At the end of February my Dad came to visit me. We spent about 4 or 5 days in the Netherlands and then headed down to Italy for 6 days. First we flew to Rome for 4 days, then the majority of a day on a train to Venice, where we spent one night and flew out at the end of the following day.

In Rome, we saw all of the classic sights including the Coliseum, Palantine Hill, the Vatican, St. Peter’s, and the Pantheon. There isn’t much that I can add to the literature on those places, so I won’t try. We also gorged ourselves on pizza (sold by weight), tiramisu, cannolis and pasta, washed down with chianti or espresso, depending on time of day.

I must say that, so far, Italy has been the country that has most fulfilled the image of Europe placed in my mind from years and years of media. The people talking with their hands flying through the air, relaxing with a glass of wine at any time of day, and drinking their espresso standing up are all perfectly true stereotypes of Italy. The pizza and pasta were fantastic and the entire city is littered with beautiful monuments, statues, and buildings older than our country. If I had to recommend a single city for the classic European experience, I would recommend Rome.

Venice is, well, Venice. We spent only about 24 hours there and that was actually enough for me. The main attraction is the city itself, with no cars, narrow winding alleys, and footbridges every block. Although we visited St. Mark’s Square and the Accademia, my favorite thing to do was just to wander around, pausing every hour or two for a snack, pastry, or drink in the small shops. Cicchetti is a local kind of sampler dish that consists of small open-faced sandwiches with various toppings- I would definitely recommend hunting some down.

A note: Neither Rome nor Venice was as hard on my wallet as many people had made me think it would be. In Rome, we had a delicious 3 course meal at a budget restaurant for 10 euro, and 1 euro gets you 75 minutes of public transportation on any of the city’s busses. In Venice, Dad and I had a large plate of various cicchetti and champagne for something around 10 euros apiece. It was more affordable than the Netherlands!

I want to add a tip that took me a while to really learn how to manage. Traveling takes time. A 4 hour train trip, plus finding your way to the start station and from the end station, can easily become 6 hours. Add to that packing up, then getting a map and getting oriented, and settling in at your new destination, plus finding a meal to keep yourself alive, and you have 7 or 8 hours. Most of my 5 day trips became 4 or 4.5 days of actual city time, so that can be a disadvantage of a weekend hop down to Greece or trying to plan a really efficient trip in a particular city.

I think one of the major reasons people don’t study abroad, aside from money, is the fear of lacking safety and security while abroad.  You have to keep in mind that while you don’t know the laws or the land, most places you will think of going are safe.  After all, people live there too, so foreign countries can’t be all danger and doom.

Unless you count Hostel, which most of us don’t.

I can’t speak of other countries, but I felt very safe at all times while in Europe.  European culture is very similar to American culture and if you just use common sense, you won’t get into too much trouble.  Europeans are generally favorable toward Americans (except for the French, but they don’t like anybody).  You’ll be warned not to wear labeled clothing from America… that’s pretty useless.  Everything sold in European stores has some type of English or romanticized image of California emblazoned across the chest, so you’ll be fine.

Feel free to ask the tourist desk folks which parts of town to avoid.  They’ll chuckle but will happily cross out the areas you don’t want to travel to.  Guys, keep your wallet in the front pocket.  Girls, keep one hand on the purse at all times.  Buy an under-clothing fanny pack at your local travel store for ten bucks.  Carry plastic, but not too much.  Learn the emergency number… it’s not 911 anymore.  Don’t get too drunk alone (hey, that’s the sign of a problem anyway).

We heard several friend-of-a-friend stories.  I bet they’re mostly legend, but I’ll list a few here:

·         If you wear a purse, make sure it has a wire in the strap.  Word is, thieves will cut it right off your arm otherwise.

·         Ignore children, especially large groups of them.

·         If some woman tries to hand you her {purse, wallet, shopping bag, number, baby}, put your hands in your pocket and let her drop it.

·         Never take photos with both hands, always keep one on the valuables.

We’d all hope this goes without saying, but don’t try to outsmart the street gamblers playing that “which cup is the ball under” game.  Within two minutes, we saw three people lose fifty euro each.  Ouch.

And for the love of God (no, seriously), don’t mess with the Swiss Guards at the Vatican.  Their uniforms may be puffier than a bag of marshmallows, but they will take you down in no time.  I don’t speak from experience.

We had a group of over thirty students travelling through more than seven countries for a total of thirteen days each and nobody had issues.  Be smart and you shouldn’t either.

It’s finally here! The time I’ve been waiting for all semester, came just over a week ago, when I landed at London Heathrow airport, for an experience I hope to never forget.  For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Deep Aggarwal, and I’m a senior here at The University of Louisville.  This summer, I’m studying at The London School of Economics for six weeks, taking International Trade and Monetary Policy, and The Economics of European Integration.  Last week, I travelled through some of the sights in London, and took a little detour to Paris as well.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  It was an interesting experience, however, getting through Paris without knowing very much French.  Coincidentally, however, most of the street vendors, selling water bottles and trinkets happened to be Indian, so we found our way around by talking to them in Punjabi…the key to international travel is being resourceful. You have to take advantage of what you DO know, instead of harping on what you DON’T.  This week was my first week of classes, and it’s been great. While I’ve only had two days of class so far, I can tell already why LSE is so well respected.  My professors know what they’re talking about, and are able to explain complex material in an understandable fashion.  With class, however, means plenty of homework and studying..so I’ll be back on here to tell you more in the days to come!

So you’re looking to Study Abroad.  Good job, now muster the confidence to search for a program and commit.  The earlier you do, the more time you’ll have to save money.  I can give you some general advice about choosing a program but let’s face it, you’ll probably forget all of it or be swept away by some cool marketing campaign.  That’s alright, here’s a little bit about the program I chose and why YOU should choose it to.

The KIIS Study Abroad program is perhaps the cheapest and full-featured programs you’ll come across.  While their business class offerings are a bit scarce, there are definitely enough options to take care of your needs.  Luckily, their most feature-rich and well-established program in Bregenz, Austria, can help you grab some international study classes.

Let’s start off with the first thought to cross your mind: who wants to go to Austria?

I’m glad you asked.  As someone who studied Spanish, Spain was my top location choice.  That didn’t work out.  In fact, of the roughly thirty students in 2011 Bregenz program, nobody chose Austria first.  Aside from the Hapsburgs, Austria isn’t really known for much of anything (and contrary to popular belief, there are no kangaroos).

None of us walked away disappointed.  The Bregrenz program was the first KIIS program and the only one that runs every single year.  The director has her stuff together.  Here’s why it’s so great:

1.  It’s the only KIIS program and one of the few overall programs to allow extensive travel.

2.  Bregenz is close to Germany, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, France, and Italy.

3.  The program has high upfront cost but is cheap once you get overseas.  Many students spent less than $1000 USD.

4.  Bregenz is westernized enough to feel comfortable but European enough challenge your habits.

5.   It’s a like a resort/retirement town.  Pretty people, pretty places, great shopping.

6.   Beer is cheaper than water, and its good beer at that.

7.   The sun shines from 4:30 AM – 10:00 PM.  Who needs sleep anyway?

The basic program setup is simple.  Monday through Thursday, you go to class.  Classes are two hours each and you can take 1-2 of them.  I know you’re going for the credits, but keep in mind you’ll want plenty of time to enjoy yourself.  Decide accordingly.

Once classes are over Thursday by 3:30, you’re free to travel.  Bregenz is the only program with a Eurail Pass included: this pass gives you unlimited travel throughout five countries (usually Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy).  Want to go to Rome?  Have at it.  Eiffel Tower?  It’s beautiful at night and “sparkles” on the hour.  Skiing on the Alps?  Insurance is included.  You have three days per week to get it all in, so plan early, keep up with homework, and have fun.

Some other programs actually discourage travel while overseas.  Ask a lot of questions and strongly consider Bregrenz.  It doesn’t sound as cool as Paris or Barcelona, but I guarantee you it’s safer, cleaner, and a hell of a lot more fun.

Only Bregenz allows you the opportunity to take cheesy photos overlooking the obscenely beautiful sunset at Lake Constance.

Studying abroad is a one of a kind opportunity. I can honestly say that I have never traveled to a place on my own before. It has been an amazing experience- definitely one that I will never forget. I am so grateful for all of the people who have helped this dream of studying in another country come true. Sometimes it is still hard to believe that I have been here for 5 weeks. Living in another country really pushes you to learn the culture. The culture here in Spain is very different from the United States. Not only do they speak another language, but they also have a different schedule, style, and overall way of life. The hardest thing to get used to here was the meal schedule. They usually only have coffee and fruit for breakfast around 8 a.m. (which of course I was never awake for). Then they don’t eat lunch until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. It is the biggest meal of the day, so if you miss it, then you’re out of luck. Dinner is served around 10 p.m. The people here go out every night and stay out until 4 or so in the morning. It is a crazy lifestyle, but a whole lot of fun. Sevilla is such an amazing city with so many things to see and do! I would recommend visiting here to anyone. I definitely want to come back some day. Classes here are similar to ones in the U.S. The professors are all really nice and both of my classes were taught in English so they aren’t hard to understand. The teachers know that you aren’t only here for school, but to spend time experiencing the Spanish culture and traveling, so they are really nice about scheduling tests and stuff like that. Overall, I have truly enjoyed my experience here. I would suggest studying abroad to everyone!

Hello everyone,

My name is Josh and I am a marketing major finishing up my Chinese minor in Beijing China.  It is a whole different world over here.  It is very interesting just walking down the streets here, due to the fact that everybody looks at you because they have never seen a foreigner before.  I have also had my photo taken several times.  Chinese people are some of the nicest people I have met traveling the world.  I have been here for two weeks so far and everyday has been eventful.  I have visited several historical sites, from the Great Wall to the Forbidden City.  They were breath taking to say the least.   I have made friends with a lot of international students from all around the world at my university.  We all go out just about everyday to explore the city and everything it has to offer.  If you are thinking about studying abroad, I would suggest to you, consider China for it’s ancient beauty and timeless traditions.  I am having the time of my life!