Meet Your Match: Tips on Choosing a Program

Soon you’ll be headed back to school, and it will be time to start finalizing your plans for your time abroad. Whether you’re thinking about going to the bustling city of London, the beautiful wine region of Stellenbosch, or perhaps the historic town of Galway, Ireland, you’re in for a fresh perspective and wonderful memories.

You might think that coming to a conclusion on where to study is an easy decision. I mean, no matter where you decide to go it is going to be a life changing experience right? While this is not completely wrong, there are still key elements to consider before finalizing the decision of where you want to go abroad. To help, we’d like to share a list of factors to consider when choosing a study abroad program.

Britain and Ireland Bucket List

In just around a month’s time our students studying abroad in Britain, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland will touch down and begin their journeys. So, just as we did for the incoming South African students, we at Interstudy have constructed a new ‘Road Less Traveled’ Bucket List, this time focusing on the UK/Ireland region.

From music festivals, to carnivals, to delicious food, this list will ensure our students’ full immersion into this historic region. Again, this is a rough list highlighting just a fraction of what this part of the world has to offer. Definitely try to check off everything on this bucket list, but be sure to add more for yourselves. Cheers!

1. Take a ride on the London Eye and get a bird’s eye view of the city

Service Learning and Volunteering Abroad

Last week was National Volunteer Week across the country.  In recognition of this week, we wanted to highlight a couple Interstudy programs where you can participate in volunteering and/or service learning.  Contact us at 781-391-0991 or studyabroad@interstudy.org if you have any questions!

Interstudy encourages our students to take advantage of the many opportunities to gain hands-on experience and give back to your host country’s community while abroad.  By participating in a volunteer or service learning experience, you are pretty much guaranteed to engage more deeply with people from your host country and gain a deeper understanding of the culture.

Golfing Abroad, or Whatever You Please.

I don’t often watch golf on TV just for fun. Scratch that…I never watch golf on TV just for fun. So yesterday’s Easter Dinner with a few friends was a first when a friend tuned into the final minutes of the Master’s. We started watching just in time to see American, Bubba Watson and South African, Louis Oosthuizen, go into sudden death overtime to determine the winner. I must say sudden death overtime made things a bit more exciting! In the end, it was Watson who won the tournament, along with the fancy green jacket.

This got me thinking about all of the sport options available for our students to get involved in while abroad. There is of course, golf, with everywhere from the famous course in St. Andrews, Scotland, to some of the courses that Oosthuizen may have trained at around Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town.

Lessons come from the journey, not the destination!

Being abroad is much harder than I had ever anticipated. There are the logistics to work out, places to adjust to, and people to meet and befriend. For me, particularly in the beginning, it was hard to become accustomed to my new environment, mostly because change is almost always difficult for me. However, now I am approaching the halfway point of my experience and I feel that I have fully adjusted to the Irish culture and thing things it has to offer. Although, some days are still difficult; I often miss my family, friends, and home institution but the things that I have seen and the people that I have met make it all worth the few struggles! Since embarking on my journey in Ireland, and having had the opportunity to see and meet new people and places, I have attained a better appreciation for home, as well as an improved insight about my own self.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes, Turn and Face the Strain!

I have been in Ireland just about five weeks now and it feels as if I have stories that could last a life time! I always knew that studying in Ireland would be one of the greatest experiences of my life, and so far I’d say it is living up to my high expectations. I have considered myself very lucky to have encountered certain people on my journey, those including my housemates, their friends, and even my classmates. Through some of these people I have met many other students and they have exposed me to things that I could never find at home. And one of my new friends has even brought me to her home in Limerick where I have been treated with the utmost hospitality. I had assumed that the Irish were kind and welcoming people and the ones I have met so far a proving this assumption right! Not only have I met great people but I have already seen some magnificent locations in Ireland as well. In the first six weeks of my adventure abroad I have seen parts of Galway, the Aran Islands, Dublin, Limerick, Kerry, Clare, and obviously Cork as well. Each of these places held their own secrets, displayed their different histories, and presented their individual beauties. There were things that I saw and did that I will cherish forever in my heart and one day I hope to share some of the things I have seen with the people I love.

A Galway Girl

I think I’m in love. No- not with a person, but something much greater….. a place called Galway. It’s in the west by the ocean (which being the Atlantic, makes me feel right at home) Compared to Maynooth and the Greater Dublin Area, Galway is more Ireland than ever. It’s a traditional coastal fishing village meet lively youthful city of fun- best combination if you ask me.