Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
Page 221
PHRASEBOOK
GREEK ALPHABET
In the epic historical rumble that was Latin Vs. Greek: Conjugation of Terror CXXVI BCE, Latin pretty much won out, and as a victory prize, its alphabet became used the world over. As a consolation prize, the Greek alphabet kept Greece. In case your travels find their way to this fair country, here’s a guide to the font that’s only slightly less cool-looking than Zapf Dingbats:
tell the world
Plan your next trip on our spiffy website, www.letsgo.com. It features full book content, the latest travel info on your favorite destinations, and tons of interactive features: make your own itinerary, read blogs from our trusty Researcher-Writers, browse our photo library, watch exclusive videos, check out our newsletter, find travel deals, follow us on Facebook, and buy new guides. Plus, if this Essentials wasn’t enough for you, we’ve got even more online. We’re always updating and adding new features, so check back often!
BEYOND TOURISM
studying
UNIVERSITIES
LANGUAGE SCHOOLS
SPECIAL-INTEREST SCHOOLS
volunteering
working
LONG-TERM WORK
SHORT-TERM WORK
If you are reading this, then you are a member of an elite group—and we don’t mean “the literate.” You’re a student preparing for a semester abroad. You’re taking a gap year to save the trees, the whales, or the dates. You’re an 80-year-old woman who has devoted her life to egg-laying platypuses and figuring out what the hell is up with that. In short, you’re a traveler, not a tourist; like any good spy, you don’t observe your surroundings—you become an active part of them.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to study, volunteer, or work in Europe as laid out in the dossier—er, chapter—below. More general wisdom, including international organizations with a presence in many destinations and tips on how to pick the right program, is also accessible by logging onto the Beyond Tourism section of www.letsgo.com. We leave the rest (when to go, whom to bring, and how many changes of underwear to pack) in your hands. This message will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck.
greatest hits
• LET’S STUDY. We’re the student travel guide, so of course we’re going to love study abroad. This chapter lists organizations that will help you pick a study-abroad program as well as Europe’s best universities (UNIVERSITIES).
• LET’S STUDY, OUTSIDE THE BOX. If you want to be the next Indiana Jones, you can enroll in an archaeology field class in Athens. If you want to be the next winner of So You Think You Can Dance, you can sharpen your moves at Taller Flamenco School in Sevilla (TALLER FLAMENCO SCHOOL).
• LET’S VOLUNTEER. Till an organic farm with fellow WWOOFers in Italy or do some good for the community in Vienna (VOLUNTEERS FOR PEACE).
• LET’S WORK. If you’re going to pad your resume, why not do it in France? The jobs we list can also help you defray the cost of your travels (working).
studying
As you’ve doubtlessly already discovered from Googling “study abroad,” becoming overwhelmed, questioning whether you want to go in the first place, and then calling your mom (yeah, we’ve been there), there are a ton of different study-abroad options out there. But don’t worry! We’re here to help. First, ask yourself what you want to get out of a study-abroad program. Are you looking for a basic language and culture course that will let you spend as much time as possible engaging with local, erm, language and culture? Or are you seeking university-level classes to count for college credit? Second, search certain study-abroad-specific websites like www.studyabroad.com, www.goabroad.com, and www.westudyabroad.com for programs that meet your criteria. You can usually search by type of program, desired location, and focus of study. Once you’ve settled on a few favorites, research them as much as you can before making your decision—determine things like cost, duration, what kinds of students participate in the program, and what sorts of accommodations are provided.
visa information
If you’re lucky enough to have an EU passport, stop reading and count your blessings. Non-EU citizens hoping to study abroad in the EU, on the other hand, must obtain a special student visa. The acquisition process can be complicated and requires more pieces of identification than you knew existed, but often if you study abroad with a program rather than enrolling directly, the program will help you with this process. For every country, the best and most up-to-date information can be obtained from your local consulate. Visa applications often have fees attached to them that can range from $30 to $300.
UNIVERSITIES
OK, say you’re a college student who wants to spend a semester abroad in the Netherlands at Heerhugowaard State. In addition to researching on your own as described above, your friendly neighborhood study-abroad office is an excellent place to get your bearings. Make sure that you’re proficient in Dutch first, though: most university-level study-abroad programs are conducted in the local language (although many programs offer classes in English and lower-level language courses, too). Especially skilled speakers of Dutch (or whatever; you get the point) may find it cheaper to enroll directly in a university abroad, although getting college credit may be more difficult.
International Programs
AHA INTERNATIONAL
70 NW Couch St., Ste. 242, Portland, OR 97209 800-654-2051 www.ahastudyabroad.org An affiliate of the University of Oregon, the ironically-named American Heritage Foundation will set you up to study abroad in major study-abroad destinations like Siena, London, Vienna, Berlin, and Athens.
Tuition $3730-14,300, depending on the destination and which term you take abroad.
AMERICAN FIELD SERVICE
71 West 23rd Street, 17th Floor, New York City, NY 10010
212-352-9810 www.afs.org
Run by a network of volunteer organizations in over 50 countries, AFS runs high school exchange programs that send students all over Europe to live with host families and attend local schools full-time. Also, on their website, they offer a vision for the year 2020, so you know they’re in it for the long haul.Contact the office in your home country for more details.
Prices and available spots vary over time ; consult the website for up-to-date information. Scholarships available. “School Programs” last for a trimester, semester, or year. Intensive and summer programs last for 1-3 months.
AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR FOREIGN STUDY (AIFS)
River Plaza, 9 West Broad St., Stamford, CT 06902
866-906-2437 www.aifs.com
With programs in 17 different countries and over 50,000 participants each year, AIFS is one of the oldest and largest cultural exchange organizations out there. Better yet, it’s open to both high school and college students. Destinations in Europe cover almost anywhere you’d possibly want to go: London, Berlin, Florence, Rome, Prague, and Paris, to name a few.
Scholarships available. Semester $13,495-16,495; summer $4995-10,995; prices depend on location and length.
ARCADIA UNIVERSITY
450 S. Easton Rd., Glenside, PA 19038
866-927-2234 www.arcadia.edu/abroad
Arcadia’s program in each destination (destinations that include pretty much every major European country) has something unique to recommend it. For instance, Florence includes special design and intensive fashion design programs,the Toledo program fee includes a four-day field study in Morocco, and classes in Athens include field-study excursions to historical sites.
2.7-3.0 min. GPA, depending on program. Semester $12,500-22,450; summer $2550-7600. Semester estimates do not include meal costs; summer estimate does not include room and board.
COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION EXCHANGE (CIEE)
300 Fore St., Portland ME 04101
207-553-4000 www.ciee.org
CIEE not only organizes study abroad programs for US high school and college students, but they also offer internships and teaching opportunities. They can whisk you away to places like London, Brussel
s, Prague, Naples, and Paris.
Scholarships available. Semester $13,500-18,500; summer $3375-6400.
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES ABROAD (CEA)
2005 W. 14th St., Suite 113, Tempe, AZ 85281
800-266-4441 www.gowithcea.com
CEA offers summer, semester, or full-year programs in places like London, Paris, Grenoble, Aix-en-Provence, and Prague.
Semester $10,995-16,595; 3-week summer program $4295.
EXPERIMENTIAL LEARNING INTERNATIONAL
1557 Ogden St., Denver, CO 80218
303-321-8278 www.eliabroad.org
A smaller study-abroad organization, ELI combines study programs with internships and other international goodies at campuses in Paris, Florence, and other spots.
Semester $12,595-13,595; summer $1265-5335.
INSTITUTE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION OF STUDENTS
33 N. LaSalle St., 15th fl., Chicago, IL 60602
800-995-2300 www.iesabroad.org
A semester in Nantes? A summer in Barcelona? Or how about J-term in Rome? IES has opportunities for enrollment in courses at local universities, term-time and summer internships, “field study activities” (read: field trips), and language improvement. Homestays or apartment housing can be found through the institute.
Semester $13,885-21,320; summer $6500-7340.
Local Programs
The following are just a few of literally thousands of local institutions of higher learning in Europe—culled from some of the continent’s hottest study-abroad destinations. For more detail, check out Let’s Go guides to specific countries.
EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY BARCELONA
Ganduxer 70, Barcelona, Spain
+34 93 201 81 7 www.euruni.edu
One of the world’s top business schools just happens to be in Barcelona. Perfect for all those future world-dominators out there.
Semester approx. $7000.
LEIDEN UNIVERSITY (UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN)
Rapenburg 70, Leiden, the Netherlands
71 527 2727 www.leidenuniv.nl
Oldest university in the Netherlands, dating back to 1575, with a campus in Amsterdam. Includes an observatory, medical center, and academy of performing arts. Part-time programs available.
LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS (LSE)
Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK
20 7405 7686 www.lse.ac.uk
LSE accepts international students who have completed at least two years of undergraduate study for a year-long general course, running from October to July.
Minimum GPA requirements vary by department. Tuition £14,426.
UNIVERSIDAD EUROPEA DI MADRID
Madrid, Spain
+34 911 421 015 www.uem.es/en
One of the many institutions in this nation’s capital, it even has programs for students over the age of 40. Some courses are offered in English.
4-week summer course €2950. Price includes housing and full board.
UNIVERSITÀ DI BOLOGNA
V. Zamboni 33, Bologna, Italy
+39 051 208 8101 www.eng.unibo.it
Take your pick of one of Bologna’s five campuses, one each in Cesena, Forlì, Ravena, Rimini, and...Bologna! Luckily, no matter where you go, you can still say that you attend the super-cute-sounding “UniBo.” The university offers a range of courses taught in English, including some classes created in partnership with other institutions of higher learning. You can also check out Bologna’s summer school in Italian language and culture. With great generosity, the school offers free Italian-language instruction to non-Italian EU and other foreign students.
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
The Old Schools, Trinity Lane, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
12 23 33 3308 www.cam.ac.uk
Unlike your typical American university, Cambridge comprises 29 undergraduate colleges. Your college is where you eat, sleep, and have your “supervision”—Cambridge-speak for one-on-one or small group lessons with a professor. Lectures are optional, so you can sleep in and not even feel guilty about it.
Full year £15,000-19,000.
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JD, UK
18 65 27 0000 www.ox.ac.uk
Like Cambridge, Oxford operates on the tutorial system and has 38 independent, self-governing colleges. (Sorry—Gryffindor isn’t one of them, but the Great Hall in Harry Potter was based on Christ Church, one of the Oxford colleges.) Check individual college and departmental websites for more information.
Full year up to £19,700.
LANGUAGE SCHOOLS
As renowned novelist Gustave Flaubert once said, “Language is a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to.” While we at Let’s Go have absolutely no clue what he is talking about, we do know that the following are good resources for learning any European language.
A2Z LANGUAGES
3219 E. Camelback Rd #806, Phoenix, AZ
888-417-1533 www.a2zlanguages.com
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, and Greece could be the place you master a new tongue if you study in one of A2Z’s numerous programs, which vary from one location to the other. All sites service everyone from the complete beginner to the student hoping to master the language.
$890-5930, depending on program length, number of classes per week, choice of accommodations, and time of year.
AMERISPAN STUDY ABROAD
1334 Walnut St., 6th fl., Philadelphia, PA
800-879-6640 www.amerispan.com
With a presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Skype, Amerispan is not only invading all the newfangled social media, but also actually provides helpful information about a bunch of language schools in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, and Greece.
$320-10,000, depending on program location, length, and choice of accommodations.
EUROCENTRES
Seestr. 247, CH-8038 Zürich, Switzerland
+41 044 485 50 40 www.eurocentres.com
No matter how advanced a speaker you are, Eurocentres has classes for you studying the native language in France, Spain, Germany, and Italy. The schools all provide recreation rooms and free internet access and organize a variety of outings and social activities.
16+.
SPECIAL-INTEREST SCHOOLS
“But, wait!” we hear you cry, “What if I don’t want to study the history and culture of Lisbon? What if I couldn’t care less about fulfilling my home school’s requirements?” If your tastes are more specific than what a typical university can offer, here’s some information on just a handful of alternative schools in Europe.
THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL STUDIES AT ATHENS
Souidias 54, Athens 10676, Greece
21072 36 313 www.ascsa.edu.gr
Since 1881, American graduate students and professors have flocked here to participate in ongoing excavations of ancient sites, including the ancient Athenian agora. A 6-week summer program allows undergraduates to work at its sites and others.
Applicants selected based on academic achievement and previous fieldwork experience. Application deadline for summer digs set in Dec. of previous year Room and a small daily stipend are given to admitted volunteers who can provide their own travel arrangements.
APICIUS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY
Florence, Italy
+39 055 265 81.35 www.apicius.it
At Apicius’ campus in Florence, aspiring chefs, sommeliers, bakers, or extreme foodies can study their hearts out, with one-, two-, and four-year professional programs. Amateurs can also indulge in less intense instruction that may include gastronomic walking tours or visits to local farms and markets.
ARCHAEOSPAIN
Rome, Italy
866-932-0003 www.archaeospain.com
Check out the “ancient pottery dump” of Monte Testaccio in Rome. If that doesn’t sound super-appealing, maybe knowing that the artifacts you’ll be digging up date from the first to third centuries will make the e
xcavation more exciting. Anyone 18+ is welcome, and academic credit is available.
CORDON BLEU PARIS CULINARY ARTS INSTITUTE
8 rue Léon Delhomme, Paris, France
+33 1 53 68 22 50 www.cordonbleu.edu
There’s no more prestigious training academy for the serious aspiring chef than the original Paris branch of the Cordon Bleu. Certificate and degree programs available. More tourist-friendly options include two- to four-hour workshops and short courses that range in length from two days to one week. Price of a one-day taste of Provence workshop? €175. Bragging rights? Priceless.