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Study Abroad Newsletter - September 2008
In this issue:
- Welcome to New Subscribers
- Upcoming Events and Deadlines
- Program Updates
- New Advisor Introduction
- Study Abroad Advising
- Money for Study Abroad - Especially for Students on Financial Aid
- Apply for a Fulbright Grant
- Oxford Housing Tips
- Get Involved!
- Featured Study Abroad Program of the Month: Study Internships
1) Welcome to New Subscribers
Welcome to everyone who subscribed over the summer, including the new Class of 2012! This newsletter is brought to you by the Office of International Education, one of several offices on campus that coordinates study abroad programs. The Study Abroad Newsletter is sent out at the beginning of each month to notify you of upcoming international and study abroad-related activities on campus, deadlines, scholarships and more.
The Study Abroad Newsletter is just one way to discover study abroad opportunities. It's never too early to start exploring your options and making plans, so feel free to make an appointment with a study abroad advisor or to drop by the Study Abroad Resource Center in 225 MacMillan before the semester gets too busy!
If you would like to change your subscription information or subscribe via RSS instead of email, directions for doing so are available on our website at http://www.muohio.edu/international/sa-newsletter.php. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to friends who are interested in learning more about study abroad opportunities. They can subscribe at the same address above.
2) Upcoming Events and Deadlines
See http://www.muohio.edu/international/events.php for more information on upcoming events and deadlines, including times, locations and links for more information. If you plan on studying abroad in spring 2008, CHECK NOW to see what your program's application deadline is. We only list here application deadlines that have changed, or internal deadlines for this campus.
- September 10 - China Semester information sessions
- September 22 - 2008 Study Abroad Photo Contest goes on display in MacMillan Hall
- September 23 - MUDEC (Luxembourg) information session
- October 1 - Application deadline for 2009-2010 Fulbright grants (see "Apply for a Fulbright Grant" below)
- October 7 - Study Abroad Fair
- October 7 - Application deadline for spring 2009 Gilman International Scholarship (see "Money For Study Abroad" below)
- October 8 - Royal Holloway information session
- October 15 - Application deadline for spring 2009 Freeman-Asia Scholarship (see "Money For Study Abroad" below)
- October 20 - Application deadline for spring 2009 OIE-administered scholarships. See http://www.units.muohio.edu/internationalprograms/scholarships.php
3) Program Updates
New CIEE programs for spring 2009 include a Sustainability and the Environment program in Perth, Australia, Advanced Chinese Studies in Beijing, China, Advanced Liberal Arts in Brussels, Belgium, Sustainability and the Environment in Monteverde, Costa Rica and Liberal Arts in Managua, Nicaragua. In fall 2009, CIEE will open new study centers in Uppsala, Sweden and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. http://ciee.org/study/new_programs.aspx
4) New Advisor Introduction
As you may know, a new Study Abroad Advisor joined our office in July. Richard will be in charge of exchanges and scholarships as well as sharing general advising responsibilities. Here's his greeting to all of you:
Hi my name is not Slim Shady, it's actually Richard Menard. I am the new study abroad advisor here at the Office of International Education. I am supposed to tell you about myself so I guess I better get on with it. Now normally when people find out what I do for a living they always ask how many languages I speak and where is the coolest place I have been. First, I speak three languages: English, Bad English, and even worse French! Most of my former students complained that my accent was so bad that it was torture. Second, I have no one favorite place, but multiple favorite places. I recently was in Cape Town, South Africa which has to be one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been! It certainly didn't hurt that the weather is amazing, the people are great and everything is dirt cheap!
Before coming to Miami University, I worked at Texas Tech University for four and half years. I spent a year and half attending graduate school in Brussels, Belgium and before that I lived in London for a year during my undergrad. But enough about me. If you are interested in getting out of Oxford or are just interested in making yourself more competitive in today's job market, come by and see me. Study abroad is one of the best ways to build your resume. With less than 1% of the American college population studying abroad every year, you can't go wrong by studying in another culture or picking up language skills. In fact, the CEO of Citibank said that "in the next 10 years it will be as easy to send somebody to New Delhi as it used to be to send somebody to New York."
If you'd like to get in touch with Richard or any study abroad advisor, all of our office contact information can be found here: http://muohio.edu/international/about.php#sa-staff.
5) Study Abroad Advising
You can stop by the Study Abroad Resource Center in 216 MacMillan Hall any time 10-5 Monday-Friday to talk to a Study Abroad Peer Advisor (a returned student who has been trained to help you with office resources). We also have a Study Abroad Contact List available in the Resource Center, so that you can contact students who have studied abroad in specific locations, and ask them questions about day-to-day life or the study abroad process.
We will also be holding Study Abroad 101 sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This is a good way to start out your study abroad research and get some general information about study abroad. See http://muohio.edu/international/events.php for dates and locations.
In order to meet with a Study Abroad Advisor (Sarah or Richard) to discuss your study abroad plans, you should make an appointment at least a day in advance rather than dropping in, so that we can be prepared to meet with you. You can make an appointment with a study abroad advisor by calling or emailing us. For our contact information, go to http://muohio.edu/international/about.php#sa-staff . When you come to your appointment, please bring a completed Advising Information sheet with you: http://muohio.edu/international/pdf/study_abroad_advising_info.pdf
If you need us to sign a Study Abroad Advisor Form or a University Approval Form (or similarly-named form) as part of your study abroad application, please first submit a Disciplinary Report Form (http://muohio.edu/international/pdf/disciplinary_report_form.pdf) to the Office of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution so that we can report your disciplinary history to your study abroad provider. Then drop the Advisor Form in the Drop-Off Folder at our office.
If you need to turn in a Study Abroad Declaration Form (http://muohio.edu/international/pdf/study_abroad_declaration_form.pdf), you can leave it in the Drop-Off Folder (unless you have questions). If you need a copy sent to the Office of Student Financial Assistance to complete a Consortium Agreement, please make a note of this on your declaration form (or attach a note).
6) Money for Study Abroad - Especially for Students on Financial Aid
Many students on Financial Aid believe that they can not study abroad because it is too expensive. It's important to remember that your choice of program may affect the cost. There are about 300 study abroad programs where you can apply most or all of your Miami scholarships and financial aid. And students with financial need who study abroad for a semester or longer are automatically eligible for the Study Abroad Airfare Grant.
There are also several unique scholarships opportunities available only for students on Pell Grants or Financial Aid:
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is only for students who are currently on Pell Grants. Over 1,200 scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded this academic year. Furthermore, students who apply for and receive the Gilman Scholarship are also eligible to receive an additional $3,000 from the Critical Need Language Supplement to study languages including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean or Russian, thus bringing the overall scholarship up to possible $8,000. However, these scholarships are only available for semester or year-long study. The scholarship can not be used for summer study abroad programs.
Freeman-Asia Scholarship is available for any student who is on Financial Aid. Students are eligible to win up to $3,000 for the summer, $5,000 for semester, and $7,000 for a year of study abroad. The scholarship is limited to study in countries in Asia: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
These are national scholarships and the Office of International Education can help you apply for and win the scholarship. Our new Study Abroad Advisor, Richard Menard, has had 13 winners of the Gilman and Freeman-Asia over the last 2½ years. See http://www.units.muohio.edu/internationalprograms/scholarships.php for more information on all scholarships.
7) Apply for a Fulbright Grant
Miami students who are seniors and planning to graduate by August 2009 are encouraged to consider applying for a Fulbright grant to study or serve as an English teaching assistant abroad during the 2009-2010 academic year. There are study opportunities in almost all countries and English teaching opportunities in two dozen countries. To learn more about the Fulbright program, visit www.fulbrightonline.org and explore the opportunities that fit your interests. Miami students are awarded Fulbright grants every year. Let next year be your grant year!
The Fulbright Program Advisor at Miami is Dr. David Keitges, Director of International Education. Contact him at dkeitges@muohio.edu and ask for the Fulbright FAQ to learn how you can apply for and win a Fulbright grant for next year.
The campus deadline for completed applications in October 1st.
8) Oxford Housing Tips
Many students are already planning where they're going to live next year (yes, already!). Most rental companies in Oxford will only do full-year (rather than semester) leases, so if you think that you might study abroad during the 2008-2009 school year, here are some things to consider:
- Arrange a semester lease. While most rental agencies offer year-long leases, some will let you rent by the semester instead or may make an exception in order to accommodate you. Be sure to ask if a semester lease is a possibility, even if you're not sure yet whether you want to study abroad!
- Make a deal with friends. If you're going abroad in the fall and have a friend who's studying abroad in the spring, you can make a subletting arrangement to be sure that no one's left with an empty apartment for a semester and that your roommate or housemates aren't stuck with a stranger.
- Sublet someone else's apartment. This is frequently cheaper than signing your own lease (because you can bargain the price down, and people who want to get out of year-long leases are often desperate!), and is especially popular when you study abroad in the fall and return to campus for the spring. You can often find sublets on offer in the Facebook Marketplace application.
- Sign a year-long lease, then find a subletter. This can be dangerous, because there are more apartments on the market right now than there are students. You may not be able to find a subletter and may be left paying for your apartment even while you're gone. But it has worked for some students in the past. Some advertising ideas: flyers on campus, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist.org. For Luxembourg students, there is a listserv to help you solve housing problems such as subletting. The OIE and MUDEC offices also share a housing binder which students can consult to search for subleases.
- Spend a semester back in a residence hall. By moving back to the residence halls, you know that you won't be stuck paying for an empty apartment during the semester you're gone. It's much easier to spend one semester on campus than to deal with the hassle of leases.
- Study abroad for a full academic year. It may be easier than you think! Talk to your academic advisor to see if you can study abroad for a full year. You'll get more out of the experience the longer you go.
Don't miss out on an enriching once-in-a-lifetime experience just because you signed a lease. Plan ahead now!
9) Get Involved!
Have you noticed how many student organizations here at Miami revolve around international or intercultural sharing? One great way to prepare for your study abroad experience is to start immersing yourself in another culture here at Miami. For a full list of student organizations, go to https://www.admin.muohio.edu/cfapps/studentorganizations/organsearch.cfm. You can limit your search to "cultural" organizations, too. Joining an organization like the Chinese American Culture Association, the Italian Club or the Model Arab League can give you opportunities to learn more about other countries and to meet people who have lived or studied abroad in those regions of the world.
10) Featured Study Abroad Program of the Month: Study Internships
Did you know that you can combine an internship with your study abroad program? Many of our study abroad providers offer study internships, where you can combine study abroad courses with an internship experience. This is a great option for students who are trying to choose between these two big resume-building activities! It's also a great way to meet people from your host country and learn what a work environment is like in anther culture. There are study internships in many different areas, including business, government, arts, science, education and law. Here are just a few of our study abroad providers who offer study internships:
Departments handle internship credit differently, so talk to your academic advisor to see if you can receive internship credit, independent study credit, or make some other arrangements.
This monthly newsletter is brought to you by the Office of International Education. Please remember: if you wish to subscribe, unsubscribe or read this issue online instead of through email, you can do so at
http://www.muohio.edu/international/sa-newsletter.php
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