<p>hello everyone!</p>
<p>I'm new here but i've been clicking around so I think this is how it works...</p>
<p>I want to study abroad my junior year but I don't think I want to go through my college's program. I just think that going with a big group of other americans would sort of defeat the purpose in a way. I want to live with people from the country I'm living in so I can see what day to day life is really like and not just the touristy type stuff (though I am sure I will do plenty of that anyway! :) )</p>
<p>I've started doing some research and i've come up with a whole bunch of companies that offer different types of programs but I'm not sure who's the real deal and who just takes unsuspecting college kids for a ride. </p>
<p>So my question is...does anyone have any experience with these types of programs? and if so anyone care to share their experience? Recommend a particular country? I am thinking an english speaking country (journalism major here :) ) Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland...the list goes on! Of course if someone suggests somewhere where english is not the main language I'd be willing to look into it.</p>
<p>Or has anyone had a school sponsored experience and suggest that I go through my school anyway?</p>
<p>Also, from clicking through a few posts I noticed that some people take weather into account but that's not really a concern of mine. I'm from new england so weather doesn't really bother me anymore...</p>
<p>I'm sorry for the long post! I'd appreciate any information.
Thanks for reading this everyone</p>
<p>One thing to be careful of if you want to live with non-Americans is the housing situation. If they provide housing… it may very well be with Americans. If they don’t provide housing, then you may have a brutally difficult time finding it on your own (D just went through this in Helsinki). She ended up in a single person studio apartment in a building with NO students. She did meet some people in her classes, almost all other international students. Ironically, only a couple of locals. But she has some friends from other European countries now :)</p>
<p>You may be just as well off going through your college. If you go to an English speaking country, then if your classes are with local students you can make friends through class and clubs on campus.</p>
<p>It is also more difficult (not impossible, but difficult) to get your credits accepted from other programs. Some colleges just won’t take 'em. Most have some pretty specific criteria if they do allow you to enroll through someone else’s program. Some colleges require you to withdraw and reenroll if you are going to go through someone else’s program. It varies a lot, and you need to talk to your study abroad office.</p>
<p>As an aside, one of D’s friends is in Edinburgh for her junior year. She is a journalism major at George Washington. She loves it so much she decided to transfer to Edinburgh and finish her degree there… So there is one positive story about a journalism major abroad :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You can’t transfer in the UK. Sometimes if you’re suitably qualified some Scottish universities like Edinburgh will consider you for 2nd year entry, but to do this she’d have to effectively drop out of GWU and reapply to Edinburgh through UCAS (whose deadline is closed now anyway). At any rate it’d be a decidedly foolish thing to do, given she’d have to spend at least another three years in college and they don’t even offer a journalism ‘major’.</p>
<p>Mmm, she might be an English major with an interest being a journalist long term. I believe the transfer (however she accomplished it) is complete. I can ask D for more details, now I am curious. Honestly, this kid’s parents could afford to pay for an extra year if needed. But I didn’t get the impression that this is what is happening.</p>
<p>Most UK universities have direct applications. Just google “name of school study abroad” and you should get to the page soon enough!</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Our son is in Stratford-upon-Avon doing an independent internship for credit. He worked out all the arrangements with the theatre and with his school. He had a lot of credits so he was able to go as a part time student. He’s earning production credits which is all he needs to graduate.</p>
<p>He’s been able to travel a lot (Paris, Rome, Florence, Cork, Dublin and Northern Ireland so far). He’s been to several performances and he really likes the theatre and people he’s working with. Hours are long 9 am to 10 pm now, who knows once the shows start.</p>
<p>He rents a room from a local family and is within walking distance to the theatre. All in all everything has worked out well. He gets frustrated with the time difference because it makes it hard to connect with his friends back at school. He’s the only intern right now and quite a bit younger than the people he works with. Workdays go by fast, weekends can be a little tricky. I think he would like having another student to hang out with.</p>
<p>When you do a study abroad with a school you automatically are in a situation with other students. This is all on his own.</p>
<p>Working out the details of the internship was tricky but all of that worked out too.
Good luck with your plans.</p>