OK Computer
We’re in the midst of pre-departure orientations for the spring 2012 UC Education Abroad Program and one of the most common questions we hear is “Should I bring my laptop?”
For most students who have a laptop already and want to continue using it while abroad, the answer is “Yes” but with some questions to consider before packing up that computer.
Congratulations to those UC Berkeley students named recipients of the following UC Education Abroad Program scholarships for spring 2012:
Duttenhaver Extension Scholar Extension Program
For more information about scholarships and funding opportunities, visit the Funding Resources page on the Berkeley Study Abroad website.
It’s the start of a new academic year and the UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) has announced new 2012-13 options in Argentina, Australia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore, Spain, and Turkey. Here’s a sneak peek:
The National Univ. of Tres de Febrero in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is host to a new summer program in Latin American Studies for UCEAP students.
Australia’s newest UCEAP option is an international summer school at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, where students may study engineering, conservation, sports, politics, film and literature, media, tourism, and international business.
In China, UCEAP has opened new spring options to Beijing at Peking University, which offers Chinese language courses and courses taught in English, and Tsinghua University, where students can pursue coursework in economics, electrical engineering, computer science, microelectronics, and information science, as well as Chinese language study.
Situated in central downtown, Hong Kong Polytechnic University is UCEAP’s newest Hong Kong partner featuring a wide variety of subjects taught in English, including courses for pre-med, engineering, and nursing students.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel has announced new opportunities in Arabic language immersion through the university’s Rothberg International School, a new music program and dance training with the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and art practice at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.
The Summer Russian Area Studies at St. Petersburg University gives participants the opportunity to develop their Russian language skills while learning about the history and culture of Russia.
Students can choose from two new summer options in Singapore, including a biodiversity program sponsored by the National University of Singapore featuring fieldwork on the south China sea and a science and engineering internship with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research.
Students now have the option to study international business and economics in English in Barcelona at Pompeu Fabra University, UCEAP’s latest university partner in Spain.
Located in Istanbul, Koç University is one of Turkey’s newest and most modern universities offering participants a wide range of courses taught in English, while UCEAP students can now choose semester and year options at Boğaziçi University.
Check the UCEAP website for program information as it becomes available. Applications for 2012-13 UCEAP programs will be posted by early September.
Scott--still standing. USSR...not so much.
Today’s a very special day in our office–Scott McElhinney, one of our advisors, is celebrating his 20th anniversary here at BPSA!
Known for his approachable demeanor and extensive archive of EAP t-shirts, Scott’s first day in the office was memorable to say the least:
“On August 19, 1991 when I arrived for my first day as the incoming USSR adviser, [our former director] was on the phone with [UCEAP] trying to figure out a plan for the Leningrad program, given that an attempted coup was happening in Moscow and tanks were firing on the parliament building just days before the students were supposed to depart.
They decided to postpone departure by two weeks to see if things would settle down. They did, and the students were still able to have their semester in Leningrad despite the turmoil. Another crisis averted – and to think it was all done by telephone!“
20 years later, Scott is still here and the Soviet Union is long gone. How’s that for resiliency?
Fall 2011 awards were recently announced for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and UC Berkeley students scored 31 scholarships for a total of $115,000! (read the press release here)
Cal students have been very successful in receiving the scholarship, which provides up to $5,000 for students who are Pell Grant recipients and studying abroad. In fact, UC Berkeley has been the leading institution in numbers of Gilman Scholarships awarded each semester since spring 2010, that is…ahem…until this fall.
So you applied for a spring 2012 UC Education Abroad Program as early as April and may be wondering…now what? Was I accepted? What happens next?
Fear not everyone–since your application deadline, we’ve been processing applications, following up on missing and incomplete items, and getting all of the 600+ applications into tip-top shape for review.
Now that spring 2011 grades have been posted to your UC Berkeley record, we’ve begun the application review and selection process. Expect to receive an email notification within the month regarding your selection for the program. Follow the instructions to confirm your participation and you’ll be on your way to studying abroad on UCEAP for spring 2012!
Oh, and if you haven’t yet applied, there are still select programs whose deadlines have been extended to June 20, 2011. Don’t hesitate to apply!
Another one of our most frequently asked questions is how much does it cost to study abroad? Do you pay UC Berkeley fees? Are living expenses and airfare included? What does it all mean?
Okay, deep breath, and…release. The first thing you should know is that the cost of a program has a lot to do with where you study. A semester in London will be definitively more expensive than a semester in Vietnam, just because of the inherent costs of living.
To understand what your cost will be, the first place to start is to review the budget for your study abroad program. Continue reading
Your ticket to the world
If you’re planning to study abroad, you will need a passport to 1) enter your study abroad country, 2) re-enter the United States, and 3) in most cases, apply for an entry visa. Also, a passport photocopy or information is usually required as part of your study abroad application.
The following are five mistakes that can delay your study abroad application and in extreme cases, compromise your travel plans.
Is it best to buy plane tickets early or to wait?
In her article above, Michelle Higgins of the New York Times discusses whether to wait or buy, as “buying an airline ticket is always something of a gamble.” Our approach for study abroad is to book as early as possible; however, before you book your tickets, check out these five things you should know:
So you’re having a grand time surfing online, when you get an email from a friend:
Apologies for having to reach out to you like this, I made a trip on Saturday to London, United Kingdom and had my bag stolen from me with my passport and credit cards in it. The embassy is willing to help by letting me fly without my passport, I just have to pay for a ticket and settle Hotel bills.
Unfortunately for me, I can’t have access to funds without my credit card, I’ve made contact with my bank but they need more time to come up with a new one. I was thinking of asking you to lend me some quick funds that I can give back as soon as I get in. I really need to be on the next available flight.
I can forward you details on how you can get the funds to me. You can reach me via email or May field hotel’s desk phone, the numbers are, +XXXXXXXXXXXX
I await your response.
Truly Blessed and Forever Grateful,
What you read above is an actual email received by our office that is most likely coming from a compromised email account (usually a webmail service like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc.). We at BPSA have received several of these messages recently and have confirmed that the senders did not, indeed, send out these messages.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself if you receive such a message:
