<p>By Roxana Popescu
Newsweek</p>
<p>Oct. 12, 2007 - When Lauren Harrison dreamed of studying abroad in Paris this fall, she imagined flying somewhere cool every weekend and tucking into crepes for lunch every day. But when she arrived, with the dollar reaching all-time lows against the euro, she began doing the math. Caf</p>
<p>The Euro isn't that bad compared to the Cypriot pound ($2.42) or British pound ($2.03). I've tried not to do the conversions. :(</p>
<p>My heart is breaking for them. Especially when I think of the time I spent washing cars and waiting on tables just so I had enough money to pay my rent and eat mac&cheese while I was in college.</p>
<p>hey, I'm long out of college and <em>I</em> can't afford to fly somewhere cool every weekend. If that's the expectation of a college student, no wonder they're surprised it doesn't happen. I wonder if it's just a coincidence Lauren is a student at Yale (world on a platter, silver spoon, etc).</p>
<p>It depends on where you go and how you expect to live.</p>
<p>I studied abroad in London for a semester, and during that time, the conversion rate rose from 1.80 dollars to the pound to 1.95 dollars to the pound. However, I cooked a lot of my food - I shopped at Sainsbury and Tesco and was happy to buy their generic brand items. I remember that a loaf of wheat bread cost me 49 pence at Sainsbury, and I could eat that in sandwiches, alongside of soups, make grilled cheese, etc. I spent about 15 pounds a week for food - if I had to, I probably could've cut back on my dairy and spent 11-12 pounds a week. That comes out to a lot less than the $70 or so I spend every week now in New York, and I don't think my eating habits have changed much.</p>
<p>I have a feeling that if Laura cooked for herself and didn't pursue everything gourmet, she'd save a lot of money.</p>
<p>This is why I want to go to a non-typical place to do my study abroad. A place that does not have the Euro and where my money will stretch further.</p>
<p>I concur with KLF. If you study at a typical place, you should expect it. :P Hopefully this will push more people into interesting and character building places in the 3rd world. I know I'm planning on studying in Bolivia where $5 would buy me a filet mignon (not that that's any reason why I'm going there...). Europe is great, but it's really sad that people don't branch out to more interesting places- or even more interesting places in Europe. </p>
<p>Moral of the story- go to Latin America or Africa. I'm really curious to why the girl in the article went to Paris if she's an African studies major. O.o</p>
<p>
Possibly for the same reason I'm in the UK rather than Greece as a Classics major. If y'all could find a program that offers both Egyptian and Greek and isn't located in Europe, Canada, New Zealand, or Australia, I'd take my hat off to you.</p>
<p> [quote=barrons] My heart is breaking for them. Especially when I think of the time I spent washing cars and waiting on tables just so I had enough money to pay my rent and eat mac&cheese while I was in college.
Most people who study abroad DO work. I spent the majority of my summer working at an animal hospital, and I can assure you that the work I did was much, much, much less glamorous than washing cars or waiting on tables.</p>
<p>That was hardly the tone of this article. </p>
<p>Have you ever worked outside in a carwash when it's 20 degrees out and your feet are wet and freezing? And I'm talking during the school year--not a summer job. Sorry, studying abroad in college is a luxury. That's why you see so much of it at the exclusive schools.</p>
<p>I'm disgusted by the complaining of those who actually have the money to do things like that.</p>
<p>Well.. study abroad at my school is a necessity. If you are an international relations or area studies major, you MUST study abroad. </p>
<p>Study abroad for me will be MUCH cheaper than studying at my home university even before scholarships kick in. The cost of living in both places I am studying is RIDICULOUSLY lower as well. All in all, I'm saving a couple thousand dollars by studying abroad.</p>
<p>SilverClover:</p>
<p>Where in BO are you planning to study?
I went twice to La Paz last year and loved it.
It'll be really great to spend a semester there.</p>
<p>My costs for an evening of fun:
$90/night for 5-Star hotel (equivalence of a 4-seasons $450/night here in the US)
$0.60 taxi drive to 5-Star restaurant
$8.50 for a 4-course steak meal, white-glove service.
$0.50 taxi drive to an exclusive night club
$2 to get in VIP
$18 for table AND bottle of white champaign (that'll cost you $3,000 here)
Dancing the night away VIP and taking a hot Argentinian chick back to my hotel: $Priceless</p>
<p>:)
Yes, Bolivia is Great</p>
<p>Argentine girls are the hottest, for sure.</p>
<p>yeah they are but watch out for the STDs though</p>
<p>Studying in Cochabamba. And not doing any of the things you listed because living in the poorest country in Latin America, I would feel like a royal ****. :P But I'm also going to work on a thesis paper on water policy in Latin America which is invariably a tale of woe and poverty.</p>
<p>wow. maybe she should get a job. Some people have no appreciation for anything. Poor kid, going to Yale and studying in Pairs... life is so hard.</p>
<p>Every day I was in Israel and dropping my shekels with little care because the shekel was relatively good against the dollar and everything was cheap anyway (but bit expensive to the Israelis!). My other plan was.... LONDON. My money went about 2-3 months further in Israel than if I had gone to London with my school's study group.</p>
<p>Yes, I absolutely agree, BRANCH OUT! Europe is a bit overrated. You can have just as great time as anywhere else in the world- heck, you might be able to do the same kind of experience...say in Asia with the "jetting off on weekends", etc.</p>
<p>seems more like a "oh no can't go to comfy europe without paying for it" type article then anything else :D but I guess those are the most popular languages</p>
<p>there are many countries which peg their currency to the dollar and many more which have gone from great deals to good but not as great deals</p>
<p>For out-of-state students at my school, studying abroad almost anywhere is cheaper than actually attending UMD. Even places like Spain, Argentina, London...</p>
<p>It's all about finding the right trip. I'm going to Sevilla, and it's probably going to cost less than my girlfriend's study abroad to Buenos Aires. It's literally going to cost the same as if I were just going to a normal semester at Maryland (and my summer job money is going toward airfare/non-meal plan food). Also, at MD, all scholarships and financial aid can apply towards study abroad.</p>
<p>this is so dumb. for a while i have been looking at canadian schools, and a couple months ago i checked currency conversion. it was almost 1 usd= 1.07 cad</p>
<p>but what the hell. i check 2 days ago and it is 1usd= .97 cad
this sucks</p>