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Tell me where to study abroad

  • I just got back from Istanbul and highly recommend it. It has an east meets west kind of feel with lots of modern amenities (great restaurants, beachfront bars, etc). There is also a lot of interesting history in Turkey (Ephesus, Hagia Sophia, etc).

    London, Paris, Athens, Barcelona are all great cities but feel very western. Istanbul feels foreign and I think that would be a cool experience.

    spartan dawg ●

  • First off, studying abroad was the best decision of my life. I think about my two trips all the time as they are truly life memories.

    My recommendation would be to not go to Europe or anyplace too "Western". That's not saying Europe is not cool - there are some fantastic places - but chances are you will go to London/Paris/Italy at some point of your life for vacation. Expand your horizons - go someplace you would never go. Study abroad is the perfect excuse to explore the world. I did two one-month trips...one to Asia (Japan, South Korea, China) and one to Africa (South Africa, Swaziland) that really opened my eyes. I absolutely loved them.

    The only semi-regret I have looking back is it would've been really interesting to do stay someplace for the semester to really get a deep dive in the culture. Then again, the nice thing about the summer month-long programs is you are not gone from campus for too long and can enjoy the normal college life.

    stinkytofu ●

  • JMSparty08 said...

    Go someplace you wouldn't really consider going on a vacation. Europe is great, but you can always go there any time in your life. Asian countries like China, Vietnam (beautiful by the way), India, Malaysia are all unique places that you will actually fall in love with if you go.

    Same can be said for South American countries or Africa.

    IMO, too many people go where they're comfortable and don't challenge themselves to go somewhere else. Like I said, you can always go to London or Paris later in life. Same can't be said for Guatemala or another more third world country.

    Despite the fact that I went to Melbourne, I would agree with this. I know people who did Thailand, Ghana and Argentina and they all loved it. Oddly enough the only two people I know that went on study abroad and didn't absolutely love it went to Greece/Italy and Ireland.

    Also, you should really go for a full semester. I felt like 5 months was a tease and wished I had gone for the full year so I can't imagine being satisfied with just a few weeks.

    And be prepared to spend zilly $$$$$$$$, but its worth it in the end.

    Calmer than you are

    Mister Green ●

  • JMSparty08 said...

    Go someplace you wouldn't really consider going on a vacation. Europe is great, but you can always go there any time in your life. Asian countries like China, Vietnam (beautiful by the way), India, Malaysia are all unique places that you will actually fall in love with if you go.

    Same can be said for South American countries or Africa.

    IMO, too many people go where they're comfortable and don't challenge themselves to go somewhere else. Like I said, you can always go to London or Paris later in life. Same can't be said for Guatemala or another more third world country.

    Absolutely. I think we're the same person - I basically posted the same thing as you without first reading your post. Great advice.

    stinkytofu ●

  • stinkytofu said...

    Absolutely. I think we're the same person - I basically posted the same thing as you without first reading your post. Great advice.

    Lol. Great minds...

    But yeah, the more third world countries are absolutely beautiful. The scenery, the people, the food, everything. Just look at Anthony Bourdain. Some of his favorite places are countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, or places in Latin or south America.

    "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - Mark Dantonio.

    JMSparty08 ●

  • I did a backpacking trip to the Benelux countries, Ireland, and France. Best 2 months of my life. I highly recommend the French Riviera region as I've never seen a collection of gorgeous women in my life.

    MIST ●

  • MSU has one of the leading Study Abroad programs in the US. It's been an MSU tradition for many years. So I would trust the program staff and their literature for advice. Also I think there has been good advice on this thread.

    There is an annual Study Abroad fair on campus that allows you to meet with staff and professors who teach the abroad classes.

    Wigrich

  • Jack Passion said...

    I'll be going into my sophomore year this upcoming fall and I'm looking to study abroad next summer.

    Any good suggestions on where to go? I've heard Australia is great but that's about it...

    pick a first world city that isn't in a dooshy country...Sydney, Australia is the cream of the crop...also maybe look at Hong Kong, Tokyo , Beijing/Shanghai, and Buenos Aires.

    tVargMan Prime ●

  • Pat4msu said...

    The Netherlands is by FAR my favorite country in Europe, I just got done studying there!

    You did it just in time...the law that will prevent foreigners from going to coffee shops and buying bud goes into effect next year

    fallenangle

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