Studyabroad.com Newsletters

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I. Study abroad students were more adventurous in 2004
II. The Importance of Study Abroad
III. Revolutionizing reality shows for an educational benefit
IV. Upcoming Conferences StudyAbroad.com will be attending
V. StudyAbroad.com advisor supplies

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College students contemplating studying abroad are expanding their list of potential destinations. According to 2004 website traffic to our site, students are showing interest in countries like Kuwait, Ghana, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore.

StudyAbroad.com compiles a yearly list of the countries students seek information for most often. As in previous years, Italy, England and France topped that list in 2004. Some locations baffled study abroad experts though. Cuba was 15th, despite tightened travel restrictions in June. Malaysia, Sweden, Ghana, Egypt and Russia all made the top 20. Taiwan, Thailand, Colombia, Kuwait, Singapore, Venezuela and Morocco made the top fifty. The entire list can be found at http://www.studyabroad.com/2004numbers.html.

We here at StudyAbroad.com are curious as to why the list contains so many unlikely locales. This may relate directly to the media. What draws our users' interest is usually a combination of current events and media exposure. If a country gets attention in the news, it typically gets attention on our site. But that being said, what is fascinating is observing the disconnect between interest in a country and actual participation in a program there.

Italy had the most interest of any country in 2004 with 76,300 website visits, but only 18,936 students actually studied abroad there. In contrast, England had 7,000 less visits than Italy, but almost twice as many [31,706] students studying there.

Italy and England have consistently landed in the top five, both in interest and participation, but Kuwait, Malaysia, Venezuela and others have seen drastic increases in interest in recent years. Malaysia, for instance, had little interest from U.S. students in 2001, 2002 and 2003, but was in the top 20 in 2004.

But again, interest differs from actual participation. Just because students show interest in studying in Kuwait does not mean they are actually going there. Lack of participation could be a result of inadequate resources or sparse information about the country or a shortage of suitable classes. For instance, a student interested in studying in Venezuela might not be able to find an appropriate program in that country, and thus ends up not studying there. Fortunately, as student interest increases, the possibility of more countries offering more programs increases.

The bottom line is students are getting more adventurous in the study abroad destinations they show interest in. Maybe soon they'll get more adventurous in the countries they actually study in as well.

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Mark Twain once said, "Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in oneÕs little corner of the earth all oneÕs life." Without change there cannot be growth or development. The change brought on by an international experience equals a differing and broader perspective of our world that the typical classroom cannot provide.

Study abroad provides students a myriad of challenges intertwined with personal and professional learning opportunities. Traveling gives students an unparalleled opportunity to test and hone many skills, and to acquire new ones. It stimulates and strengthens the spirit of open-mindedness, of interest and appreciation for the art, history, and culture of other peoples. By seeking an international education, students are taking control of their future, both academically and professionally.

Through multi-cultural experiences students are becoming better equipped to be part of our economically global workforce. Study abroad encourages all aspects of personal growth and enables students to learn more about themselves and what they are capable of. With such an addition to their resumes, returning students often find themselves at a distinct advantage.

Students are immersed into a 24-hour classroom, which initially, shakes their comfort zone, but ultimately, broadens their scope of knowledge and understanding. It builds characteristics such as tenacity, fortitude, perseverance, and initiative, which are essential to life after college. Students are challenged to make adjustments and adapt to diverse surroundings. They are encouraged to learn from taking a different view at their environment, at other students, and most importantly at themselves. Study abroad is extremely important to today's student, and is rapidly becoming an essential part of a college education.

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Every study abroad advisor loves to hear the stories of their students' experiences. We at StudyAbroad.com have now given them a chance to do just that. We call it a reality show - but don't get the wrong impression. It is a "living, breathing, study abroad handbook" that is the next evolution in student interaction.

We are giving three students their own educational reality show called BlogAbroad.com. As they are studying abroad in Rome, Chile, and Senegal during their Spring semesters they have a potential audience of hundreds of thousands of reality show fanatics tracking their experiences. The difference between their show and other reality shows like The Real World is that theirs is not filmed. It is posted over the Internet via an interactive web log, or blog.

Philip Assetto is a 21-year-old Junior studying abroad with Temple University, Jacquelynn Kleist is a 20-year-old Junior with CIEE, and Emma Clippinger is a 19-year-old with Living Routes. They are using cutting-edge blogging technology to entertain people while informing them of the realities of studying abroad. All their stories are posted on a website called www.BlogAbroad.com. People are able to read these posts as well as see pictures and videos. They are able to respond to them and ask questions or make comments, and get answers in return. For the first time ever, the audience can interact with the stars of the show. The audience actually becomes the supporting cast.

"This is a new breakthrough for the reality show genre," says Mark Shay, president and CEO of Educational Directories Unlimited, parent company of StudyAbroad.com. "The audience has an influence over the show like never before. Plus, while being highly entertaining, it is a terrific educational tool. It is a way to show what it is like to study abroad first hand."

Assetto, Kleist, and Clippinger were chosen from among nearly a hundred students studying abroad who auditioned for the part. Three judges chose them based on a 300 word written audition as well as answers to a few of their questions. New episodes are posted at least three times a week. All of the episodes are available for viewing 24 hours a day.

"I am so excited to have been chosen," Assetto said. "I love traveling and know I am going to have a great experience. But more importantly, I want to be able to encourage others to study abroad and get a global perspective. BlogAbroad.com is the perfect way to do that."

Kleist added, "I am looking forward to the challenge of studying abroad in Chile. I know I will need to make some adjustments, but that is part of the fun. I will have to learn the customs, become more familiar with the language, and just adapt my entire way of life. I also think that sharing experiences is crucial, and I want to inspire other people to experience a similar journey."

"Blog" was the number one searched word of 2004, according to Merriam-Webster. It is a new technology that allows users to stay connected to each other via interactive journals, even when they are oceans away from each other. Blogging has been growing in popularity since it first made waves during the 2004 Presidential election.

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March:
AAHE (March 17 - 20) Atlanta, GA
AACRO (March 28 - 31) New York, NY
UCEO (March 30 - April 2) Washington, D.C.

April:
WAGS (April 1 - 3) Sun Valley, ID
AACN (April 4 - 6) Salt Lake City, UT
NAGS (April 7 - 9) New Haven, CT
AACC (April 9 - 12) Boston, MA
DETC (April 17 - 19) Charleston, SC
NAGAP (April 20 - 23) Chicago, IL

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* Pens
* Maps
* Brochures
* Posters
* Plastic fair bags
* Pocket cards
* Brochure holders (limit one)
* Adhesive plastic pockets (limit one)
* StudyAbroad.com handbooks (limit one)

If you are looking to order additional supplies, please contact Melissa Mitchell at 610-499-9200 or e-mail mmitchell@edudirectories.com.

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If you have any news you would like to share with your fellow study abroad advisors please let us know. We would be happy to post your thoughts, articles, and press releases in this newsletter. We would also like to start a "letter to the editor" type section, so please feel free to send us your comments. Just contact Matt Ulmer at mulmer@edudirectories.com, and he will feature you in an upcoming issue of the StudyAbroad.com Service Wire.

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Educational Directories Unlimited, parent company of StudyAbroad.com, produces several newsletters, specifically for StudyAbroad.com, GradSchools.com, and IIEPassport, as well as periodic news releases. To subscribe to the StudyAbroad Service Wire, please email sabnewsletter-on@list.edudirectories.com If you would like to receive our news releases, please contact Matt Ulmer at mulmer@edudirectories.com.

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Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc. (www.EDUdirectories.com) has been at the forefront of educational marketing since its inception in 1989. With a mission to be the bridge between students and educators, EDU provides several comprehensive online directories including GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, EducationforAdults.com, CollegeAbroad.com, Distance.GradSchools.com, and Business.GradSchools.com. It also offers innovative services such as StudentProspector and Administrator, as well as Internet consulting services through EDU Internet Strategies. Based in suburban Philadelphia, EDU's steady growth since its inception in 1989 has led to its inclusion in the Philadelphia 100, Inc. Magazine/ICIC Inner City 100 and Inc. 500 lists of fast-growing businesses.

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StudyAbroad.com
A service of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc.
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Chester, PA 19013 USA
Phone: 610-499-9200
Fax: 610-499-9205

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