The International Student Blog

International students in Annapolis, Maryland will find that the state’s capital is a cultural city in the midst of two powerful, buzzing cities.

Situated on the Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis is just 26 miles south of Baltimore and 29 miles east of Washington D.C.

With tons to do in Baltimore and D.C. international students studying in Maryland could take day trips with ease to both of the cities. But Annapolis has its own beauty which captivates more than four million visitors a year.

The capital was originally called Providence when it was settled by the Puritans.

From its colonial days, Annapolis earned the nickname “Athens of America” for its cultural activities and arts. It attracted a plethora of fashionable people during the mid 18th century, people like William Paca. Paca was a young lawyer who became one of the four Declaration of Independence signers from Maryland and governor of Maryland. The Paca House is one of the first five-part Georgian homes in Annapolis which has been restored. Students can take a 45 minute tour of the Paca House and experience how Paca and his family lived.

Today Annapolis is still a thriving cultural center as many international students will see. The capital is home to a number of theatres including the Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Bay Theatre Company and Annapolis Opera, Inc and a variety of art galleries.

Annapolis is also home to St. John’s College. Founded in 1696, St. John’s College is the oldest school in Maryland, previously named King William School. It is the third oldest college/university in the United States and has one famous alumnus, Francis Scott Key, the author of the Star Spangled Banner.

Annapolis is also famous for being the location of the United States Naval Academy which was founded in 1845 by the Secretary of the Navy, George Bancroft. The Naval Academy schools midshipmen to become well trained officers.

If you are looking to study a second or third language but don’t know which one to do, you may what to consider studying one of the top 5 languages spoken around the world. If you look online you will find that there are a number of websites listing these languages in a different order. Based on ethonologue.com statistic, here are the languages that consistently rank as the top 5 languages spoken around the world.

Mandarin (Chinese) – As the world’s most populous country it is no surprise that Mandarin is also the most commonly spoken language around the world. With a population of over 1.3 billion people, there are many different Mandarin dialects that vary widely across the country – in fact, it varies so much that people from different regions may not understand each other. Most people think of Chinese as Mandarin Chinese, which is the official language of the country, and it is also the most widely spoken of all the Chinese dialects.

Spanish – As the official language in the majority of countries across Central and South America, Spanish has the second largest number of speakers around the world. Spanish is also spoken throughout Spain and in many parts of the United States. Language variations exist between speakers from different countries where words and phrases, and even pronunciation, can vary.

English – For non-English speaking students, English is most likely on the top of their second language list. Since English is widely considered to be the international language for Business, many students consider it to be top priority. International students who want to learn English usually consider studying in the USA, UK or Australia, but there are also many other English as a second language schools all around the world.

Arabic – Arabic is the official language for countries located in North Africa and the Middle East. Just like the other languages on this list there is a high degree of language variation depending on region and country.

Hindustani – As the official language in India it is also no surprise that it made the list because India is the 2^nd most populous country in the world. According to the statistics, India is expected to overtake China as the number one most populous country in the coming years.

The decision of which language you should study is not a complex one, but it should not be based solely on how popular a language is either. Knowing how many people around the world is only part of this decision. No matter which language you study, if you are serious about it, consider studying in the country where your language is natively spoken. Check out our study abroad center to find a program that interest you.

3100 BCE , Wilshire, United Kingdom- It took three stages and an estimated 30 million hours of labor to build the world famous Stonehenge. No one knows why this iconic structure was built, perhaps for human sacrifice or worship.

Stonehenge has made its appearance in TV shows and movies, on board games and t-shirts.

But more than 4,000 miles away, across the Atlantic Ocean sits a unique replica of Stonehenge in the Midwest of the United States on the western half of Nebraska. It is not made from Bluestone, Sarsen and Welsh Sandstone like the original. It is made from cars.

Named Carhenge, the replica is a memorial to the artist’s father who lived on a farm that is now the location of the copy. Jim Reinders, the artist, had time to study Stonehenge while living in England.

35 family members gathered five years after his father’s death to build the replica in June 1987 and the dedication was done on the summer solstice.

“Thirty-eight automobiles were placed to assume the same proportions as Stonehenge with the circle measuring approximately 96 feet in diameter,” according to Carhenge’s website.

The cars are painted gray to resemble the behemoth stones of Stonehenge and include three standing trilithons within the circle, the heel stone, slaughter stone, and two station stones. The heel stone is a 1967 Cadillac.

Reinders donated the 10 acres of land that Carhenge rests on and is now overseen by the Friends of Carhenge.

Other sculptures are on site to view as part of the Car Art Reserve, is including a giant salmon created by a Canadian man and a dinosaur.

Tripadvisor named Carhenge America’s second wackiest attraction.

International students in Nebraska will find Carhenge a quirky daytrip. The attraction is open 24/7, 365 days a year and is located right outside of Alliance. Picnic tables are on site.

* Picture courtesy of Quirky Nebraska. Carhenge north of Alliance, Nebraska, July, 2006, Kathy Weiser.

Boise is Idaho’s largest city and the capital. It is also home to Boise State University, the largest University in Idaho.

With the Boise River on one side and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains on the other, there is no shortage of outdoor activities for international students in Idaho to do.

Float down the river, ski majestic slopes and bike the Boise River Greenbelt. Idaho is a state of natural beauty.

But if international students in Idaho stray from the outdoor splendor, within the concrete streets of the city lays another interesting aspect of a predominantly white state.

On Grove Street in Boise is “The Basque Block.” The majority of Basques living in the Boise area came from the province of Bizkaia in Spain. There is a tight knit community of Basques in Boise and their culture is evident.

The Cyruse Jacobs-Uberuaga Boarding House is the oldest surviving brick building still in existence in Boise. Built in 1864, it was used as a boarding house which rented to Basques.

Now the house is used as the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, where exhibits educate visitors on Basque culture and display artifacts and photographs.

The Basques are among the oldest peoples of Europe and their language has survived over hundreds of years. The Basque Museum and Cultural Center, Basque language classes are offered two times per week.

After visitors are done exploring Grove Street, they can stop at Gernika, where they can enjoy great food and wine.

The biggest celebration the Basques throw is the feast day of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, patron saint of the Basques and founder of the Jesuit religious order. It is in July and includes exhibitions of music, dance, and sports, a Mass, picnic, and both indoor and outdoor dances.

The “Sheepherder’s Ball” takes place in December.

According to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report, each year there are more international students in the USA pursuing a graduate degree than those pursuing a bachelor degree. It is a common requirement among graduate programs to require the GRE test along with an English proficiency test such as the TOEFL or IELTS exam.

While there are other specialized tests available such as the GMAT for graduate business school or the LSAT for law school, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test is most commonly required by many graduate schools.

Even though the GRE test has been used for many years, as of August 2011, ETS (the company that created the test) revised the general test with a whole new approach. The test contains three main test sections relating to verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. Check out the official GRE website for more information, including practice problems and examples.

Along with the new format, the revised test also introduces a new scoring system. Scores on the verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning section now ranges between 130 -170 compare to the old test where scores and range from 200 – 800. So if you are using a tutoring service or a book to study for your exam, it is important to make sure that they have updated their information.

International students taking the GRE have the opportunity to complete the test year round at multiple locations throughout the world. Most GRE tests are computer-based, although there is a paper-based exam available that is offered at certain locations at select times. Test times and locations can be found directly on the ETS’s official website.

Effective July 1, 2012, the test will also require a $175 fee. If you need additional score reports it will now cost an additional $25 per recipient. Keeping this in mind, international students taking the GRE should be well prepared before taking the exam to save money on taking it twice!

For any international student who is going to study in Minnesota, some serious thought needs to be put into what kind of campus setting you prefer. Minnesota is the 12th largest state in the U.S., which means there is a lot of land and many cities to choose from.

So if you are going to study in Minnesota, you need to ask yourself what things are most important to you; do you value a small, quaint campus like the one at Carleton College in the small city of Northfield, Minnesota, or do you prefer a large, lively campus like the one the University of Minnesota has in the Twin Cities?

If you favor a quiet or small town setting, the majority of the state is full of large nature/wildlife preserves along with beautiful lakes, mountains, and state parks. The University of Minnesota(Crookston Campus), St. Olaf College, and Southwest Minnesota State University, all have student bodies under 3,000 people and offer a small town campus environment.

If you crave a busier, more populated campus setting, about 60% of Minnesota’s population is concentrated in the Twin Cities area. University of Minnesota’s Twin City campus has about 51, 721 students enrolled and covers about 932 acres of land within the St. Paul and Minneapolis area. Nightlife in the Twin Cities is in full swing 7 days a week, places like the Kitty Kat Club, Lee’s Liquor Lounge, and Preston’s Urban Pub, offer students great food and music during the day and a place to drink and dance at night.

There are hundreds of venues international students can go to in the Twin Cities. The Mall of America, the Minnesota Zoo, and the Canterbury Park are all located within the Twin Cities as well. So when considering where exactly you want to study in Minnesota, make sure to do a little research on the area so that you can find the perfect campus setting that fits you!

“One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi.” Kids (and even some adults) in the U.S. and Canada count this way to estimate counting by seconds. No one is quite certain how the habit came about, but one thing is for sure, the four-syllable word has helped millions of children count slower. People count this way because “Mississippi” is a hard word for kids to pronounce, and because it is rather long, making the counter take a full second on a number. The length of the word also befittingly resembles the length of the river itself.

International students will soon learn that the Mississippi river is the largest river in the United States and it runs along ten states. It ends with the state that bears its name, where there’s plenty to do and see along the river. Mississippi has 345 miles of the river, where locals enjoy fishing, boating and all-around fun. Thousands of people visit the city of Tunica, located in the north of the state, for its thriving casino scene. A little ways south of the river, Vicksburg draws history-lovers for its historical Civil War sites. If you plan to study in Mississippi, Natchez is another picturesque city on the Mississippi river that offers antebellum homes and relaxing settings.

Another popular touristic thing to-do is the Mississippi river tours and cruises, where travelers can sight-see their way through the history of the famous river. From the times of Native Americans settlement, to European colonization, to the steamboat era and the American Civil War, the river has been witness to some of American history’s most important moments. The state of Mississippi and its famous river have history, entertainment and relaxation for locals and tourists. The river is a big part of American history and even today’s culture, and obviously a big part of the state of Mississippi. To experience Mississippi and its famous river one-Mississippi second at a time, study in Mississippi, and witness all of the enchantment first hand.

Do you want to learn some language basics before you study abroad? Or, are you interested in learning a language at home? One way to do this is by purchasing expensive self-taught books or language programs.

Alternatively, if you are just beginning to explore your new language, you may want to start learning online for free. With a simple search, you’ll soon find that there are a number of free websites offering language training. While the website quality can vary in level and quality, some sites contain structure lessons for all levels.

Here are some good online resources we’ve found:

-          LiveMocha.com – If you have ever used Rosetta Stone than the structure of these lessons will look familiar. This language site uses pictures with the appropriate foreign word to help you speak in no time. There is no actual translation; you simply learn through pictures. There are also other tools to help you learn, like our favorite, chatting with a native speaker.

-          Busuu.com – This website is similar to LiveMocha.com where there are well organized language lessons as well as native speakers that you can chat with. There are some features that are only available if you are a paying member however.

-          Word2Word.com – This site contains a huge collection of links to other websites and language resources online.

-          iTunes – Download iTunes, search podcasts, and you will find many free language downloads. If you search iTunes U, you will also find many language course being taught at universities around the world.

-          YouTube – You can find almost anything on YouTube, including language learning videos! There is an endless number of videos for learning just about any language you can think of, just type in “learn” follow by the language of your choice.

There are many other resources for learning a new language both online as well as offline. For those who are just starting out, learning a new language online for free is a great way to get your test your interest. Once you know that you are serious about learning, then you can invest in taking classes at your school or abroad!

For non-native English speakers who want to learn English, ESLdirectory.com is a great website to search for free for English language schools anywhere around the world.

Checkered flags wave and loud roars zoom by spectators at any one of the racetracks in Iowa. Located 35 miles southeast of Des Moines, international students studying in Iowa may want to take a trip to Knoxville to see one of the many races on Saturday nights at the Knoxville Raceway. Come to school early before the semester starts in August to see the sprint car event, Knoxville Nationals.

Knoxville Raceway is located on the Marion Country Fairgrounds and originally began as a horse racing track. “No actual auto racing was staged until 1914, unless of course one counts the 1901 race, which can most likely be touted as the first automobile race attempted on a fairgrounds in Iowa, if not the country,” the Knoxville Raceway says.

Thought to be the fourth largest outdoor facility, the seating surrounding Knoxville Raceway is slightly above the 24,000 mark compared to seating in 1954 was which was listed as 2,000.

The Iowa Speedway is located in Newton Iowa, 30 miles east of Des Moines. The track was designed by former NASCAR Champion Rusty Wallace, now an anchor and analyst for ABC-TV/ESPN and was created for year-round use. It is the first track in the world to protect fans and drivers through the use of SAFER barrier technology surrounding the entire perimeter of the track. Concerts, Show N’ Shine hot rod car shows, party decks, and a multitude of races can keep any international student in Iowa busy for the weekend.

In Altoona, part of the Des Moines metropolitan area, there is a different type of racing, horse racing. International students in Iowa might want to check out one of the horse races at Prairie Meadows, even if they don’t bet, from April through October.

For students old enough to gamble, Prairie Meadows also has a casino with nearly 2,000 slot machines as well as blackjack, craps and roulette tables and a smoke free poker room.

Being situated in the uppermost corner of the Continental United States, Maine is a perfect winter wonderland. International students studying in Maine will find an abundance of snow, more than 200 inches annually, and more than enough snow sports to accompany it. Some of the snow sports are common, like sledding but others are a bit more unique, like ice fishing. With temperatures averaging 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer and averaging 20 degree Fahrenheit in the winter, Maine is no place for those with a thin skin.

Ice skating is popular winter sport international students in Maine will like to take part in. Whether it’s in an indoor man-made skating rink or an outdoor pond in a quaint town, ice skating is always a fun activity. The University of Southern Maine has an Olympic sized ice rink in Maine. Although used mostly for college athletics, it is open to the public during certain times. At Sugarloaf, a newly renovated NHL size ice rink is open for hockey and free skating.

Another winter sport Mainers participate in is snowmobiling. There are14,500 miles of interconnected, marked and groomed snowmobile trails which are maintained by local clubs and organizations. Snowmobiling is not only a fast paced activity, it lets the rider see the scenic view of Maine’s impressive 17 million acres of forests. There are even entire festivals dedicated to Maine’s most popular winter sport. The International Snowmobilers Festival allows snowmobilers to travel on both sides of the Canadian-United States border. Snodeo in Rangeley Lakes is another snowmobiler’s paradise. Along with snowmobiling activities, there is live entertainment, chili cook-offs, fireworks and poker runs.

Skiing and Snowshoeing take on a whole new adventure for international students studying in Maine. There are 17 Alpine Ski areas. Many areas offer classes and night skiing. From Sunday River with a vertical drop of 2,340 feet to Seacoast Snow Park with a 100 foot vertical drop, there is a wide range to choose from. There are also 24 Nordic Ski areas. Some of these areas offer cross country skiing and snowshoeing and some are exclusively for snowshoeing.