The International Student Blog

For many travelers, tour guides are a must as they help us plan ahead and navigate in a foreign land. But when walking into a book store you will see many different tour books claiming to be the best travel guide. If you are going to study abroad in France, you might wonder how to choose a guide book that is right for you with so many options; you will find books on traveling Europe, books specific to France and others for Paris alone.

Guide books can be a valuable tool saving you time and money while you are abroad. No need to waste the first day of your trip trying to figure out which hotel to go to or looking up what subway line when you arrive. How to choose a guide book that is good and reliable is not just about choosing the one that is accurate and up-to-date, but also knowing what your needs are and what sort of traveling you will be doing.

Travel guides can cover an entire continent, a single country, combination of frequently traveled countries, a region in a particular country or even just a single city. So let’s say you will be studying abroad in France and you will have time to travel within the country and to neighboring countries as well. Will the best guide book change if you are going to stay in Paris and perhaps take a single trip to London? If you will be doing the latter, you may consider buying two city guides rather than a book on France and Britain so that you’ll get more city-specific information. Contrast that scenario with backpacking Europe where it makes sense to purchase a European travel guide.

Make sure the guide is up-to-date since the world is constantly changing. Restaurants and hotels open and close frequently, prices can change (e.g., food, train ticket, etc.), and even maps or bus schedules change regularly. Using an out of date guide can cause head aches especially if you are stuck scrambling to find a hostel last minute, or find yourself running out of money because you budgeted your trip based on outdated prices.

There are also different formats available including traditional guides, visual guides, and electronic guides described below:

1. Traditional guide books  – contains mostly text with few pictures, 3 of the most popular guides are Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Let’s Go.
2. Visual guide books – are usually filled with pictures printed on glossy paper. Visual guides are great for specific locations where it can show exactly which sculptures to look at with specific details. In some cases, however, they may lack more in depth information on more practical topics like logistics. They are also heavier to carry around because of the glossy paper they are usually printed on.
3. Electronic guide books – Many smart phones now  include apps that acts as an electronic guide book for many different cities around the world. Lonely Planet and Rough Guides, for example, have travel guide applications for iPhone and Android phones. While they have the potential to be very useful, in my experience, mobile app guidebooks are not yet as user friendly while traveling as opposed to a traditional paper book.

So that brings us back to the question, how to choose a guide book? When choosing among the different options choose a guide that fits your needs (budget, interests and location), is up-to-date as possible, and that is written in a format that you find easy to use.

The year is coming to a close and the New Year is arriving! To help make it easier to find the information to study abroad, International Student in 2011 made numerous improvements online.

Here are a few things we have done for our international students in 2011:

- iPhone App – This year we introduced our iPhone app. Online viewers can now access International Student from their phones and learn about studying in the USA . Read about each state, learn the college application process, find out about financial aid (including international student loans and scholarships), and much more!

- Increased Facebook Presence – Not only is International Student one of the most popular destinations online, but so is our Facebook page! This year we have reached over 6,000 likes. We also introduced the Scholarship Sunday weekly post, which will help you finance your education overseas!

- Video Contest – This year also featured our 6^th annual International Student Video Contest, and it was bigger than ever! The grand prize this year was $4,000 where viewers could vote on their favorite video. We had more video submissions this year than ever before – and the quality of the submission was amazing. It was difficult to narrow down the list to the twelve finalist, and even harder for our judges to ultimately choose Jonathan Moore as the winner. This contest starts each year in September, so if you want to be the winner in 2012, don’t forget to enter!

- Improved USA School Search – Searching for the right US college or university is now easier with our Concierge Service which provides your information to schools looking for students just like you! We also added our state guide for all 50 states so you can learn about where you want to study in the US. For those of you who are looking for more specific information about a specific field of study such as law, business or engineering, you can now research your interests in the Study Guide section as well.

- Featured School – We also partnered with colleges that are specifically looking for international students like you. Featured School profile includes more in-depth information about the school and also student profiles so you can see what actual international students are saying about the school. You can contact these Featured Schools and request more information from their profile as well.

- Concierge Service Expanded to the UK and Australia – Last year was the launched of our Concierge Service here in the US. Simply by filling out your name, nationality, interests, and contact information this free service helps match you with schools all across the US – and now look for schools in the UK and Australia as well!

- Online Student Fair – This year we also partnered with Hobsons and CollegeWeekLive to offer online college fairs giving you the chance to meet with admission directors from over 80 universities in the US, Canada and Australia. This is a great service allowing you to meet advisors and counselors live, asking any questions you have without the expense of travel.

- Loans for International Students – Our partner at InternationalStudentLoan.com has launched a new loan comparison tool. Specifically designed to provide international and study abroad students with the opportunity to compare loans and lenders, the new system streamlines the process to find and apply for student loans and it is now also available on InternationalStudent.com as well!

We are open to suggestions, so if you have any ideas on what you would like us to see on International Student in 2012, please leave a comment or email us. As always, we are looking to help you with your international education experience. We are looking forward to 2012 and have many new and exciting features coming in 2012, so stay tune!

New Year celebrations are major events all across the world and each country celebrates differently. In the US, most cities host public events to count down the seconds to the New Year. One city, in particular, is the most famous and that’s New York City. Every New Year’s Eve, up to one million people gather in Time Square to celebrate by watching the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop at midnight.

If you are in the US during New Years, watching the Ball Drop in New York may be the chance of a lifetime. Because it is such a popular event, there are a few tips to ensure you have a good view of the ball drop. Arrive early to get a good view since many people will start arriving in the early afternoon on December 31st.  There are many small events and musical performances to keep you entertain from the afternoon to midnight, check out this year’s New Year’s Eve schedule of events to see what to expect.

Because you will be standing and waiting all day, remember to dress comfortably and warmly since the weather is bound to become colder as you get closer to midnight.

Having friends with you can also help the wait go quicker, and it will also make the actual New Year celebration that much better. You will be around so many people crowded all together that there is no doubt that you’ll make some new friends.

Celebrating the New Year in New York City can be tiring. To sustain you while you wait for the New Year to arrive, bring food and drinks with you. Because you cannot save space, if you leave to get food, you may lose your spot. This applies even if you need to use the restroom, so be prepared before you arrive!

No matter where you are or how you celebrate your New Year’s Eve, we wish you a happy New Year!

For many people Christmas is a time to spend with family and loved ones. Studying abroad can be a fun and rewarding experience however it can be tough if you’ll be away from your family during Christmas. If you are accustomed to spending the holidays with your family and will not have the chance to return home this season, you may find yourself celebrating Christmas while studying abroad. If you will be celebrating Christmas away from your family this year, you can still celebrate the season and make the most out of it.

Depending on which country you are studying in, you may find it harder to find Christmas celebrations if Christianity isn’t a commonly practiced religion. But even if you are in a country where Christmas is not widely celebrated, there is usually a community of people that will celebrate and welcome travelers.

Since you are studying abroad, chances are high that there are other foreign students who have no family to celebrate with. So gather your friends, classmates and other Christmas-celebrators together and enjoy the day. You can also invite your local friends to join even if they don’t celebrate Christmas. It is a great way to share your culture with each others. Remember if your friends are not Christians, Christmas celebration can just be about being together – it does not have to be religious.

If you really miss the lights and trees, consider decorating your dorm room or apartment with lights, red bows and ask your family to send you a small ornament that you can hang up. Celebrating Christmas while studying abroad doesn’t mean it has to be without your family either. On the actual day, call your family and use a video chat, like Skype. Seeing your family can make you feel more included even if you are far away.

What is Christmas without gifts? If you are by yourself, why not buy a present for yourself? Get that new camera so you can record your trip in higher quality, or treat yourself with a short trip to another city or country nearby. Many countries celebrate Christmas differently, traveling will let you see how other people enjoy the holiday.

Lastly, keep a positive frame of mind. Even if you are alone, you can spend it doing activities you enjoy like reading or watching a movie marathon. Go outside, sight see and enjoy nature. Before you know it, you might find celebrating Christmas while studying abroad is not as daunting as you originally thought!

Each year, during International Education Week, the annual “Open Doors” report is published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) which shows the previous years international student and study abroad participant levels from the previous year.

As suspected, China has rocketed ahead with a 23% increase from the previous years figures. They now stand at 157,558 international students in the USA, followed by India with 103,895 (an actual decline of 1% on previous numbers) and South Korea with 73,351 (a 1% increase on previous years figures). Apart from China, the top 5 sending countries to the USA have actually all seen declines or only very slight increases. Other big gainers in this years report was Saudi Arabia, with a 43% increase to 22,704, and Iran with 5,626 international students, an 18.9% increase over previous years.

US students studying abroad, however, did not fair so well – with only a slight increase in previous years from 260,327 last year to 270,604. This number, considering the efforts to push students to study abroad shows the recession and the economy is clearly having an impact – as numbers have not risen dramatically over the last few years. The study abroad report also shows that students who do study abroad, are starting to look a little further a field, with India increasing by 44% over last years numbers and 15 of the top 25 destinations were outside of Western Europe and 19 were countries where English is not a primary language.

For more information about the data and to view all the details you can visit the Open Doors website for more information:

http://www.iie.org/en/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors

More and more students are now studying abroad than ever before. If you are considering going on a study abroad program, one of the decision you will have to make is where to go. Some study abroad destinations are more popular than others.

There are many reasons why students choose to go to one country over another. You may choose your host country because it shares the same language or offers a chance to improve a second language, or perhaps it has a good reputation of higher education and safety. Some students choose a location because it offers lower tuition and living cost or just for the fact that it is just a cool place to go!

Listed below are the top 5 destinations that U.S. students decided to study abroad based on the data from the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report for the year 2008/2009. Whether you want to go to one of these leading destination or break out from the crowd and choose a less travel road to some exotic place, here are the the most popular study abroad destinations:

1. United Kingdom

There is not much surprise here. While the United Kingdom and the United States have cultural differences, being an English speaking country makes the U.K. a top choice for students looking for an easier transition especially for those on their first study abroad experience. London is one of the world most diverse cities and one of the worlds great financial hubs. No wonder why so many people choose to study there. Check out our Study in the UK page on our website for more detail information.

2. Italy

Most of us grew up with a lot of exposure to Italian culture – from Italian food, like pizza and spaghetti to Italian Renaissance like Michelangelo and Donatello. As the heart of the Roman Empire and the Vatican, Italy draws students interested in studying history, religion, art, food and fashion.

3. Spain

Because there are so many Spanish speakers in the United States, knowing how to speak Spanish is a valuable skill. Many students take Spanish classes, and what better way to improve your language skills than to study in a country that is the birth place of the language that is continually used even today.

4. France

French food, French wine, great fashion and Paris, the city of love; France is known for many great things. While just like every country here in the list, there are so much more the country has to offer – not to mention fine arts, food as well as history.

5. China

While the top 4 countries on the list have held its spot in the top 5, the total numbers of students studying there has all decreased slightly from the previous year. China, however, continues to attracts more students each year making into one of the new top 5 destinations!

International students interested in studying in Texas may find ‘Study Texas’ a helpful resource on the topic. International students will learn more about the potential educational and professional opportunities that may be available while studying in Texas. Study Texas is a group of training and educational organizations located within the state of Texas, whose mission is to connect international students who want to study in Texas with educational training opportunities. This network provides a wide range of degree options for international students and includes a number of public and private colleges and universities international students interested in studying in Texas may already want to attend, as well as professional English language schools.

For international students whose long term goals may include working for a major corporations or businesses, Texas is definitely a state to consider studying and living in, as it boasts the largest number of Fortune 500 companies in the United States. Additionally, Texas is established as a top state for commodity exporting. For these international students interested in studying Texas, it is also very worthwhile to note Texas has been most successful (and maintains a strong presence) in the following business and industry sectors: energy, petrochemicals, computer technology and electronics, biomedical, aerospace, and agriculture.

If you plan to visit Houston, here’s a sneak preview:

Or, if you’ll be going to Dallas, learn about the city here:

If you are reading this blog, chances are that you are already open to the idea of studying abroad in another country. You may be excited about the idea of seeing as much of the world as possible that you are having trouble deciding which country you should study in. So to help you decide, here are some things you may want to consider:

Where do you want to live?

During your study abroad, do you want to live in a big city with entertainments, nightlife and shopping? Or, are you looking for a small city with local charm and ancient historical sites? Are you okay with living somewhere cold or hot? This is an important consideration, especially if you don’t like cold weather and you find yourself studying in Scandinavia during the winter time.

Do you want to learn a new language?

If you are learning a new language you will obviously want to study in a country where the primary language is the one you want to learn. For example, if you want to learn Chinese, you can choose main land China, Taiwan or Hong Kong. For Spanish, you can choose Spain and a majority of Latin American countries.

If you are a non-native English speaker and you want to learn English you can narrow down your choice to the 3 primary English speaking region of the world: North America, Europe and Australia/New Zealand. Do you want to attend traditional colleges or universities or are you looking for an ESL school where you work to improve your English?

Looking to the future, what do you want to do?

Think about what your future career goals are. For example, if you want to work in a finance field you may want to study in the area where it is a financial center of the world like New York, London, Hong Kong, or Tokyo. If you love food and wine, why not study culinary arts in France? Research what universities are well regarded in your field of study so you continue to make stride to your future goals!

What is your budget?

Lastly, what is your budget for your study abroad trip? How much money can you contribute yourself and how much can you accumulate from study abroad scholarships and other financial aid? It is important to keep in mind that the cost of studying abroad is more than just the tuition fee and plane ticket. Living expenses can vary greatly depending on where you choose to study abroad. For example, if you decide to study Spanish in Latin America as opposed to Spain you will find that the living costs are much less expensive!

Once you have narrow down the country and the field you want to study in, you can more easily choose a study abroad program.

With more and more American colleges and universities looking to improve the diversity on campus, many schools are increasing the number of international students recruited. The trend of “internationalizing” their campus is not only with undergraduate students seeking their bachelor degree, but also with graduate students seeking advanced degrees. What does that mean for you? This may be the perfect time to start applying to school’s overseas!

And this trend is not looking to stop anytime soon! In fact, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, over the past year admissions of international students to US graduate schools increased by 11%, making this year the largest increase in international admissions since 2006. The majority of this increase can be attributed to China and India, with a large number of international students from the Middle East and Turkey.

Studying abroad can be a great experience – you will meet new people, experience new traditions, eat exotic foods and possibly learn a new language. But with these new experiences you may find yourself homesick missing your family, friends, pets, food or even something as simple as your own bed.

When you are homesick you may feel sad, lonely, or even anxious. Depending on the severity, it may be mild or you may experience some physical symptoms like stomachaches or headaches. However, if you feel homesick while studying abroad there are some steps you can take to help you cope:

• Stay active! Fill your time with activities that you enjoy. Do activities with your friends or by yourself like going to the gym, reading a book, doing a puzzle, or playing games.
• Eat well and stay healthy. Eating junk food can make you tired and weak.
• Bring a momento that reminds you of home. It can be anything from a picture of your family to a blanket.
• Call home once in a while. If you’re homesick, calling home to hear your family or your friends’ voice can be comforting. Try to call when you are happy. Calling when you are sad will make them worry -  which may in turn make you more upset in the process.
• Keep a journal. Many people find that writing down their feelings can serve as an outlet. You may look back at a previous entry and realize that it wasn’t such a big deal after all. So if you feel sad again, you will know that it is just a temporary feeling that will pass.
• Make new friends! Being with other people is one of the best ways to start feeling good about your new environment. Even if you don’t know anyone very well yet, consider joining a club or organization. See if there is any opportunity to go grab a bite to eat with other people. Just remember, friendship doesn’t develop overnight, so don’t expect to have a best friend right away.

Home sickness can affect anyone, but if you feel depressed don’t be afraid to talk to someone and ask for help. If you have any tips you would like to share on how to cope with homesickness, please leave a comment!