Continuing from " Volunteering Abroad or Working Abroad?" - Part 3 - by Chris Smith
If you are open to the option of working abroad for free or for a small compensation, it would increase your options of obtaining a position in the area that interests you. Again, there are many programs out there. For recent graduates, your Study Abroad office or tutor can help you in making international contacts. For those not blessed with international contacts in the professional areas of their preference, again, there are companies that are specialized in this and which can help you! Especially in the community service and development aide and nature conservation areas there are a lot of possibilities. The big international aid organizations virtually all receive volunteers and will be happy to provide you with information. But also, smaller, local initiatives have found their way to the internet and email. And again, a plethora of organizations who act as an intermediary between you and organizations which receive volunteers and interns.
In addition to professional development, working for a smaller organization, especially in developing countries, can be a great gift to the people. Organizations which do fantastic work but don't have the financial means to hire international, highly educated and experienced staff, or staff period, can benefit greatly from your help. Not one of us can change the world but we can all help a little, can't we? Especially for those who have a well-developed professional career and can offer their expertise as well as learn, this can be a very rewarding experience.
Continuing from " Volunteering Abroad or Working Abroad?" - Part 2 - by Chris Smith
To give (young) people the chance to experience (professional) life abroad, many governments have created bilateral agreements for internship or young professional experiences, giving out limited and short-term visas for this purpose. To qualify for such a visa you need to go through certified organizations who can apply for the visa on your behalf. You have to pay a fee to the organization. On the upside, they usually also include a whole range of services and guarantee you a job. One of the most interesting possibilities of organized work abroad experiences is to obtain your ESL certification and teach abroad. Depending on what your goals are, certain jobs can be more or less suitable. For example, the type of job an agency can find for you may not be in your own profession which is a disadvantage if you want to use your international experience to find a position back home. If you are out to get to know a new culture and/or learn a language, your contact with the local people would be more important than the actual tasks you’re performing. Find a program that suits your personal goals.
The distinction between 'work abroad' and 'volunteer abroad' is not always very clear. There are many jobs that only pay room and board, or give you a small stipend, and there are also volunteer positions that offer the very same kind of compensation. So if your focus is more on the experience than on the financial side of things, both options are worthwhile to explore. As volunteer experiences do not always require you to apply for a special visa, you have a wider range of options and countries to choose from, and you can arrange it quicker and at a lower cost.
To be continued...
..or Working Abroad? - by Chris Smith
If you want to go abroad for a while, you have several options. Studying Abroad has been covered in several blogs already, so I wanted to focus this time on the options that are available to those not currently enrolled in higher education or are looking for a professional rather than an academical environment.
Working abroad is more popular than Volunteering abroad, due to the obvious attraction of receiving a salary for your efforts. However, it's not easy to find a paid job in another country. In today's 'Global World' the true global citizen is becoming more and more of a rare species, simply because it's very difficult to find a job if you don't have a legal work permit in the country where you're in, and it's even more difficult to obtain a work permit!
When preparing for your time abroad, think about what your goals are. Do you want to learn another language? Build your resume? Share your professional experience with others? Or just be 'away from it all' for a while?
More to follow..
By Patrick - Guest blogger traveling in Japan. Continuing from "Studying in Japan"
As I learned from Linda, Osaka is essentially Japan's cultural and historic capital, and is becoming quite international but still holds true to their traditions. She experienced first hand the Japanese bath tradition with her host mother and daughters. An experience she said was bit uncomfortable and one she will never try again. Although most Japanese homes have their own bathrooms, natural Hot Springs (onsen) and bathhouses (ofuroya) are still very popular in Japan. There are rules and guidelines to taking a Japanese bath here's the shortened version:
Step one: get undressed. Then you walk naked, Linda likes to put stress on the word "naked", to the bathroom with your washcloth and shower essentials (shampoo, conditions, shower gel, etc) with everyone, again there is lots of stress on the work "everyone".
Step two: wash. The washing part takes place in the actual bathroom before getting in to the bathtub. You sit on a low stool in front of taps and showers set in the wall of the washing area. This is an essential part of the ritual.
Last step: is getting into the bath of very deep hot water.
More to come....
Continuing from " What to do and not do..... if you hate your teacher or courses abroad" - Part 3 - by Elizabeth Gregory
Hate your instructor?
Here are some suggestions on what to do
* Try to keep at least one positive thought in your mind. Usually "not everyone gets along with everyone" is a good general positive thought.
* Talk to a neutral party who may be able to give some insight. I've used the "is it just me or did so and so seem really nasty today." You'd be surprised how often the answer to that is "nah, that's just the way they are, don't take it personally" comes as a response to that.
* If it's really THAT BAD see if another section of the same course is open. You may be able to switch to a class to a different instructor.
* Find out if this person will be your teacher for the entire semester, term, etc. Many programs rotate instructors on a weekly, monthly, or semi-semester basis. This means you may not be "stuck" with this person the entire time.
And what not to do:
* Do not "challenge" them. Keep a poker face when interacting with them. Don't make it common knowledge that you hate them. You may only make things worse for yourself.
* Don't assume that they hate you too. This many times is not the case.
* Don't give up hope. You can "suck it up." Remember, you don't have to live with this person.
Continuing from " What to do and not do..... if you hate your teacher or courses abroad" - Part 2 - by Elizabeth Gregory
So you hate your courses abroad (or just one course for that matter)
What to Do
* If this is a required course, you may not have a lot of flexibility. Find out what your options are by speaking to the advisor at your home college or university to see if an alternate course would be acceptable.
* Figure out what you don't like about the course. Is this something that could be rectified by speaking with the instructor or some classmates? Maybe not understanding the material is making you hate it. Get to the root of the problem.
* See if there are options to change courses and take something different that may be more appealing to you. If so, decide if you would enjoy that course more. Maybe ask to sit in on one session (if it fits into your schedule) to see what it's all about.
What Not to Do
* Don't complain non-stop to anyone who will listen. This is for 2 reasons: first of all, it will make it worse for you by constantly dwelling on the negative aspects and second of all, you will lose friends quickly in your class.
* Don't drop the course without finding out the repercussions or establishing a back-up plan first. If you drop it hastily without researching these things, it could be as bad as meaning you won't graduate on-time. Not good!
* Don't freak out! Panic makes everything worse. Step back and regroup. Figure out a plan to solve things. Speak to an onsite administrator and/or your academic advisor back home. Sometimes you need an outside party to put things into perspective and maybe brainstorm with you for ideas you may not have considered.
To be continued...
.. if you hate your teacher or courses abroad - Part 1 - by Elizabeth Gregory
Writing about what to do and not do with regards to your host family during my last blog made me realize that there are other areas where someone or something may not be your favorite during your time abroad. Therefore, I decided to give some advice this time around on what to do and not do if you hate your teacher or courses abroad. Now, let me start out by saying that many times the reason for your unhappiness or dissatisfaction with a course or instructor may solely be because you have been misplaced. That is to say you may very well be in a class that is too easy or too hard for you. Therefore, before you decide that you've given up and made the biggest mistake of your life by choosing to study abroad, take a step back and ask yourself…are these classes too easy for me? Do I feel like the instructor is talking down to me because I am at a level that is too easy? Am I misunderstanding key points because I am in a class that is too difficult? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," it's clear you are at an inappropriate level. Speak to the administrative staff at your academic institution and make arrangements to get switched. Give specific examples of how and or why things are too easy or hard. If the answers to these questions is "no," then you'll have to keep reading for some much needed advice.
More to come...
...continuing from " Agent or Direct"....- Part 2 by Anne-Marie Dingemans
One of the easiest and maybe also most natural criteria is price. Browsing on the Web will give you access to the websites of many schools, agencies and school listings, many of them clearly displaying the prices. Especially school listings can be helpful at this stage. Be careful though, as some organizations have hidden fees that you'll only discover when you are already committed.
Assuming that your ultimate goal is to dramatically improve your language skills, you may also be interested in what quality the program of your choice has to offer. As it's easy to make a good-looking website these days, it may be difficult to judge which programs are legit, who employs the best teachers, which schools truly care about the student's progress, etc. It's important to contact the school and ask any questions you have before deciding.
Agencies can be a great help when you're unsure of a school's quality. Those agencies that have been around for a long time, such as AmeriSpan, have a reputation to protect and will not decide to represent a school if they are not convinced that it offers great quality. Also, staff at agencies can advise you with impartiality which school or which location suits your needs best. They offer a wide range of options so they do not sell you on just one or a couple of destinations.
More to come..
