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Forums General Chit-Chat Study Abroad?

Donator — She Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 03:12:27 )
So, I'm considering studying abroad next year, but I'm trying to decide where I want to travel to.

My mom has me kinda anxious because she said 'you're traveling with a US passport so that puts a target on you.' which I know is stupid, considering I'm a PR living and attending uni in Canada... My thing is I want to experience going to other countries and go somewhere really different. So I thought I'd see if anyone on here lives in Europe or another place to see what you think? Or even if you're a US or Canadian citizen that traveled, where did you go that you enjoyed?
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Donator — Fujoshi Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 03:40:10 )
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@Scribartz: I studied abroad in Asia, but I traveled around Europe a lot when I was little because that’s where most of my dad’s side of the fam lives. The only country I had an issue with was France... I remember I was learning French in middle school and I wanted to practice, but got mocked and called a stupid American. /: Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Italy were fun though. I want to go to Switzerland too because it looks so pretty. My bestie studied abroad in Spain, and she loved it.
I know @Totalanimefan: studied abroad in England, and @Atropa Belladonna: and @Vengeance: live in Europe, though they’re prolly asleep right now.

It’s good on you for wanting to study abroad, and it can open so many doors for you and broaden your cultural perspective. The only time I’ve seen my friends who studied abroad get warned to be careful were if they were studying abroad in Russia, China, or some Central and South American countries.
Also, Nigel is right, let the embassy of the country you’re planning on staying in know. They have an alert e-mail system you can opt into, and they will send you alerts in case there’s a weather emergency, act of terrorism, or warning you to avoid certain places if you’re an American (I got this once in Japan when this extremely nationalist group was protesting all foreigners somewhere in Tokyo).




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Donator — Fujoshi Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 03:54:19 )
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@SirLionelNigelConrad: Yeeeep. One of my friends lived in Honduras and Nicaragua for a bit because her mom worked there, and she was told to always speak Spanish when outside. Never speak English.

People in Japan don’t throw stuff at foreigners. If they’re xenophobic, they will yell at you or move away when you sit next to them. They’ll also lure sad foreign men (usually white American ones who are thirsting for waifu) to go bar hopping in Shinjuku, get them so sh*tfaced or drug them, and steal their credit card and other stuff. But it is a fairly safe country. Most of my alerts came when North Korea was throwing missiles everywhere, and to warn us to be careful not to join any tour groups going to North Korea. xD




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Donator — She Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 04:10:20 )
@SirLionelNigelConrad:
@Tsundererra:
Yeah... I have family in the middle east that I don't trust, so I doubt I'll go anywhere near there anytime soon. But I am really interested in Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and either Ireland, scottland, or London. I wanna go somewhere with interesting historical architecture that's really pretty and cold but not and intense amount of snow... xD It's probably a lot of options but yeah.

I want to go somewhere just new. I've seen the states, and canada is cool, but I need a place that's not the same, if that makes sense? Not so different that I'm overwhelmed but somewhere different enough that I am like, in exploration mode. ^^
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Donator — Fujoshi Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 04:30:19 )
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@Scribartz: LOL, I’ve been to the Middle East once. Never again. >__> And you def don’t want to be anywhere near that fam of yours.
Tbh, there’s historic landmarks everywhere in Europe, so you have to find another way to narrow your choices. Have you looked into the exact locations your university has programs available in? My university had 3 places in Japan I could study in. One is associated with this strange cult (nope’d that one), the other was a Christian school for girls (LOLOLOLOLOLOL nope’d that one too), and the last one that I ended up choosing is a prestigious international college... in the middle of nowhere. It’s 6+ hour Shinkansen train ride to Tokyo or any touristy famous places. Go to the office that’s in charge of study abroads and ask if they have pamphlets or brochures you can look at. Hopefully that will help you narrow it down. You can also talk with the Euro volties when they wake up. :D

You definitely need a change of pace, and maybe some distance from your fam, so this could be the break you’ve been needing. ^^




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The truth behind Reaping Ritual 2019


Art by the rightful Mayor, Kiwi

Donator — She Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 07:41:50 )
@Tsundererra: oof... Yeah I heard from a girl in my arabic class who was bor in Jeddah that it's beautiful but she hated certain political aspects. And yeah. My uncle keep trying to get me to "come visit him." We all know I'll end up married to a saudi guy with 6 kids and no way to escape. =X Like I wish I had more positive thoughts about my uncle but after my bio dad and talking to him a few times... EESH.
There's 2 guys in my arabic class, on who is in archaeology and the other who knows japanese, chinese, korean, english, and now learning arabic, and they both went to either turkey or isreal and they talked about going to turkey again and were like "you coming with us?"
Fam I have no idea.. But I really want to go abroad sooooooooo bad.

And I sure will. Lol.
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Donator — PomePome Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 09:44:13 )
i heard my name =D

@Scribartz: well i think its a good thing you want to study somewere else... i personally live in a town with a huge university! it depends on what you want to study! for our college kids the course german as a second language is pretty popular =D we have many asians and some from america too! ^^
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Donator — she/her Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 12:38:24 )

I'm a U.S. citizen and have been living in Germany for one year and will be here for another two years for work. I have never had any problems, felt any fear, or felt targeted for being an American. To address your mom's concern about traveling with a U.S. passport, one cool thing about Europe is that they have open borders. I have been to thirteen countries so far and have only had to show my passport once (London). Everyone I have met has been very kind and almost all speak some English. I don't think you will have anything to worry about from studying abroad in Europe and I think it is very smart of you to take into account these risks. I don't know much about the universities here or the countries outside of the context of traveling for leisure, but if you have any questions let me know.
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Donator Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 14:08:31 )

Most of Europe is fine. Don't go to England. They are trying for a brexit. Aka leaving the EU and as a foreinger they could kick you out of their country if they end up leaving the EU. Our country (Netherlands) has a lot of foreinger students. But we currently deal with the situation where there are not student homes for everyone. A lot of foreinger students now live in tents temporary.
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Donator — She Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 20:51:55 )
@Atropa Belladonna: Right now my major is psychology & studio art. Germany is a really big front runner considering the history of Psychology in Germany. Plus it's be cool to see Wundt's lab. My biggest concern is going to be accommodations and finding some employment while being at university. I go to Usask and they have partnerships with specific colleges for the exchange program, and since it's possible to actually major in german, Spanish, french, etc. There are more opportunities in those particular areas.


@Reanna: Did you have a hard time adjusting to initially moving to Germany? And my biggest question about attending uni there on a visa is, does it also allow me to work while I'm in school? As paying 80+ euros a week is actually like 125ish CAD for me. So it's like, it'd be easier to just find a way to work there so my family doesn't end up going broke supporting. [I know i have a ton fo quetions that require more research but i thought it'd be cool to hear from people who are experiencing being in a new place first hand.]


@vengeance: is it the whole UK or just England? I honestly considered Belfast because it seems like a small ferry to Scotland, and I've always wanted to go. It's hard to choose because I'm not really entirely in the know about a lot of places. ^^;
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Donator Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 21:15:42 )

@Scribartz: Yes it would include Northern Ireland as well.
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Donator — PomePome Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/15 21:31:52 )
@Scribartz: well yeah we are a good place for this kind of thing. i really appricate what germany is doing for theyre psychology patients!
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Donator — She Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/16 02:41:24 )
@Atropa Belladonna: Yeah. Just been having the worst time finding affordable like on-campus housing. xD It end up being like 124CAD a week in some cases.
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Donator — PomePome Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/16 06:45:32 )
@Scribartz: here the most stundents live in a normal flat with other students around the city or nearby cities =)
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Donator — she/her Posted 5 years ago ( 2019/09/16 20:32:29 )

@scribartz: Oof, I can't really answer either of those questions as well as I would like to. I didn't have a difficult time adjusting to living here because I work with a bunch of Americans who speak English all day. I've learned a total of 13 words in German. I am sure when you study abroad that you will not be the only Canadian/American/English-speaker and you will be able to find people you feel comfortable with. And then when you feel like branching out outside of your comfort zone and mingle with some Europeans, you will be able to do that with your comfortable group to fall back on. From what I've noticed is that the university cities have all kinds of people from everywhere who are used to students studying abroad. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about working in Europe while in school on a visa.
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