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My Visa Process
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When I first discovered I needed to apply for a Visa to study in England, I was underwhelmed. I figured this would be a simple process. I thought I would fill out a form, send some money, and my visa would be on the way. In a way it was as simple as this, but…
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The Chile Experience: Real vs. Tourist
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In the days leading up to my flight to Chile, I was full of nerves. Nerves were pulling me in to every which direction, to the point where I just didn’t know how to feel. This uncertainty was keeping me up at night scrolling through the web just trying to find something, that would tell…
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Do Not Let Disability Hold You Back Abroad
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Since coming to Dublin, I’ve gotten quite close with a number of IFSA students who are studying abroad at University College Dublin with me, including Jacquie Kelley, from Vermont. Jacquie studies Political Science and Music at Providence College in Rhode Island, and lives with her three-year-old Golden Retriever, Moose. He’s a service dog, and helps…
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Everywhere is a Classroom: Learning Through Internships Abroad
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Before I moved to Melbourne, I thought of my semester abroad like a hands-on research experience. As an Urban Studies major, I had spent years studying and discussing all aspects of urban life — city governance, urban planning, social inequity, affordability, transportation, design, and so on. Over and over again, critical discourse on how to…
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Coding Languages Are Standard, STEM Classes Are Not
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Preparing to Take STEM Classes Abroad I always knew I was interested in studying abroad after seeing my the wonderful experiences my sister and cousins had in various places around the world. When the anticipation of declaring a major began to loom during my sophomore year, I realized I had to start seriously considering how…
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5 Tips on Making Wellington Wallet-Friendly
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[caption id="attachment_13013" align="alignright" width="225"] Making Wellington wallet-friendly.[/caption] For me, budgeting became a natural thing to do in college, ever since my first year. Being on my own made me realize just how much things could cost, especially if I wanted to become more independent and didn’t want to solely rely on my parents’ support. College…
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My Homestay Experience Abroad
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Once I had become acquainted with my new Glasgow surroundings after a week, I traveled to Shap in northern England through my IFSA program to stay with a local family in what was called a homestay. Many of my friends in other countries live permanently with a local family for their semesters abroad and raved…
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Hasta Siempre Internet 2: Analog Boogaloo
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The limitations of being able to connect in Cuba (to read more, see Hasta Siempre Internet) may be striking for someone coming from the U.S. yet these challenges have had immense effect on how culture and society has developed in Cuba in recent years. As soon as you step out of the airport, one of the…
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In A World of Possibilities, Why IFSA?
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Choosing IFSA: Why the Program Was Right for Me When it came time for me to choose how and where I wanted to study abroad, the possibilities were quite literally endless. My university allows students to study via a “Duke-In” program, an approved program, or you can petition for a specific program. The infinite options…
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My Home-Stay Experience: From Terrified to Incredibly Grateful
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At First, I Was Nervous About Being Assigned a Home Stay Ringing the doorbell on my rainy first day in Buenos Aires, I was terrified to meet my host mom. We’d exchanged one email each, and from her minimal response to my cheery introduction and extensive questions, I thought she was going to be terrible,…