In order to study abroad, you must take a suggested minimum of 12 credits a semester with the international institution of your choice. Studying abroad waives the perspectives requirement. When you return to Millersville your courses will transfer as if you took them at Millersville. More details about credits and courses can be discussed with your advisor. If you’re worried about money, consider your options. If you are registered for more than six credits and you are eligible for financial aid, then you can choose the study abroad program when filing your FAFSA.

It is very expensive to travel, but after tuition costs are covered, you just need to save up extra money for spending while you are there. More information about financial aid and scholarships can be found at the Financial Aid Office. You need to have completed 24 credits, maintained a 2.0 grade average, and completed the advanced approval process through the Office of Global Education and Partnerships.

There are different scholarships available to students and graduate students that plan to study abroad for up to a year. Specific Japan and Germany scholarship programs targeted for students that wish to study abroad and with the possibility of an internship. There are certain MU courses abroad programs that are more organized in ways of finances and specific courses such as Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Belfast Northern Ireland, and the London Theatre Tour. These programs are short up to two week programs that take place over the summer for as little as $2,000 not including the Millersville tuition cost for a three credit course.

This is a great way to experience the study abroad program in a short period of time. These programs also include Millersville professors who accompany the groups. These programs include airfare, accommodations, some meals, some traveling, etc. Each of these programs offers two or more courses where you are only required to register for one to suit your major or minor requirements. These summer abroad programs arrange different courses for graduate and undergraduate students at different times during the summer.

The summer abroad programs simply require that you attend a meeting or two prior to the trip and conduct a research paper at the end of the trip to explain your experiences and discoveries in the course of your choice. A passport is necessary for your traveling and can take up to three months to apply and receive but lasts up to 10 years so is well worth the money and application process.

If you are a language major this is also a great opportunity because they have specific courses in your language that you can take abroad in order to better understand the culture and language.

The following websites can be helpful in regards to studying abroad:

http://www.millersville.edu/~globaled/index.php

http://www.millersville.edu/~finaid/

http://www.rotary.org/

http://www.studyabroadfunding.org/

No related posts.

Dr. Salvador Vidal-Ortiz, Assistant Professor of Sociology at American University, was the key speaker, and he spoke on the study of Latinos and why they seem to be racialized in the United States and the history behind the assimilation issue.

Dr. Vidal-Ortiz urged students to take a class or even to minor in Latino Studies as a minor to learn more about Latinos and learn about the issues surrounding them. For it is disastrous for the United States as a multicultural country that generalizations are made about different ethnic groups and their identity is marred by racialization.

As such a country, the United States sees multiple migrations in its borders. Among the five migrations that have affected racialization, the fifth migration was created by the attack on the Twin Towers. Those who were not marked as colored or whites, such as Muslims and Arabs, were suddenly considered un-American and racialized. Soon they were seen as the inferior race by African-Americans and Latinos as well.

As Latinos, Latinas, and other immigrants, it is vital that they reinforce their roots in America. In the case of Sonia Sotomayer, the first Hispanic Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, her nomination was obviously marred by every topic she spoke on. Whether it was the constant mentioning of her love to eat or the music she listened to, it was all used to Americanize her as she was entering into the United States Supreme Court.

Numerous newspapers even incorrectly spelled her name in an effort to have her change it to something more American and easy to say. Dr. Vidal-Ortiz stressed patience, for Americans need to understand their roots, by learning to say Latinos’ names correctly instead of Americanizing them.

It is the act of assimilation that all immigrants are going through, but as a multicultural country their language and culture should have no restrictions or barriers.

The event was sponsored by the Rosario Caminero Latino Celebration Committee, Latino Studies Minor, Society of Latino Affairs, Sociology/Anthropology Department, and the office of Social Equity and Diversity.

No related posts.

 Adam Shickling, a junior, studied abroad in London his sophomore year from September 2008 to December 2008. “It was an amazing experience. Studying abroad is the best decision I’ve ever made,” Shickling said.

     Shickling was introduced to the Study Abroad program from family who had previously gone through the experience, and he knew that this was something he would want to do. “I knew Millersville had a great studying abroad program, and that is a major reason why I chose to come here,” he said.

     Not wanting to deal with a language barrier, Shickling juggled between studying in either Australia or London, finally settling on London because of its close proximity to other countries, “which increased my traveling options,” he said. Also, Shickling had visited London in high school and he wanted to experience more of the city.

     Before leaving for London Shicklin was “anxious to see the living quarters and see how my classes would be structured.” 

     However, his anxieties were eased when he met other Millersville students, and got settled into his daily routine. “The flight over was a great chance for us to get know each other and we were all very good friends from there on,” he said.

     Shickling stayed in an apartment complex built for international students, and shared a room with a Millersville student. He was able to make friends with students from Colorado, Minnesota, and Texas. Schickling still remains in touch with the Millersville students he studied with, as well as the friends he made from other parts of the U.S.    

     Studying abroad is a great opportunity to gain experience outside of your culture, and delve into a lifestyle completely unlike one’s own. For Shickling, he realized how similar our country is to other European nations. “In London, I cannot recall any serious cultural barriers I had to overcome,” he said. “Politically, European countries are much more liberal than the U.S. so you need to keep that in mind when talking politics with Europeans, and trust me this will be one of their favorite conversations.”

     Shickling had a good experience in Europe, and found that most people love talking to Americans, and were willing to help them overcome any language barriers. “As soon as they discover you are American they want to talk about politics and at that time, Barack Obama,” he said.

      Classes continue just as they would in the states, and they are much like a regular semester of college. Shickling only took 12 credits to help lighten his workload: A history class, a film class, a government and an economics class. “Education in the U.K. is a lot different than in the U.S.” Shickling said. “There’s more of a focus on personal responsibility and few professors grade attendance. U.K. classes also tend to be more writing-oriented than exam-oriented. For example, I didn’t have a single exam while studying abroad but had seven papers to write.”

     Studying abroad also provided an education outside of the classroom. “Traveling puts intense pressure on expanding your independence, sometimes you’re going to be walking around a foreign city alone and you need to know how to protect yourself and get around safely.     

     Shickling’s study abroad experience is one that he will never forget; there were many sites that he was able to see, such as the Tower Bridge in London, Heidelberg Castle in Germany, Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. One of his favorite memories happened in the Netherlands, “A bunch of us rented bicycles on day in the Netherlands. It was amazing riding past windmills and over canals,” he said.

     Shickling still misses the history and the nightlife of London. “It was really something to walk past castles and bridges older than the United States on Your way to class,” he said.

     All of the excitement, schoolwork, and traveling kept him busy, so he never had time to get homesick or think about home. However, he was able to stay connected to his friends and family by buying a prepaid cellphone.

“It only cost a couple cents a minute to call the U.S.,” he said. “A lot of my friends used Skype to keep in contact with their families.”

     One problem that he did run into was the five-hour time difference between London and the East Coast.

     Returning to the states was a strange experience for Shickling, but it only took him a few weeks to get back into his old routine. His experience was a great one, and he would advise students to “absolutely do it.”

     For more information about the Study Abroad program, contact Stacey Bainbridge at globaledga@millersville.edu, or stop by the Cumberland House. Applications to study abroad for summer 2010, or fall 2010 are due by February 19 at 4:30 p.m.

No related posts.

Even though preferences range person to person, here are some study space ideas that should help overall, and if there are little things you need to critique to make it your own, go for it! It is your study space, to call your very own!

First, take time to realize what is most effective for you and what you enjoy most when studying. Did I just say enjoy and study in the same sentence? Afraid so, but enjoyment is the main key. We all dread studying, but we all love learning, and we are all after the same thing – a degree to reach our desired career. So let us make a list of ways to optimize that study space.

To start off, if you are the creative type, and like to personalize things.

Assign a certain place to study and a time, so it is a commitment in your daily, or weekly routine. If you want to be completely linked to it, give it a name, or title so you can make it even more personal.

Going to the same spot to study will also train your brain that this is a study space, and that is it, it will make it so much easier to go into that special place with the task in hand.

I refer to my study space as my little getaway island. It usually looks like an island, because I have books and papers all around me, and as much as I dislike studying, it is a little getaway from focusing on other things in life.

If you are vulnerable to noise, and cannot afford distractions, then make it a point to be in your room if you have your own room, a study room, or even a cubicle at the library – wherever has the least distractions for you. Good ideas for these types of studiers are;

Get a cubicle at the library that does not directly line up with a window, so there is little distraction from outside.

If you do study in your room:

Stay away from your bed and comfy couch. Having that furniture in sight can make it hard to focus, and if you study on your bed, it is very likely that you will just get drowsy, and opt out for a nap instead. Just think, you can nap so much better knowing you have everything completed.

Sit in a comfortable chair at a desk or table, or even on the floor, so you have plenty of room to spread your papers and books out and see what all you have to do.

Sometimes, when everything is laid out, it appears not to be such an intimidating amount as you thought initially.

If you are the individual that needs a lot of short breaks once in a while, choose a place where it is easy to do that. If it is at the library, have your breaks be your rewards. When you finish a certain task, reward yourself with a trip down to the Ganser Grind for a cup of coffee, or something to eat. Reward yourself with going on Facebook, Myspace, making a phone call, or the like for a few minutes, then return to your work.

I am an individual who needs breaks throughout study sessions, just so I do not start drifting, and start going through the motions of studying, rather than actually retaining any information. If I study in my room, my breaks are usually getting on Facebook, getting a snack, stretching, etc. The breaks are just for me to relax for a few minutes, then rethink what I have to study and restarting my focus. Also, during my study sessions, I make it a point to keep my phone on silent, and put it in a place when I cannot see it, that way I do not get caught up texting throughout my study session.

Make sure you have everything you need nearby such as, pens, paper, books, calculators, etc. It never frustrates me more than when I realize I do not have an important item I need to finish my task, or to make my task easier, such as bringing a highlighter or my calculator to the library. Sometimes, you just want certain things for certain tasks.

Make a list of those items, and check them off as you have them, so you are confident going into your studying. Speaking of listing, make a checklist of the tasks you need to complete, checking them off as you go, so you know exactly what to stick by.

If you like a bit of challenge and work well under pressure, make a strict schedule to follow hourly, so you stay focused and stay on track throughout your session.

Overall, do what keeps you organized, focused, and most importantly, interested in whatever topic you may be studying, even if it is that horrible, boring class, with the monotone-speaking professor, that you wish to never experience again. It is all beneficial to you in the end, but the only way to make it beneficial is to personalize it and recognize what makes you excel. Once you get your study personality down, you can brag to all your friends about your top secret study spot, that gets you on the Dean’s list every semester!

No related posts.