Studying Abroad Vs. Traveling

>>1131997
The shittiest thing about working is that you can't spend months at a time experiencing a place.

You can hit up all the tourist sites sure, but you won't be there long enough to make any real friends, you will barely pick up any of the language if you're lucky, and you won't find much if anything that isn't in a guide book. Studying abroad is basically living in another country and is far superior

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While I have not actually studied abroad I have spent extended periods of time in a foreign place. I've also traveled through most of Europe and Central America.

There are obviously pros and cons of both. As you stated when your hanging around one place for a month or longer you begin to feel fully immersed in that place. You usually end up making lasting relationships with people you're staying with and end up getting a very genuine feeling for that particular place. The cons are that it's usually more expensive, unless your working, also if you end up not liking that place then you're pretty much stuck.

Just hitting up separate cities every few days is the same. Pros, you get to see more, fellow travelers seem to be more genuine/outgoing/fun because they know they will never have to see you again. Cons are youre moving around all the time which can wear you down and that qt you meet at the hostel that you walked in the park and held hands with for an afternoon you'll never see again because she has a bus to another city at 8 in the morning. Relationship are over before they even start most the time.

As for the studying part I don't know. But I get the feeling people don't go abroad to actually study seriously. I think a lot of people just like the idea of getting out of whatever shit-hole they came from for a few months.

>>1131997
the longer the study program is usually the better cost effective it is, if it's cheap like USAC
a summer program might cost 4-6k
one semester for a USAC program could be 5-12k and a year being 8-22k

I'm amusing you are going through your school what;'s the cost and what does it include?
All of this will effect if it makes sense for you to go.

I know a couple of guys attending university in Tokyo and loving it. Depending on the country, a student visa is an easy way to live abroad.

>>1132042
Well the costs for summer range from 10~14k and included within that total is calculated tuition, housing, airfare, miscellaneous, and food.

>>1132055
full summer or just one month?

I studied in Singapore last January to May. I really enjoyed and see it as a place I could move back to later on. I was also able to do a lot of traveling while I was over there, so I'd highly recommend doing it, no matter where you choose to go.

>>1131997
Went from France to Latvia, met all kinds of people there from muricans to koreans.

It was really fun, just go to a cheapo country if your budget is tight like any eastern european country with a bit of history and you'll be fine, it might actually be more fun than going to a place like Roma, at least that was my experience.

You'll probably hang out more with the exchange students rather than the locals but you'll definitely get to know the city like a local and you'll have the occasion to travel to other nearby countries. The courses are really light so you'll have a lot of freetime.