A Blog about Education Abroad

Tag: USA

  • The American Dream by Eloise

    The American Dream by Eloise

    Pre-departure:

    The day we booked our tickets to Boston, MA was the day it all sank in. For the first time we realised that we are really doing this.  Mri, Chanel and I are really going to AMERICA for the very first time!! Our minds immediately started to twirl as we thought about Central Park, Boston Common, The Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Museums, BROADWAY and of course, Times Square.

    We started planning everything in detail, as it is very important to be organised, prepared and knowledgeable about where you are going, where you are staying and prices of everything.  If you know precisely how to get to the place you’re staying in America, it is much, much easier to use the Subway (although it can be a bit confusing in the beginning).  Preparation also equals LESS STRESS.  If you are in an unknown country, you don’t know where you are and nobody stops to even look at you or help you, you will start to stress.  Therefore to prevent this stress, you should know where you are going and how to get there.

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  • Derik at UNCC

    Pre-departure:

    Following your dreams is not something that just happens, as one might assume. Following your dreams comes with a lot of individual challenges and obstacles along the way. This is definitely how I would explain my pre-departure experience. There was nothing easy about it and nothing went the way I thought it would, but I would not trade this experience for anything and I would encourage anyone who wants to do this, to just go for it, no matter how challenging it might be! When I first started with the process of applying for this Exchange program it was encouraged with a lot of enthusiasm from everyone involved. As an Education student, I am the first one to ever go on exchange, and this presented the first few obstacles. However, with the help of the International Office in Stellenbosch and also the amazing help from the International Office in Charlotte, I was able to have my classes match up with the requirements set by the Faculty of Education. Applying for my visa was something else that concerned me before I left, but this was the easiest part. The application was really straightforward and easy to understand and once I went to my appointment the interviewer was really friendly and helpful.

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  • Julie at the University of North Carolina Greensboro

    America! The land of dreams, potential and possibility!

    The day that I heard that I was accepted as an exchange student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro was the day that my life took a dramatic change, although at the time I did not realise this. The preparation began by considering various courses that would be suitable, checking all my VISA requirements and mentally preparing myself for jumping into one of the coldest of winters that I would ever experience! Although having done a lot of research on the available courses, we soon learned that only a hand full were available in my field of study. In hindsight, I should have used this opportunity to take courses in various other fields in addition to my major subjects.

    The VISA process was surprisingly quick and swift, although this did mean that an early morning trip to the embassy in Cape Town was in order! Once my VISA was secured, I then started to look at various airfares on a variety of airlines. Would it be easier to fly direct and pay a bit more in order to have a greater peace of mind and reduce fatigue when changing time zones? Or would I prefer to save that money and do a layover instead? Since I was travelling during the Festive Season, flights were more expensive than usual. I would advise new exchange students to arrive earlier in order to avoid expensive plane tickets. In the end, I opted to layover in London for a week to visit family and from London embark on the shorter flight to Washington D.C.

    Packing my suitcase was another obstacle to overcome. I needed to pack enough for 6 months yet still have space so that I could bring new things back. After a lot of experimenting, I found it useful to roll up my clothes as this utilised space a lot better than simply folding ones clothes. In addition, I packed a few days’ worth of clothes in my carry-on luggage just in case my baggage got lost. This turned out to be a good idea as many of my soon-to-be friends ended up in the USA with only the clothes on their backs because the luggage got lost between connecting flights. (more…)