caskey have any experience at all.
Gaining new skills: If you’re unsure about 07 nterning abroad costs money – a lot of money. what you want to do after graduation, interning abroad Most international internships are unpaid, airfare gives you the opportunity to test something out. You is generally not included, and students often have may decide it’s the perfect career field for you. But you might also to arrange for their own housing. Not to mention decide you would rather pursue something else, and that’s OK too. Ithe cost of living in a foreign country and taking But, you will be glad you had the opportunity to try it out first. advantage of the opportunity to travel on weekends. Earning academic credit: A lot of universities 08 Considering how much money it costs to intern abroad, you might allow you to earn academic credit for your internship think it’s not worth it. But this article isn’t meant to discourage experience, and some even require international or you. Instead, this list of the top 10 benefits of interning abroad domestic internships to fulfill graduation requirements. Interning will reassure you that pursuing an international internship is a abroad is a way to earn credit and gain experience, all while having worthwhile investment in your future. the weekends free to travel and experience the local culture. www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad
Increased language proficiency: Cross-cultural skills and sensitivity: 09 Even if you have been studying a language for years 01 Because you will be working with local employees (and and studied abroad in that language, interning abroad quite possibly employees who don’t speak English), you in your country of choice enables you to learn a new set of have the opportunity to learn from the people you meet in the vocabulary. Whether it’s learning the right words to communicate workplace and outside it. Almost every job posting, regardless of with customers, discussing work specifics with your colleagues, industry, highlights cross-cultural skills and sensitivity as a or learning technical vocabulary related to your industry, you will key requirement. only increase your language proficiency!
Escaping the American bubble: Standing out: According to Open Doors data from 02 Not only will you be living in a foreign country, you 10 the Institute of International Education, only 273,996 will also be working in an office that could be entirely students studied abroad in the 2010-2011 academic www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com different from the typical American office environment. Adapting year. Even fewer students complete international internships every to a new office environment shows flexibility on your part and a year. This means you will stand out to future employers, especially willingness to learn. if you convey what a meaningful experience your international internship was, both personally and professionally. Transferable skills: Even if your internship has 03 little do to with the career path you choose to follow in the future, odds are that you will learn and refine transferable skills to help you in your job search, such as: flexibility, written and oral communication skills, and critical thinking and analysis (just to name a few). About the Author: Emily Caskey is the Web A Lesson in independence: Much like studying Content Coordinator at Study Abroad 04 abroad, interning abroad requires (and helps you develop) Spotlight (studyabroadspotlight.com), a a certain level of independence. Depending on how you website dedicated to inspiring students find an internship - on your own or through a program provider - there to study abroad. After studying abroad in will be things to arrange before your internship, like housing, a work or Rostock, Germany, from 2008 – 2009, she Emily Caskey internship visa, and academic credit at your home university. Program returned to Germany to intern at the U.S. providers like AIFS guide you through this process and help you Embassy in Berlin in the summer of 2010 and as a German navigate foreign bureaucracy. Either way, navigating your host country language instructor in the summer of 2011. In 2012, she and city will be up to you; think of it as the personal development that graduated with an M.A. in German Literature and is currently comes along with the professional development of your internship. pursing a career in international education. INTERNSHIPS ABROAD
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING INTERNATIONAL Information and News for Education Abroad Pros w w w . e l i a b r o a d . o r g Dishing out study abroad jobs, advice, guides, and news to “What set me apart in my job interview current and wannabe were the internships I had through ELI. Half the interview was spent talking Education Abroad Pros about my experiences in Thailand and India. I want to say that ELI is awesome!” -Whennah A. 2013
Internships Worldwide Let’s go Inside Study Abroad… 05 Life after study abroad
Set goals (measurable ones, if possible) 01 Write them down, and hold yourself accountable. 10 ways Decide that you want to become more fluent in your to get the host country’s language. Find a test you can take before and after most out your experience to measure your improvement. For those goals @LifeAfterSA that aren’t as easy to measure, keeping a journal is a great way to of your track your progress. Make a conscious effort every day to take steps internship toward your goal. abroad Keep track of everything you 02 do at your internship by Rachael Taft @LifeAfterSA Note everything, from tasks to accomplishments. If you have any kind of numbers to back these up, that’s even better – host company. Even the smallest connection may prove to be the write it down! This will be crucial when you start job-hunting back thing that sets you apart and lands you the job. home. You will be able to look back and make strong connections to your internship experience and form concrete examples of how Take the experience seriously you exhibited required skills and performed certain duties. 07 Take your internship abroad as seriously as if you Form a strong positive relationship were doing an internship at home. Feel like you’re 03 with your supervisor, and stay in being underutilized? Take initiative and seek out things to do, touch after you leave introduce ideas, make yourself useful, and leave your mark. It’s great to be able to list international internship experience But don’t be TOO serious on your resume, but it’s even better to be able to list your 08 It’s not JUST about work experience. It’s about boss as a reference. Sure, not all employers may go to the experiencing the country and culture as well. Get to lengths to contact someone abroad – especially if there know your co-workers. Make local friends. Explore your host www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad might be a language barrier – but it’s good to know that they city and try to make it your own. Immerse yourself until it feels can. You should also try to get your supervisor to write you a like home. Enriching yourself personally, learning new things recommendation on LinkedIn, and connect with as many co- about yourself, discovering new passions and ideas, pushing workers from your internship as you can. your own limits, and expanding your comfort zone are all just as important as gaining new professional skills. 04 Reflect on your journey, personally and professionally Say “yes” to opportunities Put some thought into your future and how your current actions 09 No matter what they are, work-related or otherwise. Say can influence it. Take a step back and think of how you might yes to whatever tasks or projects they throw your way. look back on these experiences, how they can help shape your Say yes to offers to have dinner with a coworker or spend the path. Write it all down somewhere. Later on you will be grateful weekend at their family’s vacation home. Seize every opportunity you took the time to reflect on your experience in-depth on your to enrich your experience and further yourself personally and experience while it was happening. You will be even more grateful www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com professionally. if you took the time to see the bigger picture, seized the chance to take action, and made the most if it. Pay close attention to your feelings 10 and intuition Document your experience on a blog 05 and be active on social media Sometimes an internship confirms that you are pursuing the right career. Sometimes it makes you take a second look at This is a great way to show off your experience and the path you’re on. Even if your internship makes you realize that highlight your skills. Employers will be impressed, and it may you don’t want to work in the field or position you thought you also help you network. You never know when that blog follower did, it is useful to regularly take stock of what you do and don’t like or Twitter interaction might just help you land a job. Having about your internship. This includes everything from the tasks you writing and social media skills these days is always a bonus in perform to the culture of the organization. You’ll notice patterns, our social media driven world. Furthermore, this is another way which can be helpful as you try to figure out what is right for you. to show employers how your experience helped you grow and develop new skills. Get to know what companies work 06 Interning abroad truly is the chance of a lifetime. With with your host company the right amount of awareness, balance, and reflection, When you return home and start looking for a job, you you will come away from your internship with no regrets may not want to pursue a future with the company you interned – a stronger person and job candidate, who will reap the with, but you may find you are interested in an organization –at benefits of the experience for many years to come. home or abroad – that has some kind of relationship with your Life after study abroad 06 INTERNSHIPS ABROAD The nexT greaT Travel wriTers Grand Prize conTesT $1,000!
GET YOUR STORY READ BY OUR MILLIONS OF VISITORS! We WiLL MAke you fAMouS!
The Next Great Travel Writer contest The contest will run from July 1, is an opportunity to have your travel 2013 to November 1, 2013. story published as a feature article Read more about the contest details and on GoAbroad.com, the leading online requirements on the Goabroad Blog at resource for meaningful and alternative www.goabroad.com/writer-contest world travel, and a chance to win the grand prize of $1,000 cash. WhAT Are you WAiTiNG for? ! STop ThiNkiNG ANd STArT WriTiNG Life after study abroad 08 INTERNSHIPS ABROAD
internship abroad
re you dreaming of ways to get abroad again, but are not sure where to start? Many people find their study abroad semesters too short and Ayearn to stay longer than their visa allows. So, how does one get back to the history, architecture, and fabulousness of living abroad without having to be a student? Have you thought about doing an internship abroad? London Study Abroad Experience may be your answer, as we are the go-to experts in London internships.
London SAE specializes in:
1. Finding the best fit. We try to find internships that truly benefit and further your career goals, all while living in London! Our summer internships are 8 weeks in length for a minimum of 25 hours a week. Internships are available in a wide range of fields – from business to biology, marketing to micro-finance – so we’ll make sure you are paired with an employer you like.
2. Immersing you in the culture. Going abroad is not just about all work and no play. We offer in-the-know excursions from people that have lived in London and know the city well. We take the time to orient you into the culture and introduce you to the best markets, venues, and views the city has to offer.
3. Giving you the 411. You’ll be gaining information from team members that are living in London and know all the English systems first hand. This includes: the visa process, transportation knowledge, resume writing, interview preparation, career coaching, and application process. We take the guesswork out of applying to internships with our excellent customer service and around-the-clock attention to your needs.
4. Calming your nerves. We know you’ll be exhausted after a long flight, so we offer a pick up service from the airport to your accommodation, and we even take you to the doorstep of your internship on the first day! We believe taking you the extra mile will help alleviate any extra stress you might be experiencing.
5. Getting you abroad. Sometimes the process of getting abroad is overwhelming. Let us offer a helping hand to quickly and efficiently get you to London. There’s no time to waste when following your dreams of living a new city.
Visit www.londonsae.com and request information or apply today! 09 Life after study abroad
England
Spain
France
China
Canada
Germany
Australia
Italy
Japan
New Zealand Life after study abroad 10
eaching English in Central Europe is both exciting and challenging. At first glance,
a country such as Hungary appears much TEACH ABROAD like Western Europe: Stores sell up-to-date is Telectronic gadgets, clothing, and just about anything you might wish to purchase. Food is plentiful and teaching similar to cuisine in Germany and Austria. Even in central vegetarians now have ample choices as produce can be found all through the winter months. europe
Dig a little deeper, however, and the challenge begins. Centuries for you? of invasion followed by harsh dictatorship makes people in this corner of the world wary when things go well. Hero’s Square in Budapest is a grand and permanent reminder of what can go wrong when a country revels in its accomplishments. War by Mary Rose followed by ruin! What does it take to thrive while teaching English in such an environment?
Patience is a requirement! Following years of Communist control, bureaucrats still wear their power like five-star generals. Even though the Central European Teaching Program supplies all documentation to work in an EU/Schengen country, the smallest thing can delay visas for weeks. (We will eventually get it done. Never has a teacher been forced to leave!) It took ages to obtain my medical card because my last name was neither that of my father or husband. Since there was no space on the computer form for my situation, the Hungarian bureaucrat simply threw up his hands and pronounced there was nothing to be done. I eventually got it, and in the meantime, I used another teacher’s medical card to visit a doctor. TEACH in CEnTrAL EuroPE A sense of humor will go a long ways in keeping a smile on your CuLTuraL immErSion THrougH TEaCHing face when you’d just as soon growl! A plumber sent to fix the drip under my sink studied the situation for about half an hour before shaking his head, saying it was too much work. I laughed and simply kept the bucket under the sink for the rest of the year.
Speak up if you are dissatisfied. Your colleagues will assume all is well unless you say something. Don’t wait until you are steamed, as it is difficult to turn around a bad attitude.
A commitment to teaching is important, rather than treating your placement like a vacation. People in Central Europe take education very seriously. Your teaching assignment is not just an adjunct to traveling to Transylvania, the Dalmatian Coast, and oh so many wonderful destinations. Of course we want our After completing your studies, come back to teach teachers to experience all of Central Europe, but your number ESL in Hungary through the Central European one purpose is to serve your students! Teaching Program! A positive outlook is necessary, not only in regards to your new CETP is a teacher recruitment • Locations throughout country, but also when dealing with yourself. Working abroad is organization. Since 1991 Hungary challenging enough, but Central Europeans aren’t accustomed we have been providing • Full support and orientation to putting out a good word. Silence represents satisfaction, and conversational English teachers for our teaching staff to schools in cities and rural you will only hear something if you need improvement. Say kind • Easy application process things to yourself. areas throughout the country.
If you follow this advice, teaching in Central Europe can be one of “ I taught for what I can honestly say were the best two years of my life the premier experiences of your life! It was for me! (and Tata was the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived). I now have such a passion and emotion for the country of Hungary. Someday, I’d love to return and teach through CETP again.”
For more information, please visit www.cept.info or email [email protected] 11 Life after study abroad @LifeAfterSA
top 8 @LifeAfterSA countries for teaching english abroad
by John Bentley www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad
o, you’ve have had an EUROPE ASIA awesome experience living, studying, and traveling Spain – From the bustling thoroughfares Japan – From serene Shinto shrines abroad, and now you’re of Madrid and Barcelona to the grand and centuries-old sake bars to robotic www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com Sready for more. Great! As an medieval cities of Toledo and Al Hambra, technology and 300 mph bullet trains, English speaker, you can get paid Spain is a dream destination for many. It Japan offers a cultural experience quite to live and teach English in dozens is also one of the largest job markets in unlike any other. Each year, tens of of countries around the world in Europe for teaching English. Each year, the thousands of foreigners teach English in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Ministry of Education recruits more than Japan in both public schools and private the Middle East. 1,000 Americans and Canadians to teach language institutes. While the cost of living in public schools and thousands of private is high, most teachers make enough to save
But where to teach? language schools and institutes hire English upwards of $500 a month after expenses. Here are some top destinations for teachers as well. China – More than 300 million Chinese teaching English abroad based on the size Italy – Want to live in Rome or Milan, citizens study English, making China of job markets, and in some cases, the learn Italian, or delve into the splendors of hands-down the largest job market on ability to make and save extra money for the Renaissance? Italy is another top job earth for teaching English abroad. Those paying off student loans and funding market for teaching English in Europe. teaching in China often receive free airfare extra travel. and housing and make enough to save Turkey –Turkey offers the mystique and up to $500 a month after expenses, all allure of the Middle East combined with while discovering the ancient heritage and cosmopolitanism of Europe, particularly in modern vitality of one of the world’s most cities like Istanbul, which LonelyPlanet.com important and fascinating nations. recently dubbed the “world’s hippest city.” Life after study abroad 12 TEACH ABROAD
South Korea – Want to live in a high tech About the author: To learn more, go to the Asian nation with thousands of years John Bentley, a Harvard International TEFL website www. of history, modern cosmopolitan cities, graduate who grew InternationalTEFLAacademy. vibrant popular culture, and great barbecue up in Egypt and has com/LASA to download a free to boot? Roughly 25,000 foreigners are traveled to 55 countries brochure and country chart employed to teach English in South Korea worldwide, is a Senior which compares teaching English John Bentley every year, and virtually all of them receive Admissions Advisor at the in 50 countries around the free airfare and free housing and make International TEFL Academy, which certifies world, including salaries, hiring enough salary to save upwards of $10,000 more than 1,200 people a year to teach requirements, and interview during a year of teaching English. English abroad and provides lifetime job search procedures or call 773-634-9900. guidance to all students and graduates.
LATIN AMERICA
Argentina – Buenos Aires is not only the city of the tango, rabid soccer fans, and grand Art Deco architecture, it is also one of the largest job markets for teaching English in the Western Hemisphere.
Costa Rica – Though small in size, this beautiful tropical nation is one of the top job markets in Latin America. In addition to extensive English teaching jobs, Costa Rica offers a SEE low cost of living and a perfect environment for learning Spanish. THE WORLD These are just some of your top options for teaching English abroad. Other major job Teach. Travel. Explore markets range from Brazil, Chile, and Mexico in Latin America, to Germany and Russia in Europe, and fantastic Southeast Asia nations like Vietnam and Thailand. Teach English Abroad Get TEFL Certified www.InternationalTEFLAcademy.com/LASA re you interested in living and working overseas? Do you dream of making your international adventure a more permanent lifestyle? Then Ateaching English abroad might be for you. If you’re like most people, the thought of immersing yourself in a You want to travel. foreign culture and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) sounds appealing, but you don’t know where to begin. You need experience. First, you’ll need to decide where you want to go. LanguageCorps offers teach abroad programs in 23 different locations throughout Asia, Europe, and Latin America, so the possibilities are pretty much endless. Asia is the most lucrative region for English teachers, which is something to think about if finances are a concern, but every destination offers its own unique upsides. From the rich art and history of Italy to the temples of Macchu Picchu in Peru, you really can’t go wrong. Ultimately, you’ll want to ask yourself, “where would I be most excited to live for an extended period of time?”
Next, you’ll need a TESOL (also known as TEFL) certificate. All LanguageCorps programs begin with a four-week, on-site TESOL training and certification course, and we take pride in having some of the most prepared teachers around! All of our courses include 140 hours of in-classroom training, with an additional supervised practice teaching component, ensuring that you will leave the course feeling ready to teach English to a class full of non-native speakers.
Lastly, you’ll need to find work, and job search assistance is a big Here’s how you part of all of our programs. LanguageCorps staff will help you get your teaching CV in order, put you in touch with local hiring schools to set up interviews, and make sure you are prepared every step of GET BOTH! the way. Some programs include a guaranteed job placement, and our teachers have had very good luck finding jobs in all locations.
But don’t take our word for it! We recently heard from a LanguageCorps participant named RiRi about how much she loves teach. learn. travel. explore. give back. get paid. teaching in Vietnam. See her comments below.
“I can’t emphasize how much I love it here LanguageCorps can in Vietnam with LanguageCorps. A fellow participant, Holly, went out of her way to give help you create a personal me a glowing recommendation to the recruiters at one of the schools I was hired at. Many fellow participants also continuously encouraged adventure teaching English me to keep pushing my application at the school, and that’s how I got hired there. Both (hiring schools) love LanguageCorps participants abroad. You will get to live in because we are the most prepared on every level. Can you believe that we actually “beat out” another culture, travel the other candidates who have extensive teaching experiences? I just signed a contract to teach for world, and gain professional $18 an hour, about 25 hours a week.” paid experience. RiRi
What are YOU doing for the next year With more and more people like RiRi having the adventure of a lifetime teaching abroad every year, it couldn’t be a better time to of YOUR LIFE? stop procrastinating and start pursuing your dream of living and working overseas! www.LanguageCorps.com For more information, see www.languagecorps.com Life after study abroad 14 TEACH ABROAD
WHEN WHAT CONSIDERING TO LOOK A TEACHING FOR POSITION ABROAD
by Lars Frank
ow did you get to the point when you started to Third, do your research on the companies you are interested in. The think about teaching overseas? You either have longer a company has been in operation, the better. If the company Hsome experience teaching and the thought of has a long history, a good track record, and positive comments living and working overseas popped up, or you thought on blogs, you can probably trust that company. There are always about living and working overseas and wondered going to be at least a few disgruntled people, but every person has “What type of job can I get to do that? a different situation, and therefore, a different experience. Make sure you do your research by checking the company website as well. That is what happened to me. Teaching English as a second There is nothing a recruiter likes less than someone who is ignorant language is a huge industry that can be exciting, culturally about the company and can’t make any comments. enriching, and a lot of work with most companies, so here are some important considerations to take into account before opening a Finally, when doing your research, write a list of pros and cons new door of opportunity. for each company you are looking in to. Does the company offer subsidized accommodations? This can be a huge burden if you’re First, what is most important for you? The location should be at not familiar with the language or customs. Does the company the top of your list. There are opportunities in just about every offer transportation, either to the country or commuting expenses? country, so consider how far away from home you want to travel. How about health insurance? Paid training? If you add up all of If you get homesick, you may want to venture somewhere closer to these items you may find that working for one company that home. If you seek adventure, then east Asia, the Middle East, and offers a lower salary and pays for everything else in the end out- Africa may be your preference. Working farther away may also add weighs another company that has a higher salary and no benefits. to the initial set up costs. Of course there is also the matter of teaching only adults, only Second, make sure you are familiar with the country you are kids, or both. And where within the country you would like to interested in. You can never compare how life is like back home live should you be offered a choice. In my years of experience, I because that is exactly what it is. Back home. Living, working, and have found the people who usually do the best are the ones who teaching abroad is an opportunity to learn a whole new culture have fewer expectations and are flexible. The more rigid your and language outside of work. Take that for what it is. A chance to demands are, the harder time a recruiter will have hiring you and explore and add to your resume. Diversity can open so many new the harder time you will have adapting. Of course, having some doors. And remember, your main goal should be working since idea of what will make you happy is important - maybe the most companies are looking for dedicated employees first and foremost. important if you are going to stay for any length of time.
I am sure everyone that has taught abroad will have good About the Author: Lars Frank memories and be thankful that they had the opportunity to is a Senior Recruiter with AEON experience a different part of the world. It is a big world, and it Corporation. He works out of the NYC only becomes smaller once you get out there and travel. It will Recruiting office and has been with be an adventure of a lifetime, and who knows what doors it will the company for 19 years, of which open for you. 13 were spent in Japan. Lars Frank 15 Life after study abroad @LifeAfterSA WHAT STUDY ABROAD
@LifeAfterSA NEVER TAUGHT YOU!
by Kate Troutman www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad
ou don’t know what you don’t This mildly daunting realization did not I’ve learned from both my own experience know, right? Well, it turns out come until I found myself plucked out of and that of the volunteers I work with daily, that after my best intentions my comfort zone and plopped onto a .72 and now provide you with some of the to go off to college, come of square mile plot of coconut trees and sand most unique experiences that serving as a Yage, experience “the best four years in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (and no, volunteer teacher at a grassroots level can of my life,” and become a more well- this does not include my summer study afford you and that studying abroad might rounded, highly educated individual, abroad trip to the Gold Coast of Australia). have left out. I knew diddly squat. To be fair, I eagerly volunteered myself for the plucking, although, I had never taught Pop that study abroad bubble before in my life. By partnering directly with the www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com Ministries of Education in-country, When I walked into my classroom for the WorldTeach volunteers are placed in local first time I started to ask myself (just a communities where the specific need for little too late), “Wait.” Can I teach these teachers has been identified. The local kids? What if I’m bad at it? What on Earth communities welcome you, and in turn, am I going to get out of this?” I found the independence that volunteers find out the answers to those questions, some away from college campuses, credits, and sooner than others: “Yep, you sure can. familiar territory is profound. You will not You’re all they’ve got so you’ll figure it only learn about about yourself, but also out. And you’re going to achieve more about the customs of the community you experience than four years of college and are now a part of. all those student loans have given you.” I had no clue how I would be altering my life’s path in those first few days, weeks, or even months. But change it, I did, and after a few years in the classrooms of the toasty Equatorial sun, I’m back in the States working for the very organization where it all began. Scan to visit our website WorldTeach gives these communities a beacon of Experience hope in the possibilities of education, and role models who are willing to go the the other side proverbial extra mile, giving far more than is prescribed and expected. of the classroom TEACH ABROAD
• Over 26 years of experience in sending To start your experience of a lifetime and for volunteer teachers overseas. more information please visit our website: • Volunteer in 17 different countries around the world. www.worldteach.org • We work directly with the Ministries of or call us on Education in-country.
• TEFL certification offered in most countries. 1 (857) 259-6646 • Comprehensive orientation and ongoing or email professional support throughout your service. [email protected]
Become a charades master Scope out this whole “and boom goes the dynamite” variety teaching thing that make everything worth it. If you’d Learn a million and one ways to really like to step it up a notch, in some communicate without words both in Curious about teaching? Perhaps you’ve countries you can do your TEFL coursework and outside of the classroom. Volunteers pondered it but you’re not positive you while in- country and walk away with that often surprise themselves with the level want to go through the entire certification certification at the end of your service. of adaptability they acquire while in- process in the States before you’re sure? country, and this translates well when Get served a piece of communicating, despite your potential lack Working within a developing country humble pie of knowledge of the local language. at a grassroots level provides you with an opportunity to get inside an actual Not everyone in the world lives like Westerners Trying to teach the correct use of the past classroom and give it a shot. Of course, do. Not by a long shot. It’s an incredibly tense conjugated form of “to be?” There’s in an ideal world, there would be local eye opening experience to see how most of a move for that! Hungry and all you want teachers that could fill the spots that the rest of the world lives. Not only does it is that mango on the top shelf, just out of WorldTeach volunteers are placed in, but empower you to make a difference where your reach? You’ll find a way to get your many things are never ideal in a developing you can, but the lens through which you view point across if you’re hungry enough! country. There is a reason WorldTeach’s your own life may change. Will change. Locals laugh along with you as you pick presence has been requested. Whether you The resiliency of kids who have known up the local language, and watching your have formal teaching experience or not, hardship and an all too real life from a comfort and acquisition grow over the you are qualified because you were blessed young age are inspiring. Their stories are course of your service can be extremely to be raised in a society that enabled you selfless and heartwarming. Though your rewarding. It not only enables you to to pursue higher education and obtain community may live in humble conditions, relate to what your students go through in an undergraduate degree (psh, and study that won’t stop them from sharing the classroom each day, but your friends abroad). everything they have with you, from an will be fighting over your mad non-verbal ordinary cup of coffee to the outrageous communication skills when you get back. Still not so sure about your qualifications? All volunteers participate in the Teacher already-chewed piece of gum. Whether you Quality program, in which they are paired end up on a .72 square mile island like me, with an experienced teaching mentor or in a remote Tanzanian village, or even back in the head office who is able to the urban hub of Bogotá, I’m confident you guide you throughout the year, through too will witness kindness and the resiliency those inevitable “bust” lesson plans to the of the human spirit. 17 Life after study abroad
Have you had the time of your life studying abroad Do you want to and want to live and get paid to continue to explore work in a city like the world? Rome, Bangkok, @LifeAfterSA or Buenos Aires? @LifeAfterSA
what’s next? learn why teaching english Would you like to abroad should gain professional be your next international experience for your
www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad international resume or learn a adventure new language?
by John Bentley www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com
If you are looking for that next great It’s a great job market that will enable you to international experience of a lifetime, you get paid to live in a foreign country. might consider teaching English abroad. Chances are that you (or your folks!) spent thousands of dollars With approximately 1 billion people learning English worldwide, no for you to study abroad, but from China and Thailand to Spain field offers more opportunities to live, work, and travel abroad, and and Costa Rica, demand for English teachers is so high that guess what – you don’t need prior experience or a background in virtually any English speaker can teach English in dozens of teaching. In fact, if studying abroad is “International Experience countries around the world and get paid doing so. In most of a Lifetime 1.0”, then consider teaching English abroad countries in Europe and Latin America, English teachers make “International Experience of a Lifetime 2.0+.” Here’s why: enough to live a comfortable lifestyle, but don’t typically save substantial sums. However, in East Asian countries like Japan, Vietnam, and Taiwan, English teachers make enough to save 30%-50% of their salary after expenses and often receive benefits like free airfare and housing. Life after study abroad 18
About the Author: TEFL CERTIFICATION John Bentley, a Harvard graduate who grew up in Egypt and has traveled to 55 countries worldwide, is a Senior Admissions
Advisor at the International TEFL Academy, which certifies more TR than 1,200 people a year to teach English abroad and provides John Bentley lifetime job search guidance to all students and graduates.
Experience a foreign culture Boost your resume for What’s the catch? as a local! graduate school and future The “catch” is you have to go do it! Living As an English teacher abroad, you employment opportunities overseas isn’t for everyone, but for those will become a full-fledged member In an increasingly globalized economy who want the adventure of a lifetime, it is of the local community in a foreign and an ultra-competitive job market, THE option. The other catch is you have country. You’ll likely live in a typical teaching English abroad provides real to research your options, learn about job neighbourhood, you’ll shop at local international work experience that is markets around the world, and be prepared markets, and you’ll hang out at highly sought by employers in nearly to travel! You also need a TEFL certification neighbourhood cafes and bars. You’ll also every sector. In addition, graduate course that will provide you with the enjoy unique opportunities to experience programs, including law schools and training you need to become an effective national customs and rituals like MBA programs, increasingly seek “real foreign language teacher and a credential weddings, festivals, and national holidays, world” work experience and those with that thousands of schools and language and you’ll have great opportunities an international background. Teaching institutes seek when hiring new teachers. to travel both locally and regionally. English abroad provides exactly that. A TEFL certification course is the golden ticket to get paid to teach English around Learn a foreign language the world. TEFL classes can be done in 4 Whether it’s Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, weeks full time or 11 week part time online. or Arabic, the best way to learn a foreign language is to live in a culture where you To learn more about teaching English will be immersed in that language on abroad and TEFL certification, a daily basis. Teaching English abroad call International TEFL Academy provides a perfect opportunity to live and at 773-634-9900 to speak with study a language in that environment. an expert advisor or visit www. InternationalTEFLAacademy.com/ Great Travel Opportunities LASA to request a free brochure. If you’re teaching English in Prague, Czech Republic (sounds fantastic, doesn’t it), you can easily hop on a short flight or train ride and visit nations like Germany, Hungary, and Austria for the weekend – how awesome is that? Or, imagine yourself as an English teacher in Korea – you’ll have the ability to zip down for a No cubicles for you... week of sun and fun on the beaches of Bali or Thailand, take a quick excursion Make the world to Tokyo, or explore other great Asian your office! treasures like Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the Great Wall Of China. Teach. Travel. Explore.
ITA graduate Annie exploring Indonesia
Request a brochure & enter to Become TEFL Certified win a free online TEFL class! & Teach English Abroad!
Mention this advert and receive www.InternationalTEFLAcademy.com/LASA a $50 discount on tuition. or Call 773-634-9900 19 Life after study abroad Your next adventure is to Teach English Abroad! Get paid to teach Want to see the English in over 80 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America and world and get paid? the Middle East! • Join 250,000 people like you who teach abroad every year. • Contracts 6-12 months. Some include free airfare & housing.
@LifeAfterSA Some allow you to save up to $15,000 a year! • Your ticket to the world is a TEFL certification. • Join one of the largest TEFL schools in the world with over
@LifeAfterSA 1,200 annual graduates who are TEFL having the adventure of a lifetime. Certification your ticket to teaching english Request a brochure & enter to Contact International TEFL abroad win a free online TEFL class! Academy in Chicago at 773-634-9900 or download a free brochure at Mention this advert and receive a www.InternationalTEFLAcademy.com/LASA $50 discount on tuition. www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad
by Bruce Jones
o, you may have heard that But, you may ask: Gaining a TEFL certification is there are opportunities • Can I teach English abroad without key to boosting your chances to live abroad and get prior teaching experience or a degree in of getting hired as an English paid teaching English as a education or even English? teacher abroad for two Sforeign language – and it’s true! • How will I teach my students if I don’t primary reasons: With approximately 1 billion people speak their language? • Tens of thousands of schools and around the world taking some type of language institutes around the world www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com • If I don’t have my college degree, can I English language class every year, demand require this credential to hire new teach English abroad? for English teachers is booming around English teachers, schools want to hire the globe. A native, or even just a fluent In short, you do not need teachers who have been trained, not just English speaker, can get paid a livable prior teaching experience, somebody off the street who happens wage or even save $500-1,000 a month to speak English! to teach English as a foreign language in knowledge of a foreign • You need to learn the skills required up to 100 countries, or even 100 countries language, or even a college of a professional teacher, including a around the world from China and Turkey degree to get hired to teach grasp of teaching methodologies and to Spain and Argentina. English abroad. All that is needed is a professional TEFL practices, the ability to craft effective certification, which can be lesson plans, and the skills to manage a classroom. Gaining these accomplished in 4 weeks. skills will enable you to provide your If you don’t hold a degree in TEFL students with a quality educational (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) experience that will empower them or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers to secure further educational and of Other Languages), you’ll want to take professional opportunities. an accredited 120-hour TEFL certification course to train you how to teach English on a professional level. Your next adventure is to Teach English Abroad! Get paid to teach Want to see the English in over 80 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America and world and get paid? the Middle East! • Join 250,000 people like you who teach abroad every year. TEFL CERTIFICATION • Contracts 6-12 months. Some
include free airfare & housing. TR Some allow you to save up to $15,000 a year! • Your ticket to the world is a TEFL certification. • Join one of the largest TEFL schools in the world with over 1,200 annual graduates who are having the adventure of a lifetime.
Request a brochure & enter to Contact International TEFL win a free online TEFL class! Academy in Chicago at 773-634-9900 or download a free brochure at Mention this advert and receive a www.InternationalTEFLAcademy.com/LASA $50 discount on tuition.
What kind of TEFL certification Here are some basic standards practice teaching will not provide you with course do I need? you should look for in any the certification you need. Spend 90 seconds searching “TEFL TEFL certification course for It is also recommended that you take certification” on Google and you’ll quickly teaching English abroad your TEFL certification course from an encounter a wide variety of TEFL training on a professional level: organization that provides comprehensive courses for teaching English abroad, from • At least 100 hours of coursework job search guidance to assist you with the two-day weekend classes and self-taught and training process of finding jobs and navigating the online classes for $89 to four-week intensive interview process, which vary widely from • At least 6-20 hours of practicum (live classes taught by university instructors and country to country. practice teaching and observation with state-of-the-art online courses that actually actual non-native English speakers and incorporate live practice teaching and How much will it cost? NOT role-playing with fellow instruction from highly qualified professors. A teaching degree in the United States TEFL classmates) will take an additional 2 years for a MA in If you plan on teaching English abroad • An accredited curriculum from a education In contrast, a standard, accredited professionally (non- volunteer), you owe recognized, independent organization four-week intensive TEFL certification course it to yourself and your students to invest within the field will typically cost $1,500 – $2,500 in tuition in the training you need to succeed as a • Instruction provided by a qualified plus $1,000 – $1,500 for the month of teacher and to earn recognized credentials. instructor (who holds a Master’s degree housing and food for a total of $3,000 – in TESOL or related field and extensive $4,000. An equivalent online TEFL class will experience) typically cost $1,200 – $1,400. An accredited TEFL certification course for Clearly, this is not a small chunk of change, teaching English abroad on a professional but when you consider that a typical study level will typically equate to a 4 week program costs at least $3,000 – $10,000, and intensive class in-person, or a 11-13 that such an investment will enable you to week part-time class in-person or online. teach English abroad and get paid in dozens Two-day classes and even two-week classes, of countries at any time in the future, it’s a let alone self-paced online classes with no pretty good deal and a great investment. China
Korea
Japan
Taiwan @LifeAfterSA
Thailand
Czech Republic @LifeAfterSA Mexico
Saudi Arabia
UAE
Vietnam
www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad Where can I take my What About Online TEFL Want to learn more about TEFL Class? Classes – Are They Valid? TEFL classes and teaching Standard four-week intensive classes are Like other TEFL classes, some will provide English abroad? offered in locations all over the world, you with a valid credential, and some Contact International TEFL Academy at including the United States. International won’t. Those online TEFL classes that www.InternationalTEFLAacademy. TEFL Academy, for examples, offers meet international standards for requisite com/LASA to download a free brochure four-week TEFL classes in 25 locations hours of coursework; live practice teaching; that details all aspects of teaching English around the world, including Florence, Italy; instruction from qualified professors; and abroad and TEFL certification, including Thailand; and Chicago. In many countries, external accreditation from a recognized salaries, hiring requirements, and visa especially in Europe, Latin America, and body in the field, will provide you with information. You can also call Southeast Asia, taking an international the skills and credential required to gain 773-634-9900 to speak with an expert TEFL class on location not only provides employment abroad. advisor regarding to all matters teaching www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com the opportunity to spend four weeks in a English abroad. cool foreign location, it can also put you Unless you’re looking to just volunteer, right on the ground where schools will hire avoid online TEFL classes that are: you locally right after the course. • Self-taught and self-paced
Taking a course domestically can make a lot • Not taught by experienced, of sense if you aren’t sure exactly where you university instructors About the want to teach English abroad, or if you want • Without live practicum (practice Author: to knock out your certification prior to going teaching) Bruce Jones, founder and overseas to teach, especially if you have Bruce Jones someone to stay with at the city to save What about two-day TEFL president of on rent. Also, taking a class domestically or International TEFL Academy online can make sense for those who want courses and those discount has lived, worked, and traveled to interview from home and line up their online classes for $89? to over 30 countries around the teaching job in advance of going abroad. Some training is better than no training, world, including a 2 year, 20 This is common practice for those looking but if you want to receive a professional- country trip around the world. level training and a credential that will to teach in major Asian countries like Japan, International TEFL Academy actually qualify you for great teaching South Korea, and China, oil-rich Persian Gulf trains over 1,200 new teachers to opportunities around the world, you should nations like Saudi Arabia and the United teach English abroad every year. Arab Emirates (U.A.E., including Dubai and avoid cheap classes that do not meet Abu Dhabi), and in some European countries international standards. Such classes are like Russia and Turkey. typically appropriate for volunteer work. Life after study abroad 22 TEFL CERTIFICATION TR Join over 250,000 people who get Paid to Teach English ITA Graduate Jen moving from Chicago to S. Korea! Abroad every year!
What is the deal Where can I teach? • Nearly 1 billion people are learning Most paid jobs are found in Europe, Asia, English in more than 80 countries Latin America and the Middle East. and they are paying Americans to teach them. How does it work? Lexi’s rooftop view in Barcelona • It is not required that you speak Become qualified to teach English a foreign language or have a abroad by earning your TEFL background in education – just Jessica flying high over Turkey certification through a 4-week full- a TEFL certification and a desire time course or by taking an 11-week to see the world. part-time class online. (TEFL stands • Major cities like Madrid, Rome, for “Teaching English as a Foreign Buenos Aires, Shanghai, Language”). This certification is Bangkok, Tokyo, Dubai and recognized around the world and never expires. Delia’s Olympic Village visit in S. Korea Seoul are each home to 1,000 - 8,000 English teachers. Who are we? • Yo u will be paid in the local International TEFL Academy certifies currency and earn enough to cover your expenses and live a more than 1,200 new teachers a year and provides lifetime job search David matchingJackie Chan hand in prints China with comfortable lifestyle. guidance. We offer accredited TEFL • Schools in some Asian and courses online and in over 20 locations in Ryan in Madrid watching his 1st professional Middle Eastern countries provide the U.S, Europe, Asia and Latin America. soccer game free airfare and housing and salaries up to $15,000 a year! We help people make their dreams Teach. Travel. Explore. come true every day. You can be next!
Request a brochure & enter to The first step to seeing the win a free online TEFL class! world as an English teacher is to request a brochure or speak Mention this advert and receive a $50 discount on tuition. with a professional advisor.
www.InternationalTEFLAcademy.com/LASA or Call 773-634-9900 23 Life after study abroad
@LifeAfterSA road hances are you wanted to study abroad to a) immerse yourself in another culture b) get a to success global education where the city you live and 6 Long-lasting learn in is your classroom c) to travel the world, Cor d) all of the above. But what you may not realize career benefits is that while you’re enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience, you’re preparing personally @LifeAfterSA of study abroad and professionally for the rest of your life. How? Studying abroad has a huge impact on your life after graduation – specifically your career path.
by Stephanie King
Top six career impacts of study abroad: 1. Find Your Career 2. Enhance Your Resume with 3. Find a Job Faster www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad Whether you realize it or not, your study an Internship Abroad According to the Chronicle of Higher abroad experience can help you clarify While saying you studied abroad is Education, close to 12 million (60%) what you’re passionate about and help impressive, saying you had an international American college students borrow money you gain career insight. internship or service learning placement is annually to help cover their education even more enticing to potential employers costs. So it’s not rocket science that Just ask Nathan Minnehan, an IES Abroad and graduate schools. you need to figure out how to pay back Buenos Aires 2010-2011 alumni, who your loans – and fast. When IES Abroad started making leather-bound journals Set yourself apart from other applicants surveyed its recently graduated alumni in while living and learning in Argentina. with real stories of working in a hands- 2012, 89% of respondents found their “The original WalknTalk journals were on environment, improving your first job within six months of graduation, made in Buenos Aires while I was studying communication skills in a global setting, and 95% secured a job within one year abroad, and the very first ones were sold learning first-hand from international after graduation, as compared to only at the San Telmo street fair,” he said. www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com professionals, and making a difference in 49% of respondents in a recent survey communities around the world. of the general college population who had found work within a year of For IES Abroad Tokyo ’01 alumna Christina finishing college.* McLean, studying abroad gave her the experience she needed to begin her global career.
“While eagerly immersing myself in Japanese culture, I worked on the corporate marketing team of a U.S. Fortune 500 company in the heart of Tokyo,” McLean says. “At 21 years old, I was executing branding strategies for a product line with sales exceeding $2 million. I led market research with my team, analyzed Two years later, Minnehan now owns and consumer behavior, and forecasted operates WalknTalk, his Chicago-based regional product consumption – all while company, selling handmade journals and building new relationships, engaging in accessories in 20 countries. His philosophy? new cultural experiences, and creating Get lost to find yourself. memories that would last a lifetime.” Life after study abroad 24 JOBS ABROAD
About the Author: With a love of travel and Stephanie King a degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Stephanie King works at IES Abroad and has written and produced content for Oprah.com, The New York Times, CNN.com, and Vance Publishing.
4. Make More Money in 5. Build Confidence 6. Learn How to Be a Your First Job Because you’ve studied abroad, you’ve Global Leader Along with finding a job quicker, living made the decision to step outside the For international educators, our goal is to and learning abroad can actually help world as you know it and dive into a new train you to be more respectful of other you make more money. Compared with culture, meet new people, and live like cultures, political and economic systems, the general population of recent U.S. a local. In fact, taking the study abroad and to increase your willingness to take a college graduates, recently graduated leap almost guarantees you’ll return stand for the world’s welfare. IES Abroad alumni earned, on average, home a more mature, confident, and $7,000 more in their starting salaries tolerant individual – and ready to take “Studying abroad opened the door for in their first jobs. Talk about a return on on those job interviews. me to become engaged in the global your investment! marketplace at an early age and “You’re able to grow outside of previous truly understand how intertwined our structures that often feel confining, world is,” McLean says. “As my career whether they be your language, your progressed over the years, I continued town, your university, your friend group to build on my international experience or whatever else you’re strapped to,” while exploring ways to make a greater Minnehan says. “Studying abroad social impact. My experience abroad has allowed me to open up and truly made me a more effective professional dream big. It gave me the perspective and engaged citizen to this day.” I needed to really get outside of myself and create a solid foundation for my brand and for my life.”
One thing is for sure: when you return from abroad, your life will never be the same – and that’s a good thing.
* The 2012 IES Abroad Recent Graduate Study was conducted in March 2012 to assess the impact study abroad has on a recent graduate’s prospects in securing employment and/or attending graduate school directly after earning a degree from a four-year college or university in the United States. By comparison, according to a report released May 10, 2012, by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the general population of graduates from 2006 through 2011 earned starting salaries averaging $28,000, and only 49% of graduates had found a full-time job within a year of finishing school, compared to the 95% of IES Abroad alumni respondents after 12 months. Want to live and teach in Japan? For four decades we have been the innovators in the field of english education, offering exceptional classroom and internet opportunities to study and master the language. All teachers have a 40-hour work week consisting of a standard 25 teaching hours, with the remaining hours spent on office responsibilities. The monthly starting salary is 270,000 Japanese yen and some benefits include one week or more of paid training in Japan, five personal days per year, Japanese national holidays off and 3 weeks vacation, a single occupancy apartment furnished to Japanese standards w/55,000 Japanese yen subsidized monthly rent, health and pension insurance coverage through the Japanese Social Insurance System, a bonus provided upon completion of the final contract, and knowledge of branch school location prior to signing the contract. For more information or to speak to one of our recruiters please visit our website.
www.aeonet.com
1. Travel bug: No longer traveling to 1. Study Abroad Advisor a different country every weekend? at a US University #BORING 2. Field Rep for a Study Abroad 2. Iced drinks: Now you can have Organization chilled sodas, water, whatever your heart desires #SLUSHIES 3. Resident Director for Study Abroad Program (Abroad) 3. Dry clothes: Snuggling up in a pair of warms sweat pants straight 4. Foreign Service from the dryer #AirDryingSucks 5. International Student Advisor 4. Story time: You’re story it was only funny the first time, your 6. TEFL Teacher Abroad friends who haven’t been there 7. Travel Writer/Blogger just don’t get it. #CoolStoryBro 5. Free water: No more paying for 8. International Business water in a bottle, or getting yelled 9. NGO Work at because you brought your own water bottle. #FreeWater 10. Travel/Tourism 6. Huge cars: What happened to all the little smart cars and public transportation? #GasGuzzlers 9. Time to drive: You’re back behind 7. English! Hurrah!: You can the wheel of a car, so long public understand everyone around you transportation #OnTheRoadAgain now. #EavesDropping 10. New Tunes: Its all new music 8. Ah man, I’m not 21! If to you, time to catch up on the you’re not 21 yet its illegal to last couple months of music and consume alcohol in America youtube hits. #ThisSongRocks #BummerDude Want to live and Life after study abroad 26 teach in Japan? For four decades we have been the innovators in the field of english education, offering exceptional classroom and internet opportunities rowd-sourced fundraising is a tool gaining mass attention in multiple 5.) Building Trust and the Gratitude to study and master the language. fields now, but it can be especially advantageous for aspiring study Attitude abroad students, volunteers, TEFL participants and other passionate Go back and think of yourself as a All teachers have a 40-hour work JOBS ABROAD week consisting of a standard 25 travelers, who otherwise might not consider going abroad a possibility. funder again. Funders aren’t going to be teaching hours, with the remaining C interested in donating to a campaign that hours spent on office responsibilities. Crowd-sourced fundraising makes the campaigns should actually be shared at is incomplete and inactive, simplybecause The monthly starting salary is 270,000 opportunity to get abroad a surefire possibility. least two-three times daily, across several it’s not a smart or safe investment! Think Japanese yen and some benefits include The two things you need are a computer and social media platforms. If you only have about it- you are building relationships one week or more of paid training in Japan, most importantly, a determined drive to create one (Facebook, Twitter or Google+) then with the people that fund your travels, so five personal days per year, Japanese and maintain a successful campaign. We at that makes personal email messaging even there must be a degree of trust established national holidays off and 3 weeks vacation, FundMyTravel can push tips and advice all the more valuable. a single occupancy apartment furnished to here. Adding photos and connections to merry day long. In the end though, it’s really your social media channels are not just Japanese standards w/55,000 Japanese 3.) Think of yourself as the Funder yen subsidized monthly rent, health and up to the traveler and how much effort they tricks to invade your social space or make This tip will never stop helping you and pension insurance coverage through the will put in to make it happen. This is better your campaign page more aesthetically it’s good to come back to every once in Japanese Social Insurance System, a anyway because then the travel experience attractive; these are actually significant bonus provided upon completion of the final awhile. While you’re sharing, updating and means so much more. It has really been steps to showing that there is a trustworthy contract, and knowledge of branch school marketing your campaign, remember to location prior to signing the contract. earned by the time a campaigner reaches persona behind your campaign page. their funding goal. switch your perspective lens and think about For more information or to speak to one the people you want to be funding your As you start receiving funds, up to the day of our recruiters please visit our website. FundMyTravel is a brilliant resource and tool, travels. You need to answer an important you depart for your trip, and throughout but fundraising is not a single step process question for them, “Why is this worth MY time your travels, never take for granted the and simply making a campaign does not and money to invest in?” We may not want generous contributors who helped you automatically entitle anyone to funding. to admit it, but as human beings we can’t fund your travels. There are so many ways Here are five areas of understanding help being eco-centric. Even without meaning to show your appreciation, so please do. that one should harness in order to be a to, we all will think of our own interests and And if you ever want to fundraise again, successful FundMyTravel campaigner: preferences first. So if you were the funder, the gratitude you show in the end is what www.aeonet.com what would catch your attention and make funders will remember most about your 1.) Grasp the FUNDamentals of you want to give to this campaign? Give campaign and your character. Fundraising: donors a preview of the positive outcome People might feel apprehensive about which will result from their support. Happy Fundraising and Safe Travels, creating a campaign to raise funds for their travel because they feel like it’s 4.) Maintenance and Updates: What if Victoria, Director of FundMyTravel asking for a handout. There is one very this campaign was a contest entry to important thing to understand about win your trip for free? fundraising- it is definitely not about just This is a good way to think of your travel asking for money. The truth is that you are campaign, and it’s not that far off in fact. building relationships with the people who When people enter an online contest to win donate, and everyone involved becomes a roundtrip flight or vacation somewhere, part of a collaborative project. Whether or they don’t seem too shy or concerned about not it comes off as a handout request, is posting their contest entry all over Facebook dependant upon the way you present your and Twitter...The time and effort that goes campaign. If you tell a story, explain why into keeping a campaign page fresh with this trip is going to be meaningful to your updates is essentially the work that you’re personal growth, and ultimately how it will exchanging for the money your campaign be meaningful for others as a result, then makes. That’s a pretty fair trade-off when funders really become investors. They are you consider the bigger picture, and the Victoria Mita donating because they believe you will make priceless experiences you’ll gain abroad. fruitful use of their money and that is where About the Author: Victoria it’s up to you to prove them right! Using Updates to communicate with your graduated with a degree in Education audience is extremely important because from Loyola University Maryland. 2.) Sharing is Caring... Sounds Cheesy, that is where you can keep the information Victoria is the new and proud Director but Seriously! you share dynamic. The more, new and of www.fundmytravel.com, an Sharing your page across social media different information you can provide about online platform designed specifically channels and lest we forget email, is one of your journey, the more interest you can for travelers, to help raise funds for the utmost important action pieces to generate across your networks, without meaningful travel experiences. creating a successful campaign. I can’t being annoying or redundant in your emphasize this enough. Many dedicated sharing* campaigners might share their page once every couple of days on Facebook, and feel productive. It may sound outrageous but 27 Life after study abroad @LifeAfterSA
How to
@LifeAfterSA get the most out of your volunteer abroad experience
by Alexis Margolin www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad
hinking about volunteering Talk to an Expert: Meaningful Volunteer Work: abroad? Great! Now it’s Researching and planning your volunteer We know that the most impactful approach time to determine where abroad experience can be daunting. to international volunteering is one to lend your time and There are nearly 200 countries out there designed by the community. With CCS, Tpassion, and how. With options as and roughly 6,500 spoken languages. you’ll do meaningful work that addresses varied as teaching English in Africa, That’s enough to drop the jaw of even a specific need. In every community in working to support the elderly in the most travel-savvy adventurer. So, how which we work, we have relationships 10+ South America, and volunteering will you decide on the right experience years strong with local organizations who with individuals with disabilities for you? After you do your initial research communicate, in real-time, the local needs in Asia, you need to make sure the www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com and determine some regions of interest, and objectives to the CCS team so we can experience you choose is a perfect contact one of our rockstar Program ensure that your volunteer experience is fit for you. Advisors – they’ll be there to support you impactful. You’ll work side-by-side with local Whether you plan to spend one week every step of the way. people to help address the issues they face volunteering abroad or twelve, here are every day. And as you immerse yourself in Whether you’ve got questions on what some great tips to ensure your experience the community, you’ll find beauty in every volunteer opportunity best matches your is everything you hope. connection and commonality discovered, unique skills and experience, the best way large or small. to get to Zanzibar after wrapping up your volunteer work in Tanzania, or some first- As a volunteer with CCS, you’ll have an hand insight on what it’s like to enroll opportunity to put your unique skills and as a solo volunteer with Cross-Cultural interests to work. So whether your ideal As a volunteer with Cross Solutions (CCS). in Morocco, we’ve got volunteer experience includes leading Cultural Solutions, you’ll folks here who’ve done it, love it, and live a dance class with the elderly in Peru, it! So why not ask for a little input? teaching English to children in Tanzania, have an opportunity to or leading crafts projects with people with put your unique skills and disabilities in Morocco, we’ll help you find interests to work. the right experience for you. VOLUNTEER ABROAD 28 South Africa “I know that Life after study abroad study abroad Life after Londo, volunteer,
child that cried, or , volunteer, every time I held a every made a difference.” danced with them, I South Africa return the greeting.” “When people ask me Thailand John, volunteer, Terri
“CCS takes care care “CCS takes takes the fear out of the fear takes them in Thai, and they would them in Thai, and they of all of the details and of all of the details what my favorite part was, I say what my favorite without hesitation that it was the without hesitation exchange, and free time.” exchange, and free eyes would smile – and they would – and they would smile eyes people. Specifically at the center for at the center people. Specifically volunteering internationally. internationally. volunteering get huge smiles on their faces – their get huge smiles on their faces evil eye. I would stop, smile, and greet eye. evil between volunteering, cultural cultural volunteering, between the elderly, when I walked around as a the elderly, when I walked dormitories, and they would give me the would give dormitories, and they Westerner, and I’d go past the women’s Westerner, They provide the perfect balance provide the perfect They the world.” Ghana volunteer, Tara,
“For all my life, I have I have all my life, “For always had this wall up. When I got to experience just how similar the unique human spirit is around as I possibly could be. And I was. And went to Ghana, I told myself that this to Ghana, went being 100% vulnerable, I was able to being 100% vulnerable, was a new chapter. No one was going was a new chapter. experience the most amazing things. I me. I was going to be as true to myself
because I was being true to myself and I was being true because Alexis Margolin Alexis notions about any preconceived to have Alexis Margolin is the Digital Content Content About the Author: Alexis Margolin is the Digital Solutions. She earned her Manger at Cross-Cultural in and a Masters University degree at Tufts undergraduate Wagner University’s New York from Administration Public and do- traveler Service. A lifetime School of Public gooder, she’s also a happy alum of CCS Ghana, English of teaching 2 weeks completed having 2013. to school children in February Just see what some of the CCS alums have Just see what some of the CCS alums have to say about their CCS experience: Need more convincing? Visit us at www.crossculturalsolutions.org the volunteer to enroll for and more info for today! abroad experience of a lifetime,
We With CCS, not only will you live and work and work live you With CCS, not only will truly immersive in the community – a the enjoy also experience – you’ll unique experience of living with your in the CCS Home-Base. volunteers fellow designed to ensure that Specifically comfortable, safe, feel our volunteers immersed in confident, and completely their new community, the Home-Base need in order to you’ll everything offers possible. That the best experience have of an the benefits enjoy means that you’ll experts, healthy of local incredible staff to and meals, transportation home-cooked place and a safe site, volunteer your from genuine connections to your to make Join a Community: explore your to While it’s important out of your independence and wiggle time abroad, zone during your comfort shouldn’t feel volunteers international it alone.” When you need to “go they like abroad with Cross-Cultural volunteer community find an instant Solutions, you’ll in- the CCS fellow-volunteers, in your new neighbors. and your country staff, Activities: Cultural Immersive We’ve Adventures: Time for Free time with free designed our programs built right into the schedule. This means most evenings, that on some afternoons, time have you’ll weekend, and every in and around incredible adventures for destination. volunteer international your choose to go it alone or set Whether you fellow out exploring with a crew of your CCS destination offers every volunteers, some plenty of time and options for off-the-charts excursions. new community. know that a chance to learn about the culture of the community in which you’re the truly makes is what volunteering As a volunteer, experience complete. do that it isn’t only the work that you a lasting impact on the local will leave exchange community, but the cultural as well. openly participate, in which you include plenty of cultural we This is why volunteer activities to complement your engaging lectures on local From efforts. history and customs to language lessons dance classes, every and traditional a deeper activity offers CCS cultural community. of the local understanding CCS_LAstyabroad_In_CCS_LAStudyAbroad 4/26/13 5:27 PM Page 1
29 Life after study abroad
moving “The first day they all looked at us like we were aliens. By the third day they were hanging on us.” @LifeAfterSA forward volunteering Amanda Lawrence, CCS Volunteer abroad @LifeAfterSA
by Magaret Price INSERTION: ? INSERTION: 770.888.5210 PHONE: 216MM X 303MM •
nterested in volunteering abroad but not quite These opportunities will support the academic skills and training sure if the time and expense are justified? on your resume, clearly very important when searching for a job. Here are some tips and guidelines for when to But don’t forget about the soft skills, which can help you stand out www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad volunteer abroad – and how to get the most from the crowd. Communication and language skills, particularly, Iout of your international experience! are key to volunteering in an intercultural setting and important in work settings. And increased empathy – being able to put yourself CCS_LASA_IN • BLEED SIZE: Volunteering abroad has the biggest potential to impact your life in others’ shoes and one of the most common outcomes of 5615 TWELVE OAKS DR, CUMMING GA 30028 • OAKS DR, TWELVE 5615 and future when it fills a gap or otherwise expands your resume. experiences abroad – greatly facilitates all types of relationships. TITLE: AD Perhaps you’ve studied human rights and are planning to apply to law school. Building on theoretical or case-based studies with When to volunteer abroad: practical experience, all while applying international standards ADDRESS: • You have a specific career goal and need certain skills or and respecting local customs, could be exactly what you – and experience to achieve this goal – think skills-based internships law school admissions officers – are looking for. This experience with the added plus of intercultural and, in many cases, demonstrates abilities in analysis and critical thinking, which are
language experience ABROAD • AFTER STUDY LIFE key for law studies, as well as a high probability of success in a BRANDY COHEN • human rights-focused career. • You have skills or experience in a certain area or career path and www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com are interested in expanding this to include a related career – in CONTACT:
Or imagine you’re an engineering student who is interested in many developing countries, work can be more holistic and a PUBLICATION: health but hasn’t had an opportunity to take classes that combine large overlap exists among health, the environment, education, these two areas of study. A volunteer experience in a developing infrastructure, and economic development country assessing technologies to improve health from an • You are looking to expand your career horizons or explore non- engineering perspective is a great opportunity to explore these STUDIO BLUESKY • connections, as well as add professional engineering, analysis, and traditional career paths – think development projects that have development skills – to say nothing of the creativity and leadership health and environmental impacts in rural communities AA volunteervolunteer triptrip abroadabroad with Cross-Cultural Solutions will change you. Change the way you see other AGENCY: • CCS_LASA JOB NUMBER: skills that are often necessary in developing country contexts – to If you’ve decided that volunteering abroad is right for you, the next cultures.cultures. ChangeChange youryour values.values. MaybeMaybe eveneven changechange whatwhat youyou dodo withwith youryour life.life. AllAll whilewhile youyou changechange thethe your resume. step is to prepare yourself so as to make the most of your overseas liveslives ofof othersothers forfor thethe better.better. UltimatelyUltimately we’rewe’re changingchanging thethe wayway volunteeringvolunteering isis done,done, makingmaking itit aa safe,safe, experience. I’ve been working with volunteers in Peru since late Perhaps you’ve studied and worked in a health career and have excitingexciting 11 toto 1212 weekweek adventureadventure ofof aa lifetime.lifetime. VisitVisit crossculturalsolutions.orgcrossculturalsolutions.org andand startstart planningplanning youryour 2011 and have supervised several hundred participants during realized that your passion is less clinical and more educational. If their stay in Cusco. The following suggestions come from their volunteervolunteer traveltravel experience.experience. ChangeChange theirtheir world.world. ChangeChange yours.yours. the opportunity to explore this blending of health and education experiences and mine. doesn’t exist in your professional setting, volunteering abroad /crossculturalsolutions/crossculturalsolutions @volunteerabroad@volunteerabroad is a great way to use your skills in health while furthering your The first key is communication – if the country you’re heading experience with education and gaining confidence in your teaching to doesn’t speak English, learning or brushing up on the abilities. Here, volunteering allows you to both explore a new local language will go a long way towards helping you build aspect of your career while also building the necessary skills to land relationships. And if you will be working with individuals who aren’t THIS a job in this new area. native speakers of the country’s official language, learning a few basic phrases in the local or indigenous language before you go CHANGES EVERYTHING CCS_LAstyabroad_In_CCS_LAStudyAbroad 4/26/13 5:27 PM Page 1
Life after study abroad 30
“The first day they all looked at us like we were aliens. By the third day they were hanging on us.” Amanda Lawrence, CCS Volunteer INSERTION: ? INSERTION: 770.888.5210 PHONE: 216MM X 303MM • CCS_LASA_IN • BLEED SIZE: 5615 TWELVE OAKS DR, CUMMING GA 30028 • OAKS DR, TWELVE 5615 AD TITLE: AD ADDRESS: LIFE AFTER STUDY ABROAD • AFTER STUDY LIFE BRANDY COHEN • CONTACT: PUBLICATION: STUDIO BLUESKY •
AA volunteervolunteer triptrip abroadabroad withwith Cross-CulturalCross-Cultural SolutionsSolutions willwill changechange you.you. ChangeChange thethe wayway youyou seesee otherother AGENCY: • CCS_LASA JOB NUMBER: cultures.cultures. ChangeChange youryour values.values. MaybeMaybe eveneven changechange whatwhat youyou dodo withwith youryour life.life. AllAll whilewhile youyou changechange thethe liveslives ofof othersothers forfor thethe better.better. UltimatelyUltimately we’rewe’re changingchanging thethe wayway volunteeringvolunteering isis done,done, makingmaking itit aa safe,safe, excitingexciting 11 toto 1212 weekweek adventureadventure ofof aa lifetime.lifetime. VisitVisit crossculturalsolutions.orgcrossculturalsolutions.org andand startstart planningplanning youryour volunteervolunteer traveltravel experience.experience. ChangeChange theirtheir world.world. ChangeChange yours.yours.
/crossculturalsolutions/crossculturalsolutions @volunteerabroad@volunteerabroad
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING 31 Life after study abroad
demonstrates cultural sensitivity and a willingness to learn about cultural nuances 10 Unique Volunteer Programs while on-site. (GoAbroad.com 2013) If you have more than a month or two for your international experience, take it! More time in-country leads to a richer immersion experience, extended and more intensive volunteering, greater contribution to the project where you’re @LifeAfterSA volunteering, and additional language and culture acquisition. That’s not to say you can’t have a fulfilling experience in a short period of time, just that it’s easier 1. Iceland Volunteer Trail Teams to get more out of your stay if you can stay for three or more months.
Once you arrive in-country, most of the people you meet (homestay families, volunteer coordinators, project staff, and other volunteers included) will ask why
@LifeAfterSA you’re there. This is a great opportunity to explain your goals and what you hope to get out of your experience abroad. In Latin American countries particularly, 2. Morocco Teaching & Trekking people are happy to make connections and introduce you to family members or friends who can help you achieve your goals, but they’re only likely to do this if you can give them specific ways to help. If you want to shadow a local doctor for a day or have coffee with a local engineer to ask questions, let people know!
If you go abroad with a volunteer organization, use this resource! The 3. Daintree’s Hidden Coastline organization wants you to have a good experience and has more tools than you might think to help facilitate this. If your experience isn’t exactly what you had hoped, let the organization know before the end of your stay – if we can make changes to improve your stay, we will. And if we can’t, we can help you process some of the differences between your expectations and the reality in-country, particularly when these differences are based on culture. 4. Volunteer in Surfing in South Africa www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad
5. Rehabilitate African Penguins & Seabirds in Cape Town
6. Israel - Desert Eco-Building Finally, “attitude is key” is an often-heard, but very true cliché! If you are open to learning from your overseas experience – not just skills, but also learning about www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com yourself and your culture – then you will learn, and learn quite a bit. And this understanding of who you are and what’s important to you is one of the most 7. Kokolulu Farm Cancer Retreat Program valuable lessons you can take from volunteering abroad. on Big Island of Hawaii How to get the most out of volunteering abroad:
• Focus on language and cultural understanding even before your trip begins • Plan your trip for longer than you might think necessary – an extra month or two can make a big difference! 8. Eco Waste Management in the Maldives! • Be your own advocate and don’t be afraid to ask for what you need • An open attitude can make all the difference
9. Husky Ranch Dog Sledding in Canada! About the Author: Margaret Price is the volunteer coordinator at ProWorld Service Corps in Cusco, Peru.
10. National Museum for Ethnography and Magaret Price Folklore La Paz Take a trip that makes a difference the local Ecuador volunteer and intern specialists Get involved in over 200 community and environmental projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America, with placements from 2 weeks to 6 months or more. See the real world and help make a real difference with Kaya.
Short and long term placements www.ecuaexplora.org throughout the year
Travel to Ecuador Building and become a part of Community our local community, Conservation joining environmental or Health community initiatives as a Education volunteer, or interning in Sports a diverse range of roles. Wildlife Children You can also visit to learn Marine or improve your Spanish language skills – with visit special medical-Spanish Experience ecological classes available! or call and cultural diversity 0161 870 6212 (UK) Photography by Diana Balarezo at the Equator! email [email protected] 1 413 517 0266 (US) call 1 877 909 3239
EXPERIENTIAL Volunteer with Cameroon LEARNING Benin Ghana communities Columbia INTERNATIONAL off the beaten track w w w . e l i a b r o a d . o r g
Volunteer programs in 28 countries on 5 continents
Volunteer in Western Africa or Latin America, working in partnership with local communities to build your resume, experience the real culture and make a genuine difference.
Cameroon Benin Learn French and Ghana Columbia To become a volunteer and make a real difference visit volunteer www.thehumanityexchange.org in Africa email [email protected] or call us on 1 778 300 2466
See the difference your education can make in the world! 33 Life after study abroad
GRADUATE SCHOOL ABROAD
@LifeAfterSA DID YOU STUDY ABROAD IN COLLEGE AND ABSOLUTELY @LifeAfterSA LOVE IT?
by Dr. Maschal
r maybe you took time streamlined application process, condensed your academic and professional to travel one summer time frame, and more relaxed culture and experiences and as a result, or participated in a atmosphere are also benefits. Additionally, your resume? volunteer trip overseas? many programs abroad are English- 7. Do you plan on pursuing employment www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad O based (meaning English is the language Perhaps you have just always been interested in living and/or working of instruction) and foreign language in the US or abroad after graduate internationally? If you answered proficiency is not required. Though school? immersion in a foreign language can be a yes to any of these questions or are 8. How important are career service great benefit to pursuing graduate degree thinking about applying to Masters and placement opportunities to you overseas and is very helpful in the global or Doctoral programs and want to (abroad and within the US)? attend a top academic program in marketplace, it is a misconception of many your field, you may want to consider programs that it is a requirement. 9. Will your degree carry the same graduate programs abroad. weight worldwide – or will it be less If you think you may be interested in recognized in the US or overseas? Historically, crossing the pond for graduate pursuing a masters or doctoral program study was not commonplace; however, abroad, you should start by asking yourself If after answering these questions graduate graduate programs outside of the U.S. are a few questions that will help outline study abroad seems like a proper fit, then www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com gaining popularity and respect worldwide. your academic and professional goals, as begin the next phase of the pre-application well as help you gauge the applicability process by doing your research. Take time According to the Institute for International and appropriateness of pursuing your to think about what characteristics in a Education’s (IIE) 2012 report, “U.S. graduate study overseas. You can begin school are of greatest importance to you Students in Overseas Degree Programs: Key this phase of the pre-application process (climate, location, environment, degrees Destinations and Fields of Study”, of the by answering the following questions: offered, career services/placement, size, more than 43,000 US students who pursue location, etc.). Begin researching colleges degrees abroad, most are enrolled in 1. What are your academic goals? and universities online based on the master’s degree programs (44%), followed criteria you have determined to be most by students in undergraduate degree 2. What type of classroom experience important. And, as visits may be less programs (39%), and students in doctoral and teaching style work for you? feasible, connect with schools of interest degree programs (17%). The top areas directly and with alumni, if possible. of study for US students pursuing degrees 3. Is English language instruction Making these connections, albeit online, is abroad are humanities, social sciences, and available? actually extremely important. Connecting business and management. with admissions officers or faculty and 4. Is foreign language proficiency a alumni will not only provide a source of The increased pursuit and focus on requirement? graduate programs abroad has stemmed information, but also demonstrate your from, but is not limited to, their academic 5. What do you hope to accomplish keen interest in a particular school – and rigor, affordability, and pipeline into the during graduate school? come time for your application being read, international job market. In many cases, a it could mean the difference between an 6. How important is “globalizing” acceptance and a denial. Life after study abroad 34
Taking the Next Step GRADUATE SCHOOL ABROAD Pursing graduate study and living abroad is a life changing experience and one that requires making important decisions about the future, both professionally and personally. The decision to go abroad for graduate schools is one that should not be made hastily or without asking yourself the proper questions, consulting with others, and doing your research. If wanderlust is driving your decision making, then I highly suggest you think again and begin to prioritize accordingly. If pursuing graduate study abroad aligns well with your academic, career, and post-graduate goals, then this highly rewarding path is one that you should follow.
Some helpful resources online include: About the Author: Dr. Maschal is the founder of B. Maschal Educational US Department of Education: http://www2.ed.gov/ Consulting, an admissions consulting firm students/grad/school/edpicks.jhtml that provides individual postsecondary Institute for International Education: http://www.iie.org planning services at the undergraduate and graduate level. Additional services include World Learning: http://www.worldlearning.org/404/ guidance and support to students and Dr. Maschal QS-Top Universities: http://www.topuniversities.com/ their families regarding transfer admission, pre-college and college internship opportunities, as well as GradSchools.com: http://www.gradschools.com/ summer, bridge and gap year programs.
I’m Interested in Graduate Schools Abroad - How Do I Learn More?
Students interested in learning more about the world’s top universities should review the QS World University Rankings. There are many published rankings out there, but the Top Universities QS ranking is known to be ATTEND GRAD SCHOOL IN THE UK the most widely read of its kind. According to the Top Universities website, as well as exploring the world’s top 1 year masters programs 700 universities overall, you can also use the rankings to find the best universities in a specific region, subject area, or factors such as reputation or research citations. In scholarships available 2009, QS launched the QS Asian University Rankings to and US student loans UK STUDY EXPERTS rank the top 200 universities in Asia independently. The accepted QS Latin American University Rankings were launched in world leading 2011. Students with specific location preferences in Asia universities or Latin America may also wish to utilize these resources.
In addition to the World University Rankings, there are free personal advice also Subject rankings, which are extremely helpful to and guidance review in addition to the overall QS World University increase your chances rank data. This rank is a comprehensive reference for of acceptance comparing institutions abroad by narrowed subject disciplines. Additionally, those interested in learning expert knowledge of more about top graduate schools abroad should look visas, loans, and more into attending the QS World Grad School Tour, which visits approximately 47 cities in 31 countries and brings information regarding postgraduate programs to over 40,000 interested masters and PhD students. The tour AcrossThePondUK provides an excellent forum for gathering information studyacrossthepond.com and resources for students interested in learning more about graduate programs worldwide. 35 Life after study abroad @LifeAfterSA pursuing an advanced
@LifeAfterSA degree Abroad
by Dr. Joseph F. Stanley
s someone who spends a competence, and independence – skills through FAFSA’s Federal School Code fair amount of time on highly valued by prospective employers Search Database (fafsa.ed.gov). There are campuses championing in a twenty-first century global economy. also a number of scholarship opportunities the education abroad Speaking from experience, the Master that can significantly defray the tuition and cause, I am often overwhelmed by of Science (M.Sc.) I received from the living expenses of a grad student abroad. www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad A the euphoric zeal of recent study University of Edinburgh is always one of the Prospective students can apply to a host abroad students interested in first items discussed during an interview. of funding bodies including, but by no returning overseas. And why not? means limited to, the Marshall Scholarship, Graduate programs outside the U.S. Rotary Peace Fellowship, George J. Mitchell Beyond the cliché-laden response of “It was can also save students time and money. Scholarship, and Overseas Research amazing!,” data strongly emphasizes the Compare University of Copenhagen Fellowship. transformational experiences of a semester and New York University (NYU). Both abroad, opening undergraduate eyes to institutions are very highly ranked, but they One final point to emphasize when a multiplicity of cultures, languages, and also illustrate the stark tuition discrepancy discussing the benefits of overseas study is skills that prepare them for an increasingly between the U.S. and E.U. In the upcoming that acceptance rates among international global world. 2013-14 academic year, for example, a applicants are particularly high. According master’s degree in Anthropology from to the Higher Education Statistic Agency Those who think about graduate school
www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com Denmark’s flagship university (instructed (HESA), non-British graduate students abroad often find themselves lost in a in English no less) will run a non-European studying in the U.K. have increased by one myriad of unknowns: from visa regulations citizen approximately $13,000. Compare third since 2008 and now comprise 57% and employment restrictions to “What on this with NYU’s program, which charges of all master’s and doctoral candidates Earth is a curriculum vitae?” I found myself almost three times that amount ($37,000). in Great Britain. As an American student in this very predicament when I made the The timetable for many degrees abroad studying at a foreign institution, you are in decision to go back to school in Europe. is also attractive. A typical Master of Arts fact contributing to the “globalization” of The paragraphs below can be considered (M.A.) program in the US can take upwards that campus (although some now argue a summary of things to consider when of two years to complete while programs that out-of-country tuition fees – which entertaining the idea of graduate studies in abroad are more independent with many yield far greater revenue streams – is the a foreign country. students submitting dissertations within real culprit behind these higher acceptance a year. In sum, you can obtain a graduate rates). The application process is more Advantages degree in half the time in many cases and streamlined as well where there is no need There are many benefits to attaining a at a fraction of the cost. to submit standardized test scores like the degree from an overseas university. First GRE and GMAT, or even an application fee For those concerned about financing, the and foremost is the international pedigree – costs that add up quickly when applying U.S. government allocates federal loans it brings with it. A graduate degree abroad in the states. The factors that matter to students seeking full-time degrees – whether from Cambridge or Shanghai– most to foreign admissions committees abroad. At present, students can apply adds clout to a resume and immediately are undergraduate transcripts, academic (unsubsidized) Stafford loans to cover costs underscores a potential candidate’s references, and the merit of an applicant’s at nearly 450 overseas institutions. The language capabilities, cross-cultural research proposal. list of eligible universities can be accessed Life after study abroad 36 GRADUATE SCHOOL ABROAD
Challenges Finding the Perfect One obstacle that Americans face in graduate school abroad Graduate Program Abroad is the high level of academic independence they are granted. There are several online resources that Higher education in the United States – at all levels – places can aid prospective graduate students significant value on in-classroom contact hours. Many overseas in researching overseas universities such Master’s programs, however, are structured like “mini Ph.D.’s,” as gradschool.com and goabroad.com/ providing ample time for the student to conduct research and degree-abroad. I would highly encourage gather data on their own in preparation for the dissertation discussions with your advisor or a specialist or thesis. A student may spend weeks, even months, without within your discipline. The world of stepping into a classroom or meeting with his or her advisor. academia is quite small and they will be the best resource in finding an international Outsiders to this academic culture sometimes construe program that is right for you. this independence as leisurely free time, which can have catastrophic effects on the timely completion of a degree. If In closing, it is important to note that you plan on attending a foreign school, it is imperative that you graduate school – both domestic and hone those time management and organization skills. foreign – is a serious endeavor not to be taken lightly and should not be Cost of living is another matter to keep in mind. University seen as a way to avoid entering the job cities that tend to draw large pools of international students market or “real world.” With that said, can be cripplingly expensive for a foreigner with little-to-no graduate school abroad is a viable way source of income, especially at a time when the US dollar is not to develop one’s professional career particularly strong. Urban areas like London, Paris, Singapore, whilst becoming integrated into new and Sydney, and Tokyo now rival or even eclipse the average cost of exciting environments. Perhaps the Roman living in New York City, San Francisco, and Boston. A good way philosopher Seneca best encapsulates to offset this is to work while abroad earning your degree, just these sentiments when he wrote: make sure to check your visa regulations! “Travel and change of place impart new Obtaining an advanced degree from an overseas institution is vigor to the mind.” not for everyone, especially those interested in practicing law and medicine in the United States. International master’s and doctoral degrees in the natural sciences, humanities, social About the Author: sciences, and business are highly recognized here in America. Dr. Joseph F. Stanley Advanced law and medical degrees, however, are not so easily is an Institutional translatable due to federal law and health services regulations. Relations Manager at CAPA International Language restrictions are also something to keep in mind. Dr. Joseph F. Stanley Although more and more institutions are offering degree Education (Boston, programs in English, one should be cognizant of potential MA) and can be reached at language barriers and investigate schools that resonate with [email protected]. their language capabilities. 37 Life after study abroad @LifeAfterSA @LifeAfterSA
finishing study abroad what’s your next move? www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad
by Troy Peden www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com
You are basking in the final days of the greatest semester/summer of your life. You are still surrounded by the amazing sights and sounds of the local culture that you may have taken for granted these past months, but now it’s starting to sink in how special it is and how much you are going to miss it. Life after study abroad 38
Here are a few steps to turn your dream semester into your dream career. hat about your new 1. Volunteer or intern at your study 6. Join an International Education LIFE AFTER STUDYLIFE AFTER ABROAD friends from other abroad office at home. Masters program in the U.S. There countries? They will Find out what you need to do, and are plenty, including great ones at Wbe your friends for jump in. Don’t just put in the time Lesley, SIT, Drexel, and NYU. These life, at least via social media, – learn everything you can about will give you the tools you need to but for sure you will meet up the field – volunteer for projects; use land your first job and the credentials, again in the future, right? the skills you didn’t know you had in as well. There’s no way this can be your social media or Wordpress or advising 7. Join the Peace Corps. Employers last experience together. or writing – to support the effort. often prefer Peace Corps, particularly While you are savouring these last 2. Join the study abroad alumni club. those employers who want to know moments, a feeling of impending “real If one doesn’t exist at your university, that you are committed to the ideals world” is setting in: the dread that create one! It’s great for networking of international education. and a cool way to relive the accompanies re-entry into American 8. Attend a conference. There are experience. Best of all, it’s fantastic culture. You’re going back to a world several conferences, which will help for your resume. where everything will still be the you get your start in the field. same, except you. Where people have 3. Write about your experiences. NAFSA is the biggest conference in been living the same life and have no Before you forget them, write them the U.S.; the expo hall is massive, idea what a profound, life-changing down and share them with others! and both providers and universities experience you have had. Where There are many outlets that would interview candidates on the spot. people will not understand your love your quality articles, including Students can receive a discounted personal transformation, let alone your GoAbroad.com, the Matador registration rate and mingle with new fashion sense. Where people are Network, TransitionsAbroad, your the shakers and the movers in the so stressed and so consumed with time. school paper, and travel blogs (always industry. Other worthy events include Oh my God, what about homework looking for guest posts). the Forum on Education Abroad and papers, and registering for classes, Conference and WYSTC. and finding new roommates?! 4. Become an authority. In this age where a blog can make you an expert, 9. Sign up for a list serv. SECUSS-L is All those things will work themselves utilize your experience. Write reviews NAFSA’s email-classifieds including out, don’t worry. What you should on RateMyStudyAbroad.com, conduct programs, topical discussions, and job really be thinking about is how you an interview with Study Abroad postings. InsideStudyAbroad.com can turn this amazing experience into Spotlight or GoAbroad.com, or write a posts regular jobs in the field, and your real life. country guide on one of many travel the PIE lists new opportunities. websites looking for travel insight. GoAbroad.com has the latest job Study abroad is the most profound and teaching posts. thing you have ever participated 5. Continue to travel. Study abroad in, and you want to share that with again, in a different location, 10. Get a TEFL Certificate. The TEFL as many people as possible. How continent, field of study, or type certificate will teach you how to teach can you do that? How do you stay of program. Intern or volunteer English abroad. Knowing how, having involved, how do you continue to abroad! Go to grad school abroad. a couple lesson plans in your back travel, how do you have the greatest Many graduate schools in other pocket, and having the certificate on career there is? Is it possible that countries are less expensive and can your resume will go a long way to you could earn a living and change be completed in a shorter time than landing a teaching job abroad. in the U.S. These will all expand your people’s lives? Yes it is! There are many ways to launch experiences and add to your resume. your career into the noble calling of international education. Your study abroad experience changed your life, now go out and change the lives of others.
Study abroad is About the Author: Troy Peden earned a graduate degree the most profound in International Studies and studied, volunteered, and thing you have ever worked abroad in quite a few places. He is the founder participated in, and of GoAbroad.com, he has also worked in study abroad offices at universities, and has worked with study abroad you want to share that organizations in the US and abroad. Over the years Troy has with as many people as employed hundreds (maybe thousands) of young people Troy Peden possible. How can you launching their international education careers. do that? 39 Life after study abroad
knew the one thing that would make me feel better would be Dunkin’ Donuts. So I trekked through JFK like a shopper on Iblack friday. I found it. Of course
@LifeAfterSA I found it, I was on the east coast now. The hunt was much easier than looking for decent Mexican food in the East Midlands (I had to make it myself). I stepped up to the counter and breathed a sigh of relief. I could do this. @LifeAfterSA
They had red velvet donuts and the kind of coffee I liked. Everything would be okay. The cashier gave me my total, and I smiled the small smile that can only be produced by having exact change.
“Honey, where do you think you are?” The cashier said laughing. I thought maybe I had been daydreaming, so I stared at her for a moment. Then I noticed the money that she was giving back to me. I had shoved a handful of pounds into her awaiting hand, not dollars. This was America. I was back in America. I mumbled www.facebook.com/LifeAfterStudyAbroad a quick ‘sorry’ and looked down, trying to choke down the tears that were burning the back of my eyes. I handed her my debit card, not wanting to dig through my bag for the $10 bill that was neatly folded in a pocket somewhere. And so it began.
It all began with a very loud, very public breakdown on the floor of Heathrow Airport. Well, that is how it ended: the most amazing four months of my life. It ended cuppa with me attempting to drown Heathrow with my tears, hoping I would never have www.LifeAfterStudyAbroad.com tea and to leave.
This breakdown, however, was due to stress a sitdown and thinking I was going to have to pay almost $300.00 to check a third bag that my return was really a carry-on, but no one seemed to notice. I was upset to leave England; from the thought was earth shattering. But at this moment, I had other things, like this england baggage problem, to worry about. Shout out to the Delta employee who finally realized that yes, my bag would fit in an overhead bin, and saved my life. You are a hero.
It was the morning of January 5th, 2013. The moment I had been dreading since I had landed at Heathrow a little over four months before. I spent the fall term of my senior year studying at University by Erin Browne of Leicester. Studying in England had been a dream of mine since I was nine Life after study abroad 40 LIFE AFTER STUDYLIFE AFTER ABROAD I was a different person. I had grown and felt more comfortable with myself. I had a new found confidence that I didn’t have in Colorado before.
Adjusting to being back was hard. Harder of sadness that sticks with you. There were than I thought it would be. I only had a things that made me happy about being few instances of culture shock when I went back in Colorado. Faces I hadn’t seen since to England. Some funnier ones include: the weather was still warm. No exchange showering in the dark because I couldn’t rate. Burritos. I had changed, though, find the light switch, not understanding while I was gone. I was a different person. two pence coins, and having a brief I had grown and felt more comfortable moment of fear when a cab driver shouted with myself. I had a new found confidence at me for trying to rip him off because I that I didn’t have in Colorado before. New didn’t know you couldn’t pay for a cab words were added to my vocabulary. New with a debit card. But for the amount of clothes were added to my closet. I needed time that I spent in England, I adjusted to figure out how to find a place for the surprisingly quickly and surprisingly well. new me in my old home. I am still trying to Holding my fork upside down and in my adjust. I may never stop trying to adjust. left hand made sense to me. Seven cups It’s this feeling, though, that motivates me of tea a day made sense to me. Driving to try and go back. Well, no, not try. Yoda on the left side of the road did not said that doesn’t exist, right? It motivates make sense to me, but I wasn’t driving me to go back. Sooner rather than later. anyway, so what did it matter! America, In the mean time, I look both ways, twice, well, America didn’t make sense to me before I cross the street. Yes, even when it years old and spent one night in a anymore. is a one way street. hotel in London on a layover to Italy. The not-quite-a-day I spent skipping Tea and orderly lines Homesick through rain drops and peering through the gates of Buckingham Palace A good friend of mine was kind enough It’s okay to be homesick for a place that had changed my life. It became an to open up her home to me when I first you never thought you would call home. obsession, studying in England. My arrived in England, and then again at It is okay to to still refer to trash cans as dream had come true, and like all good the end of my stay. One very valuable ‘bins’ and sweaters as ‘jumpers.’ It is okay things, my dream had come to an end. thing I learned from staying with her to be sad, but it is also okay to be happy. was something that her mother told me. These are things that I didn’t think about Journey home Everything can be solved by just stopping when I first got back. These are things that whatever it is you are doing and having I constantly remind myself of when I sit On the plane from London to New a cup of tea. Stressed? Have a cup of tea. down to my third cup of tea for the day. York, I watched the first 20 minutes of Upset? Sit down, have a biscuit, and have Location is a temporary thing, and I’m at least seven movies, but I couldn’t a cup of tea. Lost? Ask for directions, find a not stuck anywhere. There are planes to concentrate. The American accents of cafe, and have a cup of tea. London every single day, and quite easily, I the actors, the plane flying west. It all could be on one of them. That right there, seemed wrong. It filled me with panic. I drank a lot, and I mean a lot, of tea when that is a comforting thought, innit? I had never felt as at home somewhere I first got back to Colorado. Why weren’t as I did in England. I knew I belonged people lining up so nicely anymore? there. It is hard to leave a place after Why was everyone so loud? Which way you realize that you want to stay there do I look when crossing the road again? forever. But I got on the plane (so Wait, you mean I have to drive? many office betting pools were ruined. Cup of tea. Cup of tea. Cuppa tea. Cuppa. No one actually thought I would make it back. Jokes on you, people. No visa I was sad when I got back. Really sad. But means you have to come back), and it was the kind of sadness that you can’t when the plane landed, I was back on recognize right away. Maybe you think American soil. you are tired or hungry. And it’s the type A A C C A A C A B B C A A C C A A C A B B C
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A A C C A A C A B B C A A C C A A C A B B C Disclaimer: Any student who enters a review between 12 am MST on Oct 1, 2012 and 11:59 pm MST on December 1, 2013 will C automaticallyC B beC enteredA to winC prizes.A TwoB winnersA willA be drawn,B oneC to receiveC aB new, 2012C 11 Ainch MacbookC A Air, andB the otherA A B to receive an EagleCreek Gear backpacking bag. The review must be submitted through the website or through filling out a study abroad provider’s evaluation form. The review must be valid, and the student must have participated in the program which he or she A isA reviewing.C EntriesC mustA containA a Cvalid emailA addressB Bin orderC to win,A and ifA email CaddressC is invalid,A anotherA winnerC Awill beB picked.B C C C B C A C A B A A B C C B C A C A B A A B