Become a global citizen, the world awaits!
May 9th, 2012
Europe Day
On the 9th of May 1950, Robert Schuman (then French Foreign Minister) presented his proposal on the creation of an organised Europe, indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations.
This proposal, known as the “Schuman declaration”, is considered to be the beginning of the creation of what is now the European Union. Initially the declaration called for France, Germany and other European countries to pool together their coal and steel production.
Today’s ambition is completely different: to build a Europe which respects freedom and the identity of all of the people who live on the continent. But this ambition is only possible because of the foundations laid by Schuman’s declaration
April 30th, 2012
March 31st, 2012
Online journal example for your travel adventure
If you are wondering which tool to use to document your study abroad experience that is coming, we can recommend you to try Path.
The iPhone and Android app allows you to share your life’s adventures with family and friends while you are abroad. It’s like a private journal online, sharing only with people you want to - sharing photos from places you’ve been to, with people who joined you, choose the music you are currently listening to, what are you thinking.
Path can also automatically posts when you go to a new place.
Whether with Path, through blogging, Instagram or other tool, document your journey so all your friends and family can experience it with you!
March 31st, 2012
Join other travelers in new social-networking tools
Even if you are not tech fan, maybe this start-up - WikiTrip is for the traveler in you.
It allows you to connect with other travelers around you. It helps people discovering the world, by re-creating the backpacking guest house effect.
Gogobot on the other hand offers you a network from friends you trust, especially when you are considering scheduling a trip somewhere. You can find reviews and information about travel destinations, hotels, and advice from travelers like you.This tool might help you to travel around countries while you are studying abroad and discover cultures, friends and places!
March 19th, 2012
Have you studied abroad through BSU for a semester or year? Did you apply to? If yes would you like to participate in focus groups on the subject to help several BSU students with their research paper and enter in a drawing to win a $25 gift card!
See the brochure for more information!
You can schedule to participate in a focus group from here: http://bit.ly/bsu-survey
March 19th, 2012
(Source: aspyringmachine)
March 19th, 2012
(Source: keeplookingforlove)
March 16th, 2012
(Source: soweliveforever)
March 16th, 2012
Getting Credit
At BSU the best place to start asking about credit for study abroad is the Office of Study Abroad located in the Center for International Engagement and online at www.bridgew.edu/studyabroad. The best time to ask about credit is BEFORE (yes, before!!) you leave to study abroad (during the semester before you leave, after you get accepted into a program.)
The key to this process is that it is student-driven – you need to be in charge of finding out what classes you may take abroad will count for back at your home school. It is essential to know this before you go so that you can make informed decisions on what to take, how many courses to take, and required prerequisites. My suggestion is for students to always get extra courses pre-approved so that if they need to add or drop classes they still have a list of pre-approved classes. We discuss the transfer credit process regularly: in advising sessions, at our mandatory pre-departure orientation for all study abroad students, at program-specific advising sessions like exchanges and affiliates, and at Study Abroad 101 sessions.
One of our required forms for students going on semester or summer programs (not study tours) is the Transfer Credit Form that students are supposed to submit before they leave campus before their program. We strongly recommend that students complete the transfer credit pre-approval process before they leave campus, but you can get this done while abroad via email or even when you return. Your credits cannot be processed on your BSU transcript until we have the original transcript from the host school and the courses approved for transfer credit.
We are working to make the credit transfer process more efficient for students studying abroad, but we do have to work within our University policies. The BSU Study Abroad office does not decide on credit transfers – each academic department at BSU is in charge of approving courses taken off campus for transfer credit in their department – Study Abroad is the central office that helps to facilitate the whole process in conjunction with the academic departments granting credit (they will generally be the ones approving with signature the courses and giving your home school equivalency course numbers) and the Registrar (they will be the office that puts the credits on each transcript) and your major advisor (you will work with your advisor to select host school courses that fit your academic plan, and once you obtain pre-approved courses list, see how pre-approved credit fits in to your degree plan).
- Review and select study abroad program
- Review in advance the available courses online for the program to see if courses you need are available
- Meet with your academic advisor
- Meet with your study abroad advisor to discuss academic credit process for this program and your home school
- Review the academic credit process including printing out forms, steps, contacts for evaluating courses, emails, online forms
- Obtain forms for pre-approval
- Create list of host program courses you want to take with course descriptions or syllabi
- Obtain home university pre-approval (home school graded credit, transfer credit, pass/fail, or otherwise) for each class you intend to take PLUS 3 extra classes
- Keep copies of credit or transfer credit pre-approval forms for your records
- Submit copies to appropriate offices- Study Abroad, Registrar, Major Advisor, host program/university
- Keep your academic advisor’s email handy
- Find out if you can get any additional courses approved while abroad or when you return
- While in country, request to have your transcript from your semester or summer abroad sent to the BSU Office of Study Abroad
- Office of Study Abroad makes copy of your transcript and sends the original to the Registrar
- Registrar matches courses on your transcript to pre-approved transfer credit forms they have received (they contact Study Abroad and the student if they do not have a course approved for transfer credit)
- Registrar processes study abroad credits and they appear on your transcript
While the process can seem daunting, it really is not and there are many people to help you along the way. Please feel free to offer suggestions in how we can further streamline our process, and in the meantime, if you are confused about any of these steps, please come and speak with someone in the Office of Study Abroad. In the future, we are hoping to have lists of pre-approved courses available for students so that they can see what other students have gotten approved so they have an idea of what they might take.
Lisa McAdam Donegan,
Director, Office of Study Abroad
March 14th, 2012
