The Final Countdown.

For grading purposes, this will be my last post! 41 posts, 15 interviews, 1,300 views, over a hundred pictures- I couldn't have asked for a better turnout!To everyone who helped me put this blog together: students who sent me pictures, took part in interviews, and helped me out with views, thank you so, so much. The future for Abroad Insider is yet to be determined, but for now, sayanara-adios-au revioir- bye bye!

Insider Tip #16

Definitely make a folder of every single piece of paper MIP gives you throughout the application process and through your travels. You don't want to throw anything out because you might want to reference back to it (I think I still have all of the packets I was given before I left for Sydney.)

Insider Tip #15

I know some people who bought a book about the place they were going to. Some of the college student travel types of books with all the things to do in a certain city or town are great for students going abroad. They are usually divided up by categories such as Entertainment, Food/Restaurants, Music, Museums (Art), Historical Monuments, Travel Locations Nearby (also nearby bus stops, train stations, airports, etc.) A little book like this can really help you learn the area before you get there and while you are there!

Soaking Up Seville II

A few last minute suggestions from Katie Meena.

Soaking Up Seville

Junior Katie Meena tells us about her semester traveling abroad in Seville, Spain last semester, Fall 2010.

Livin' La Vida Loca

Livin' La Vida Loca

Junior Katie Meena wrote a really interesting article for the circle during the Fall of 2010 while she was abroad in Sevilla, Spain. Check it out!

Insider Tip #14

SNEAKERS. Make sure you leave room for them. You're probably going to want to do some of the touristy stuff and go on lots of walking tours or if you're feeling really ambitious, maybe a hike or two. We had a gym really close to where we lived, but I needed new sneakers anyway so I figured I'd just buy them in Sydney... little did I know, the cheapest athletic shoes you could find were about $250 dollars. Yeah, my mom sent me my old ones in the mail.

Food, Fashion and Fabulous in Florence

Senior Krista Behr talks to me about her decision to study for a semester abroad in Florence, Italy during the Spring of 2010. It was a beautiful day, despite the wind you hear! Whoops.

Insider Tip #13

It may sound obvious, but make sure you really check out and become familiar with the weather/climate patterns before you start packing. You have less space than you think in your luggage, and you want to make sure you're prepared for everything. Example: I brought only one sweatshirt to Australia when I was going to be getting there at the end of July- the middle of their winter. Not the smartest idea- it was FREEZING at night before the spring temperatures appeared!

Barcelona Beauty

Maggie Kolb

Barcelona Fall 2010

What made you decide to go abroad?

That was the number one thing I wanted to do when I went to college, I had never been overseas and I think it’s an opportunity you shouldn’t pass up. It’s such a privilege to be able to study abroad and I wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass me by!

What is the first thing you did after you decided you wanted to study abroad?

I went to my advisor freshman year and after that I went directly to the abroad office but they pretty much told me I had time before I really had to worry about anything.

What helped you pick your program? How did you decide?

I worked the closest with Jerre Thornton.

Do you feel that you were prepared when you left?

I recognized I was as prepared as I could have been for a destination that wasn’t one of the most popular and that Marist Abroad wasn’t as familiar with.

How could the abroad office have made your preparations easier?

I think that when a student comes to you and blatantly asks what courses you should take abroad, “saving a couple of core courses” is not really sufficient enough. It would be really helpful if the coordinators could help individual students with some of the research in finding a program that fits their needs instead of leaving it to the help of Google.

Is there anything you wish they could have told you?

I wish there could have been a student that had the same experience I was going to have to give me first hand advice on what they found out the hard way, like I did.

Once you get there…

What did you think of the classes there? Was there an orientation or anything that helped ease your nerves before your first class?

I thought the classes were actually really difficult! I really did spend a lot of time studying and worked really hard for my grades. I worked just as hard, if not harder as I would at Marist but unfortunately, I felt I didn’t get back what I put in. I’m not sure if this was because of the language barrier or Spanish grading system, but the teachers were generally unforgiving with grades. I took an online class from Marist and I came back with decent grades from the Spanish classes, but just be prepared that it’s not going to be a joke of a semester and you’ll have to spend at least a little bit of time studying!

There was an orientation but they basically told us to stay away from the places of the city that everyone wanted to go to. We went anyway, but we were careful and didn’t go until we knew our way around the city. I’d say about 70% of the orientation was useful, the other 30% was “don’t tip the cab drivers…” which was information that I don’t think was crucial to my survival.

How different were your expectations from the real thing? If very different, did that stress you out? And how did you relieve that stress?

There was less culture shock than I was anticipating. Even living with a Senora it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but I think that might have been because of my personality. I knew someone who was homesick the entire time, but I think it helped that I tried to stay open minded about as much as I could.

Your favorite place to eat?

A restaurant around the corner from my Senora’s apartment called Ria del Barbanza Bar. We called it Enrique’s because we got to know the owner after going there so often. They used to give us free stuff all the time because we were such loyal customers!

Food or drink you MUST try?

Patatas Bravas, which is like potato wedges with a mayonnaise-ketchup-spicy sauce and Kava, which is a drink that tastes like champagne.

Favorite place to go out with friends?

George Paynes, which was ironically an Irish bar that played American karaoke on Sunday nights. Also, the clubs on the beach are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen- they look like they are on the Miami strip. Be prepared for expensive drinks, though!

Place students MUST visit?

Parc Guell is the coolest place. It’s like a park designed by Gaudi and it’s insanely gorgeous. And, of course, you have to go to the beach, but there are so many cool things to do in the city. I was there so many weekends and I was never bored, there was always something to do.

Place with the best deals?

Things at El Corte Ingles are generally more expensive, they have a lot of American brands but I would say the Corte Ingles locations outside of the city center are a better choice, pretty much anything outside the city center would be cheaper than anything inside of it.

Best place to get souvenirs?

The markets. They’re scattered all around the Port Velle, and they have some pretty good souvenirs to take home with you. You just need to come across the right ones!

What is the best piece of advice you can give others going abroad?

Be really friendly and open with the people in your program. Also, if you’re going to have a home stay, you have to understand that they probably won’t speak English and you’re going to have to adjust to their way of life. Don’t forget to be courteous, and respectful.

Insider Tip #12

If you are studying abroad in a country where you are there to improve your language skills while immersing yourself in the culture, don't be afraid to speak the language. Speak in that language as much as possible so that you can be as fluent and conversational as possible and speak English only as a necessity or back up.

Practice with your friends, your host family, other students, people out on the street, restaurants, stores, etc.

Even if you speak English with your friends, there are thousands of opportunities to practice outside your comfort zone

Lovin' London

Breeanne Rodriguez (Fall 2010) and Tory Mather (Summer 2010) talk about their time abroad in London.

Insider Tip #11

A very extensive, but very helpful checklist!

Making the Most of Madrid

Senior Cassie Koegl talks about her semester in Madrid during the Fall of 2009

Insider Tip #10

Shipping packages from home can be really expensive, especially when you're on the other side of the world, like I was. Make sure you make a packing list of all of the things you need and want to bring and double and triple check that you've got everything! Also, packing lists for semesters abroad are everywhere online. Check those out for items you might forget to bring and efficient packing methods!

Insider Tip #9

Picking classes to take abroad takes can be a lengthy process. Getting signatures from department chairs here at Marist confirming that your abroad classes will transfer back here can take even longer. MAKE SURE you give yourself enough time to pick your classes, get your signatures, and submit the necessary paperwork by the deadline.

Go Nuts for New Zealand

Senior Sophie Ordway shares her experiences from her semester in New Zealand during the Fall of 2010.

Winning London

 

Some great things about London programs I found after my interview with Tory and Breeanne.

Insider Tip #8

Get a skype account, if you don't already! Skype is the best invention ever and is SUCH  great way to keep in touch with your parents and friends. International phone calls: expensive. Skype calls: Free. Any questions?

Serious About Sydney!

Marissa Conroy and Leslie Hurd talk about their semester at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia during the Spring of 2010.

Serious About Sydney! (Part II)

Insider Tip #7

Don't be afraid to do things that YOU want to do. You don't want to miss any opportunities just because some of your friends aren't able to do everything with you. This is your time to gain some independence and take advantage of all of the opportunities that are presented to you. (Of course, you'll want to keep safety in mind, so if you're told certain areas may be on the sketchy side, those might be the ones to save for traveling in big groups)

Students from University of Florida Talk Abroad Advice

Dreaming of Dublin

Kaiti Decker

Dublin Fall 2009

atop Brey Head Mountain after a 2 hour hike to the top (30 minutes south of Dublin in County Wicklow)

What made you decide to go abroad?

I went to a high school right by Marist, and I felt I needed an opportunity to be able to experience life truly on my own and step outside of my comfort zone because I’m a person who always strives for personal growth.

What is the first thing you did after you decided you wanted to study abroad?

Dublin offers a home stay or apartment option and I had to decide which I wanted. I chose the home stay and did a lot of research on my own and a lot of familiarizing myself with it with handbook information and by emailing my host family. I may not have done as much research as I should have, but what I did do definitely helped me.

What helped you pick your program? How did you decide?

I chose based on the home stay because I thought that was the best way to totally immerse myself in a new culture and since Ireland is an English speaking country, I wanted to push myself a little bit more since I wouldn’t have a language barrier to challenge me.

Do you feel that you were prepared when you left?

Mentally no, physically, I was overprepared.

How could the abroad office have made your preparations easier?

I wish it was easier during the summer to get a hold of them. Sometimes questions I had didn’t get answered as in-depth as I could have hoped and when it came to registering for classes over there I wish the office was more accessible in the period before I was leaving.

Is there anything you wish they could have told you?

I did an internship while I was there. I wish they had told me I had to find the internship on my own, and didn’t use the website so much as a substitute for answering questions students have.

I also wish I knew about Marist health insurance. Make sure you check that out before you get sick abroad!

Once you get there…

What did you think of the classes there? Was there an orientation or anything that helped ease your nerves before your first class?

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland's top attraction, West of Ireland

There was an orientation for all the American students and we also did weekend excursions which were really cool. I only took one class since I interned 4 days a week, along with a Marist online course. They didn’t take attendance and my class was all Irish students. We really only had one paper…it was very different from Marist classes. The class I took was a media law class, which was really cool since the government in Ireland is much more controlling about what they allow for release on the internet. Most of what I learned came from my real life interactions with people I met with and lived with.

How different were your expectations from the real thing? If very different, did that stress you out? And how did you relieve that stress?

I went into it with the expectation that I was going to learn a lot about myself and along the way. All of the unknowns and lack of communication I experienced allowed me to grow as an individual. Before, I would have been freaking out and stressing about those things.

Your favorite place to eat?

There was a fish and chips place on the ocean in the town I lived in that we would go to a lot. We would get takeout and sit on the Irish sea and eat it.

Food or drink you MUST try?

I don’t care if you don’t like Guinness- you have to drink it, and lots of it! There were a lot of American chains, but all the traditional stuff, I would say to try even if it looks gross, like Irish breakfast and Irish stew and definitely cider!

Favorite place to go out with friends?

Anywhere in Temple Bar, which is the main row of pubs in Dublin. No matter what night of the week it is, the streets are crowded with people and live music in every pub, very night. It’s just fantastic.

Place students MUST visit?

The west of Ireland and Galway, which is the center of college and youth in Ireland. It’s such a young city and it’s the most fun I’ve ever had. We were also there for Arthur Guinness day which was great.

Place with the best deals?

Clothing wise, Dunnes and Penneys had fantastic fashion forward European stuff that was affordable. If you wear that sort of clothing over there, everyone’s wearing it, but if you bring it back, you’re trendy.

Best place to get souvenirs?

I picked up a lot of things along the way, but there was this souvenir chain of shops called Carrolls and they have everything from Guinness souvenirs to Irish soccer jerseys.

Place that was a little over-hyped, you wouldn’t recommend?

No- you have to go everywhere you can because every experience is well worth it.

What is the best piece of advice you can give others going abroad?

View from the Seaport village of Howth, about 30 minutes north of Dublin

For me, it was taking every second as an opportunity for personal growth or reflection about yourself.  It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting at a café by yourself or in a crowded bar meeting people, push yourself- especially if you’re with primarily other Marist students, forge your own path and realize your experience abroad is going to be totally based on what you decide to make it.

Insider Tip #6

Group flights are great, because all the details are worked out for you already by the MIP Office and you travel with the people in your program, but if you're on a super tight budget, sometimes you can find cheaper flights if you don't mind traveling in a smaller group!

Insider Tip #5

Don't say no to any chance to do something new. Try new foods, visit new places, meet new people!

All Aboard for Argentina

 Landon Greene
Argentina Fall 2009

What made you decide to go abroad?

Well, my minor is Spanish so I wanted to continue to learn the Spanish language, but I had already been to Spain twice, and I had always wanted to go to Argentina, where Marist already offers one of its programs.

What is the first thing you did after you decided you wanted to study abroad?

I started looking at other Spanish speaking countries that Marist offered programs through. I knew I was interested in Argentina, but I was actually only going to be the second person to go there.

What helped you pick your program? How did you decide?

Besides Spain, the only other Spanish speaking program Marist offered was the one in Argentina. I also have family in Argentina and I had already heard so many good things about it. I started to research the school, the program itself, and looked at all the different options they had for study abroad students.

Do you feel that you were prepared when you left?

I wasn’t really nervous or anything before I left, but when I got there, we landed in the slums of Argentina which was a little nerve wracking. We took an extremely sketchy taxi ride that lasted 40 minutes through the slums of Argentina. It wasn’t until we finally drove into down town Argentina that I could relax a little. This was how I found out that Argentina is a mix of third world and modern world areas- the outskirts are a little scary but once you get into downtown, it’s a lot better.

In terms of preparation, I had also Skyped with the woman I was going to be living with and she also facebooked me before my flight. I was most nervous about my Spanish, but she was so good about everything, it ended up working out fine. We used Google translator a lot in the first few weeks, but it got easier as time passed.

How could the abroad office have made your preparations easier?

I had heard the girl who went to Argentina before me didn’t have such a great time there. Jerre Thornton had forewarned me about that- but I think part of the fun of me going there was not being prepared and not knowing what was going to happen. I didn’t really have a lot of information about being abroad before I left, just the information I knew about Argentina itself- I liked not being prepared.

Once you get there…

What did you think of the classes there? Was there an orientation or anything that helped ease your nerves before your first class?

The school was all American students which was the only thing I wish would have been different. I specifically chose not to go to the University of Buenos Aires because its free to go there, so it’s a huge school and I thought learning Spanish that way would be too difficult. All of my professors were Argentinian, though.

We lived in an apartment and we had a neighbor who I met that was my age and didn’t speak any English. We became really good friends and became the primary way I worked on my Spanish. This actually helped a lot because the Spanish you learn in school is not the same Spanish that you hear abroad and in real interactions.

An orientation was given by the school, but it was really just about getting a phone, hailing a taxi, where to stay away from and how to stay safe, and some of the other necessities for just getting around the area.

How different were your expectations from the real thing? If very different, did that stress you out? And how did you relieve that stress?

I don’t think I had too many expectations before I went because I didn’t want to be disappointed. At the same time, though, I didn’t know what to expect at all. I relieved any kind of stress I felt by just going with the flow. Like I said before, I liked not being prepared and not having any expectations to fulfill.

Your favorite place to eat?

They have the best empanadas ever in Argentina. There was a place around the corner from the apartment I lived in that served them and my friends and I would go over there all the time and get a ton of them.

Food or drink you MUST try?

Definitely steak, which they eat a lot of in Argentina; milanesa, which is thin, battered meat, empanadas, and yerba mate, which is steeped dry leaves in hot water, which is a traditional tea that I found out will get you wired for hours.

Favorite place to go out with friends?

There was this one bar that was the only American bar around. The owner was also American so every Saturday they had football on and Tuesdays was game night. It was always fun when we went there. There’s also an area called Palermo which is kind of like the up and coming area in Argentina so they have a lot of cool restaurants and bars there as well.

Place students MUST visit?

Casada Rosada, which is basically a version of the White House, and Plaza de Mayo, which is famous for all of the demonstrations that go on there and political activists always there doing something.As for traveling, I would definitely say to visit Pategonia as well as Mendoza, where you can get some great wine and go on a wine tour.

Best place to get souvenirs?

In Palermo they had a street market on the weekend and they had some traditional Argentinian gifts you can bring home.

Place that was a little over-hyped, you wouldn’t recommend?

Boca was a street in the city of Boca painted all of these crazy colors, kind of like Burbon Street on Mardi Gras. It was fun going, but it was so touristy and everyone was trying to get you to buy things, so it was just one of those places that was supposed to be traditional but it’s just not anymore.

What is the best piece of advice you can give others going abroad?

One of the things I most enjoyed was actually meeting people from Argentina. Even though I went to school with all Americans, I honestly tried to not associate all the time with them. I tried to spend as much time with my friends who were actually from Argentina and learned about their lives and their language, which I wish I had done more in the beginning. There were some people I met there who didn’t want to try anything new. You definitely have to be open minded to whatever you’re going into and willing to experience everything that particular place has to offer.

Some more packing advice...

Interviews from students from the University of Oklahoma on everything about packing and what they learned from their own experiences with packing for a semester abroad. This video is kind of bland, but it really does touch on some important tips you might not think of when you're packing.

Insider Tip #4

Don't be afraid to take too many pictures!!

Switzerland Savvy

Lydia Charney

Switzerland Fall 2009

What made you decide to go abroad?

It was kind of always my college plan. I wanted to live in another country and it’s such a unique experience that I always wanted: to study and travel as a student.

What is the first thing you did after you decided you wanted to study abroad?

I started researching where I wanted to go because I knew I didn’t want to go with a bunch of other Marist students. I was making my own program regardless, so I just did what I thought was in my own best interests.

What helped you pick your program? How did you decide?

I pretty much did most of it on my own, so studyabroad.com helped a lot. The school I ended up going through was a program that had academic travel; so while I was abroad I’d also be taking a one credit course in another country. I chose Greece, so I got to travel all around Greece for this class which was already paid for in my tuition.

I chose Switzerland because initially, I wanted to speak French, which was the language I learned in high school, but  I actually ended up going to the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. Also, the Swiss Rail program makes it really easy, convenient and affordable to travel all throughout Switzerland and the surrounding countries.

I was also really interested in Swiss policies and how they’ve managed to keep such a peaceful and neutral country for so long- over 200 years, and I wanted to see the type of people that were able to maintain that interaction with the rest of the world and with each other.

Do you feel that you were prepared when you left?

I was going alone so I was kind of prepared to be unprepared. I did a lot of my own research and bought a lot of books about Switzerland and culture and I wanted to get myself as prepared as I could, but it really came down to preparing myself to be unprepared. I landed in Milan and had no one, no program greeting or anything, and I just went with it!

How could the abroad office have made your preparations easier?

I think what I was most annoyed about is that I had to go to really, really general meetings full of individuals who had all made their own programs but who were all going different places. Although we all got most of the Marist paperwork done there, I also had a lot of paperwork to do on my own for the school in Switzerland as well. I had to go to the college’s NYC office to interview for their program. I’m not sure if it would be possible for the Marist abroad office to schedule individual meetings for every person going alone to a different country, but it was frustrating being an individual in such generalized meetings.

Is there anything you wish they could have told you?

They definitely put in effort and gave us each an individualized packet with information like, how much we should expect to spend and what the weather would be like, etc. I’m sure that took a lot of their time, and I definitely appreciated that. I know when I got there that there were things I wish I would have known before I got there, but it was primarily things that the abroad office couldn’t really have told me specifically.

Once you get there…

What did you think of the classes there? Was there an orientation or anything that helped ease your nerves before your first class?

Classes were a lot different than at Marist. Franklin was a really small, really liberal school with a significant amount of international students. I took a class called comparative cultural literary studies: marriage and family- and it was all about gay marriage. That class was so different than anything I’d ever taken at Marist so I was kind of shocked because it was a much more liberal environment than I’d ever learned in before.

All the people I was in the orientation with were freshman because I went in the fall, so it was more of a “welcome to college” orientation rather than, “welcome to Franklin College: Switzerland,” which I think would have been a little more helpful for my specific situation.

How different were your expectations from the real thing? If very different, did that stress you out? And how did you relieve that stress?

I almost felt like a stereotype of an American in Europe. I landed and I went to order a coffee and I couldn’t read the menu… I ended up ordering espresso without anything in it which tasted awful, and I was just alone and had so much to figure out, I really didn’t know  a thing. By the end of my whole experience I was a pro at ordering coffee, though!

Your favorite place to eat?

My favorite pizza place was Bella Riva

Food or drink you MUST try?

Fondue is Swiss, so you absolutely have to try that, and they’re also known for their risotto. I was in the Italian section of Switzerland so their pizza was unlike anything I’ve ever had in my entire life, and it was everywhere!

Favorite place to go out with friends?

Titos, which was in downtown Lugano, where I stayed primarily.

Place students MUST visit?

Downtown Lugano is so beautiful. It’s a resort town so celebrities live there and it’s right on the lake. It’s absolutely beautiful. You have to find San Salvatore, which is a mountain that looks over the whole town. I also absolutely loved Zurich, it’s such a cool city; and Lucerne is a beautiful Swiss village…You know what? Switzerland, just in general, is so amazing. There’s mountains and lakes and everything is just so, so beautiful. Even my daily walk to class was breathtaking.

Place with the best deals?

Migros was a multi-level shopping center all under one roof, almost like a mall. Each floor had something different- from cosmetics to groceries. I think this is the most economical place to buy most things. Manor was another place to check out, which also became my favorite place to go clothes shopping.

Best place to get souvenirs?

They’ve got little souvenir shops in all cities and they have all the traditional Swiss souvenirs and a whole bunch of stuff specific to their canton. (Switzerland is divided into cantons, based on the countries they boarder.)

What is the best piece of advice you can give others going abroad?

I would say, talk to people who have been where you’re going, do research on your own, learn how to say “please,” “thank you,” and “sorry, excuse me,” in every language of the places you’re going to travel to because they are the words you’ll likely be using the most. I would also warn not to expect anyone to cater to your needs- this is your experience, and no one else can tell you how to live your time abroad. Just go with the flow and take the responsibility to make it the best experience you can.

Living with a Host Family?

Insider Tip #3

When traveling abroad, try to pack carry-on luggage only. This will save you checked baggage fees and make your trips quicker and easier!

Insider Tip #2

Plan your trips early on in the semester. This way, you can make sure you fit everything in (not to mention budgeting money for travel costs!)

Message from Morocco

Andrew Clinkman
Morocco
Fall 2009

What made you decide to go abroad?

To me, the debate of going abroad was never really an option. My brother, who went to American University, said that he always regretted not going abroad. Therefore, I made it a point to do it even knowing that I would miss a lot of opportunities at school. 

What is the first thing you did after you decided you wanted to study abroad?

I made the decision in high school. So I started researching online for a program that fit what I was looking for. I wanted to study in a non traditional setting; a place that I couldn't visit when I was retired.

What helped you pick your program? How did you decide?

I found my program online with the help of Google. I wanted a unique experience in a city. Marist did not provide a program in a city in Morocco so I chose to find it online. As for going to Morocco, I mentioned my not wanting to go do Europe and my friend mentioned, why not Morocco? 

Do you feel that you were prepared when you left?

No. I did not take Arabic seriously enough before I left. My language skills in Arabic and French were okay and I did decently while I was there, but life, in comparison to American life, is vastly different. The language barrier only disappeared after a couple months. However, while I wasn't ready for the shift in lifestyles, that definitely added to the experience.

How could the abroad office have made your preparations easier?

They couldn't have. Very few students travel to Muslim countries and there is not much of a support line there. As for students going in the future, Marist is preparing them by having them talk to me.

Once you get there…

What did you think of the classes there? Was there an orientation or anything that helped ease your

nerves before your first class?

My language classes there were a lot more in depth than at Marist. This is due to the five days a week i spent in the classrooms. There was an orientation in which we stayed in very nice hotels for 2 days. This allowed us to acclimate to being in a very new environment.

How different were your expectations from the real thing? If very different, did that stress you out?

And how did you relieve that stress?

Well, life definitely was slower, however it didn't seem that way. The constant traveling was stressful and wearing on the body. Being in a strange place that had very little stuff in common with the US was stressful. We would use my apartment as a way to feel like we were back in America again. We would hang around drink and just talk about things we would discuss in the USA.

Your favorite place to eat?

Someone's house. Restaurants are only for foreigners and therefore the best cooks are in the home.

Food or drink you MUST try?

Sweet Moroccan tea. It's delicious. Or Yawmy, it's a yogurt drink. 

Favorite place to go out with friends?

The cafe or around the country. We went to the cafe a lot because there would often be internet there, plus it was a lot easier to relax there. However, we also traveled every weekend, which was kind of hit or miss. We went a lot of great places around the country, and a lot of not so awesome places. 

Place students MUST visit?

Chellah, which are Roman ruins in Rabat (the capital where I stayed). Volubilis, which are some more Roman ruins. Fez, which is one of the best known cities. It is breathtaking. 

Place with the best deals? Or to get great, but cheap souvenirs?

Go to the souks (markets) in the cities. Be ready to negotiate yourself to a better deal. Buying anything besides food is always a struggle. 

What is the best piece of advice you can give others going abroad?

Do everything. Forget about money, you're only there once

Anything else you would like to share with those who are planning to go abroad in the future?

Pay attention to your body. If you get sick, make sure you take care of it. In my travels, I got very sick and I waited too long to seek care. 

Abroad Insider Tip #1

If you're like me, you'll end up acquiring tons of souvenirs and other things while shopping abroad. I had more than double my luggage I had brought over when it was time to fly home. Be prepared to leave things behind like toiletries, towels, shoes, and anything else you can live without. Be aware of international luggage restrictions, because overweight baggage and extra bags will cost you a fortune!

Tips of the Day!

This month, I decided to start a new post style: Tips of the Day. These words of advice will come from my experiences and from others who would like to share small suggestions for making your semester abroad easier!

Addicted to Australia

Ryan Houlihan

Sydney, Australia

Fall 2009

What made you decide to go abroad?

I felt like it was part of the college experience and there’s no other time in your life you get the chance to do this.

What is the first thing you did after you decided you wanted to study abroad?

I picked a few places that I would want to go and kind of felt out what the programs had to offer, like how many Americans they hosted each semester.

What helped you pick your program? How did you decide?

Other than people answering questions for me, I came to the decision on my own after I talked to a lot of faculty because I feel like for the most part, students are going to like wherever they end up going abroad.

Do you feel that you were prepared when you left?

I was prepared, but I didn’t feel prepared. When I left, I was really unsure of myself and uneducated about the things I would deal with over there, from living spaces to travel and transportation to the type of people I would meet.

How could the abroad office have made your preparations easier?

I think there was a packet or a handout for pretty much everything. They explained processes, but then when the day comes you kind of figure out everything by yourself. I think we found out that Australia, in fact, was very much like America in some ways but very different in so many other ways.

Is there anything you wish they could have told you?

I wish they had told us that when we went there, it wouldn’t be as foreign in some ways and not so foreign in other ways. I wish I knew that money conversion wasn’t going to end up being a long term issue or that you’ll get to know the trains quicker than you might think. The long term issues were more about their cultural outlooks, ideas and concepts because I feel that they are totally different than ours. For example, when they make jokes, it’s normally at the expense of another person, but it’s just how they are, they aren’t trying to be insulting.

Once you get there…

What did you think of the classes there? Was there an orientation or anything that helped ease your nerves before your first class?

Orientation was much more helpful at Macquarie than the orientation at Marist. I personally thought their academic system was far more effective than that of American institutions. The classes were harder but it was easier to succeed and to learn in them.

How different were your expectations from the real thing? If very different, did that stress you out? And how did you relieve that stress?

I expected to be in a setting where I would meet more people from the university but I ended up meeting more people from the college, which was the dorm style building I lived in called Dunmore Lang College. I ended up having minimal connections at the actual university. It was stressful the first day because you felt like you should really join some clubs or activities so you really tried, but that’s not how it was. I wish we knew it was like that, so I didn’t have unrealistic expectations of myself.

Your favorite place to eat?

There was a place in circular quay (pronounced key) where you could get anything covered in chocolate called the Chocolate Bar. I think they have one in New York City, too.

Food or drink you MUST try?

Am I allowed to say a Jelly Donut Shot? But also, I’m a vegetarian and I wasn’t aware that there aren’t normally full meals that are served without meat. I also lived off of Milo, which is similar to hot chocolate.

Favorite place to go out with friends?

The Ranch was where everyone from DLC went every Wednesday night, which was within walking distance from the college. In downtown Sydney there was a German bar called Lowenbrau that I loved to go to because of the atmosphere it provided. During one of our organized pub crawls we went to a bar called Home, also in downtown Sydney which was a lot of fun, especially if you’re in the mood to dance and mingle.

Place students MUST visit?

You have to go to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but it is a little expensive to do the walk over the bridge. You should get to every beach you can possibly visit, and Luna Park was really cool, we had our college formal there and I had a blast.

Place with the best deals?

Paddy’s Market, I think anyone will agree has the best deals and is the best place to get souvenirs to take home with you. They literally sell any kind of souvenir you can think of, but then there’s also a fresh produce market, a whole section with just jewelry, and really just anything you could possibly want to buy.

Place that was a little over-hyped, you wouldn’t recommend?

The Sydney Aquarium, I think I just wanted to go to because it was in Sydney, but really it was just like any other aquarium I’ve gone to. I went there just to say I went there.

What is the best piece of advice you can give others going abroad?

Make a ton of friends and don’t think about home because you’ll get home sooner than you want to.  I think being home sick is a waste of time, just enjoy where you are, and get a cell phone!

Australia changed my perspective on people. There was so little judgment there and it’s something I feel like Americans can’t understand until you go. It’s the same price as Marist- just go.

Packing for a whole semester!? No problem.

Some helpful packing tips

Fancy That, Florence

Alyssa Longobucco

Florence, Italy

Spring 2009

What made you decide to go abroad?

Mostly I really wanted to get out and experience new things. I felt, what better way to do it than to live in a new country for an entire semester? As far as the choice of Italy goes, my Dad’s parents are from Italy and my whole family is Italian so it was the only real place I could see myself going.

What is the first thing you did after you decided you wanted to study abroad?

I needed to find people to go with, so luckily it so happened that 3 of my housemates were also interested; so we went to the abroad office and got some information on Florence.

Do you feel that you were prepared when you left?

No. I read a lot of books on going abroad and we had informational meetings leading up to when we left but I don’t think there’s really a way to be prepared until you arrive. I wore a fanny pack to the market the first time and caused more attention to myself that way than I would if I had a regular bag with me. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but looking back it was a silly idea, having to lift my shirt up every time I had to pay because avoiding getting pick-pocketed was so ingrained in us before we left!

How could the abroad office have made your preparations easier?

I think a big thing they could have done is bring in students who had already been abroad to where were going. We really didn’t get the student perspective or undercover work as to what students found out when they got there, like things the abroad office couldn’t necessarily tell you but that we could really appreciate knowing.

Is there anything you wish they could have told you?

It’s the same thing in the sense with college, your parents can prep you for college and go on visits but you can’t really experience college until you get there, it’s always easier if you have an older sibling to tell you what it’s really like. For example, I wish someone had pulled me aside and told me not to pack my fanny pack, or I wish I had known here to get the best and least expensive hair straightener; things the Marist abroad office might not think of.

Once you get there…

What did you think of the classes there? Was there an orientation or anything that helped ease your nerves before your first class?

There was an orientation that showed us the buildings but it was basically your regular first day of school orientation, As far as the classes go, it was nice that it was a Marist University so it was easy to take the classes I needed to take.  I also liked the variety of Italian classes, like my cooking classes…I got to go and cook all day which was incredible, and my history classes that were so much more interesting because we could see everything we were actually talking about. I thought that was definitely a positive thing.

How different were your expectations from the real thing? If very different, did that stress you out? And how did you relieve that stress?

It was definitely hard going into it. My 3 friends and I were sophomores, which was young so there was already that disconnect and hard to put ourselves out there. That being said, it was also better than I expected. I loved the culture and the possibilities for the weekends. How often can you say you lived in Florence and went to Paris for the weekend?

Your favorite place to eat?

My favorite place to get gelato was Grom. (They also have one in New York City in Greenwich Village!) I’d always get the dark chocolate and coffee. It was so delicious and to die for.

My favorite Panini places were called IntiqueNoe, and the other was another sandwich place by our school where you could make your own Panini.

My favorite restaurants Il Gato e Il Vople, Aqua al Due, where you have to try the balsamic steak and pasta sampler, and Salamancas was a Mexican place that had surprisingly amazing Mexican food if you need a change of pace. Quattro Leoni also has amazing pear tortellini and Gusta Pizza has the best woodfire pizza in the city for 5 euro!

Food or drink you MUST try?

On the street I lived on there were always these waffle carts that had waffles with nutella, and it’s always wafting up into your windows it’s hard to resist. Everyone’s daily diet should include gelato, a perfect woodfire pizza, some balsamic steak from aqua al due and tortellini.

Favorite place to go out with friends?

I think anyone who’s from Marist that’s been to Florence will agree Café Biggalo. There’s a guy there named Georgio that everyone becomes friends with, and literally everyone will go there every night to hang out for a little or stay there for the night. They have 3 drink punch cards that are a great bargain, and it’s not just wine at the bar, which is hard to find.

Place students MUST visit?

Ponte Vecchio, an old bridge filled with jewelry shops and gold shops definitely a place Marist students have to get to. I got a necklace made out of an old gold coin that I got here and its one of my favorite possessions.

Place with the best deals?

The leather market. We were privileged enough to walk through it on our way from apartment to school. There was this guy who would be like, Seniorita! Seniorita! You dropped something! And it would always be something like, My heart! Or, My phone number! So it’s definitely an experience, but you can find amazing leather deal goods and perfect for souvenirs, they have everything you can think of from jackets to bags to little key chains.

What is the best piece of advice you can give others going abroad?

I’d say, as cheesy as it sounds, live for the moment. You won’t believe how fast those 4 months go by. Don’t stay in for a night or turn down a single experience and eat as much pizza as your stomach can take. It was my first time out of the country, so I wish I embraced it more and took some more chances but at the same time it was one of the best times of my life. And watch out for pick-pocketers!

You can go anywhere!

A great site if you're thinking of making your own program; you can search the country you're interested in, the type of program you'd like, and the subject's you'll be studying.

Mad About Madrid

Steph Caraballo

Madrid, Fall 2010

“Everyone was like YOU HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING. That didn’t work”

What made you decide to go abroad?

I wanted to better my skills in the Spanish language by immersing myself in the culture. I also wanted to get a sense of how independent I could be and throw myself into a situation where I had to rely on myself and force myself to grow up

What is the first thing you did after you decided you wanted to study abroad?

I talked to all of my close friends about it and asked for their opinions, got mixed feedback, talked to people who had been abroad, people who I knew definitely weren’t going abroad, and asked my really close friends about what they thought of it

What helped you pick your program? How did you decide?

I always knew I wanted to go to Spain. In high school I went to Spain for 10 days with 20 students and when I was there I fell in love with the country, and knew I really wanted to study here in college, but I thought that’s in four years… (Which comes faster than you think!)

I also wanted to be fluent in Spanish, and that’s the only way I thought I could accomplish that.

Do you feel that you were prepared when you left?
Not at all. Oh my gosh I was so scared. When I took a van to JFK I was so upset and so not ready. I knew the kids in my group from meetings, but I wasn’t really friends with them. I was scared to be away from my family, my friends and everything I knew. The other students were a little intimidating because a lot of them knew each other already, and I was pretty much on my own even though I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going.

How could the abroad office have made your preparations easier?

I feel like some of the stuff they did with us in those meetings was really useless but other stuff wasn’t discussed enough, like the procedure of what exactly was going to happen when you got to the airport. When I talked to the people in my group after we had became better friends, I found out that they were feeling the exact same way. We ended up becoming like a family by the end. Everyone had been just as nervous, and everyone felt they could have been better prepared. There was no emergency procedures, either, which had me nervous and none of us had internet, so at times it was really difficult. There was this one meeting, though, where someone who had gone abroad to Madrid who talked to us for an hour and it helped me more than any of the meetings we had already had. When my group realized how helpful that one person was, we decided we were going to do the same for the next group of people going to Madrid as well.

Is there anything you wish they could have told you?

I wish they had more people come in who had been there the semester before, like the student did from the semester before us. The group we talked to who were preparing to leave for this semester trusted us more because we had already been there, and I really feel like they got a lot out of it.

Once you got there…

What did you think of the classes there? Was there an orientation or anything that helped ease your nerves before your first class?

Each class was presented to us by the professor during orientation week. We got to choose which classes we wanted to take from that presentation. I wish the abroad office made it more clear what classes on Marist campus are equivalent to that in Madrid. We got to see a classroom and hear from the professor you’d take the class from so you can tell if you’ll be able to understand their Spanish, which was really helpful.

How different were your expectations from the real thing? If very different, did that stress you out? And how did you relieve that stress?

Living with a host family was different. At first, I was like, Oh. My. God. The first two weeks were horrible and I was really upset. I didn’t feel comfortable in the house and just wanted to sit alone in my room, but then I got more comfortable as I got closer with the kids in my group and with my Señora. But at first it was very stressful. I think time really helps; it’s just like when I moved back here with a house full of 7 seniors who I had never met before. It was exactly the same as when I got to Spain, I was thrown into a situation where everyone was already friends and I just felt uncomfortable but time helped everything move along. You can’t make yourself automatically feel comfortable in a completely new situation. You need to be open to everything. In some sense, being abroad can almost be overrated. You have those people who specifically talk about “their place” but there are different places for different people. I had a great time and it was a great 4 months of my life, but I wouldn’t call it top of the line, THE best time of my life, but it’s not the end all, better than everything sense.

While you’re abroad, you are trying to feel everything that people tell you, and you’re like “Wow, I can’t wait to feel like that.” But then, the first few weeks I was like, “Why am I not feeling that way?”

We received a packet about culture shock and I quickly realized I was actually feeling all of the things it was describing. I think the amount of fun you have abroad is how quickly you come out of that feeling of culture shock, and if you don’t, you’re basically still living in America and you won’t have as great of an experience. You need to think; when else will I be in Spain for 4 months?

Your favorite place to eat?

My Señora was a fabulous cook, but I’d say Museo Del Jamon and Cien Mondaditos.

Food or drink you MUST try?

I tried everything I could. They’ve very big on seafood, but they don’t consider it fresh unless there’s bones in it, something to keep in mind. And be prepared because ham in Madrid is real ham- they have hanging pig legs and just cut slices off of it in front of you! I also tried escargot in Paris; I felt it was something I had to do.

Favorite place to go out with friends?

La Solera. We’d always meet at Sol, the city center, that has a statue of a bear on a tree “el oso” and we’d just be like, okay, meet at the bear. And we’d just figure out where we wanted to go from there. We just stumbled upon it one night. They have the best sangria in all of Madrid. We would all get “jarras,” pitchers, and share them. They also have great mojitos and you get a free “tapa,” or appetizer with it. We’d go in huge groups and just hang there all night.

Another place was the Fontana de Oro. They had live music on Fridays and had all these screens that would play American music videos like Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson and had a bunch of types of beer from all over Europe. There are lots of places all around the city center. El Tigre was also another great place to check out.

Place students MUST visit?

Well, I thought he Prado museum was kind of boring, but you go to say you’ve been there since it is so well known. I personally think the better museum with more modern and colorful art more contemporary art and photography is Reina Sofia, which is kind of like MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) whereas the Prado might be compared more to like, the Met.

Retiro Park was also gorgeous. You can row in a boat around the manmade pond, there’s a rose garden and botanical gardens where you can sit and have a drink or exercise.

There’s also an outdoor sculpture museum underneath a bridge that I would have never gone to if it weren’t for my art class. You can walk through and look at all the art. Some pieces incorporate water, some are hanging, and they have little stories about how and why they were donated, and it’s free because it’s outside! It’s a place you might walk by and never notice.

Best place to get souvenirs or the best deals?

NOT in the touristy areas. My friend and I found a coffee place near a subway station that we’d take to get to school and it was INFINITELY cheaper because it was further from the city center. You just have to find stuff outside of there.

What is the best piece of advice you can give others going abroad?

Be independent. If you set your mind to the things you want to see or do, don’t let others hold you back. Everything I wanted to do, I did, but I know people who HAD to go with a friend and because of this, may have not gotten a chance to go where they wanted to go. Once you get the hang of Europe, you can do everything by yourself. I would research places and go and find them on my own. Everyone would be like, who are you going with? And I’d say, just me, because I want to go. It’s dumb to hold back because someone won’t go with you. You’re only here for a short time so try to do everything you can!