Love is in the air...

With Valentines Day quickly approaching, we cannot help but declare our love for study abroad!

For those of you who caught the "Parisian Love" Google Ad during tonight's Super Bowl, you probably also felt the magic in the air. It was certainly one of the best commercials of the evening, resulting in a simultaneous "awwww" in households throughout the country.

The Abroad101 team was particularly excited to see the Google commercial given our eHarmony parody ad campaign. The combination of featuring the romantic side of study abroad and the incorporation of France makes the similarities in both videos quite uncanny.

Well done, Google! Paris, je t'aime.

This Week in Study Abroad

There was a lot going on in study abroad and international education at large this week! Here are a few of the top stories:

Study Abroad Demographic Increases

An article released this week explores the increase of high schoolers studying abroad. Many high schools are creating study abroad programs to give their students opportunities see the world. These trips tend to be one to three weeks long and are usually based around volunteering/service learning. Shawnigan Lake School in Canada started a trip just after the Tsunami hit Thailand in 2004. They have teamed up with a Thai construction company and are working on a major reconstruction project. Many other high schools throughout the United States and Canada are providing similar programs for their students as well . For more information, click here.

Australearn Adopts Baby Koala

Colorado based Australearn recently adopted a baby koala to raise awareness of the threats against it. The Koala faces possible extinction within the next thirty years. After taking a vote from Australearn participants, the adopted Koala, was named “Tim Tam”. Tim Tam is part of a colony at Rainforestation Nature Park in Cairns, Australia. She was born in June of 2009 and recently emerged from her mother’s pouch. She will spend the next eighteen months with her mother and then become part of the “Cuddle A Koala” program. For more information, click here.

OSU State’s First Global Offices Open in Shanghai Summer 2010

After much anticipation, Ohio State University will open its first global office in Shanghai. These first “miniature OSU embassies” will be in rented office space and will eventually expand from there. This “global office” will serve and connect OSU students to Shanghai and also connect OSU to Shanghai natives. OSU will also be opening similar offices in Mumbai and Sao Paulo within the next two years.

Abroad101 Makes Top 50 Global Education Blogs!

We are honored to make the list of the Top 50 Global Education Blogs! Thanks to all of our readers' constant support, and we are excited to unveil more exciting blog articles throughout 2010!

Feel free to be in touch with any ideas, as we always welcome guest blog entries.

Cheers!

Mike & The Abroad101 Team

PS- Special props to 2009's new contributors, Danielle and Will, who took the blog to a new level through incorporating their recent study abroad experiences in Prague, Madrid, and Buenos Aires.

Stuck in the Airport? Danielle's Guide to Productive Transportation Procrastination

Here are some ideas to help you pass the time when stuck waiting for your plane, train, or automobile.

Alright - you've done it. You've picked a country to study in. You've applied to your program. You've been accepted and you're ready to go! Unless you are studying somewhere you can drive to, you will most likely be spending a good amount of time on a plane and in an airport. If you are planning on traveling while abroad (which is arguably one of the best parts of studying abroad!) then you will be spending MORE time you ever thought possible in train stations, bus depots and airports. Just like the United States, planes overseas are often delayed. But do not fear! When you are stuck at an airport, train station or bus station with time to kill, here is a list of things to do to make the time disappear!

Shop (or browse) Until You Drop!
Depending on which transportation hub you are in, there might be some great shopping opportunities! Check on the foreign garb of the city you are in - if its a on the pricey side (as much airport shopping is) why not browse around or even try some on to see how it looks? Who knows - you might find the perfect present for your little brother back home or host mom in your foreign city.

Become A Food Critic:
Check out some of the local food - and no, McDonalds is not considered "local" just because it is at the train station. While many transportation hubs have a lot of generic, chain restaurant food, you can always find something a little unique. Try a small coffee shop or kiosk. Ask the information desk for suggestions on not only where to go but what to get!

Put Your Journalism Skills to Work!
While studying abroad, there are so many reasons to keep a journal of your experiences. However, one of the more surprising ones, is its a great way to pass the time while you're camping out at an airport or trains/bus station. If you are traveling to a new destination, write about what your goals are for your trip - what sites you want to see, what friends you want to make, etc. If you are coming home from a long weekend away, write all about your trip - and the sooner you write everything down the better because you'll forget the details before you know it!

Do You Have A Computer?
If you happened to lug your laptop on your travels with you, then you may be in luck. Before you leave for your trip, download a movie or tv show to watch while traveling or stuck in the airport! It'll make the time fly by. Also - check to see if your airport, train station or bus station has free or cheap wireless! Many of the major airports have day passes on the internet for a good rate and some of the more marginal airports even offer it for free!

The Week In Study Abroad:

Here are a few highlights from whats happening in the study abroad industry!

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) recently announced their plans to open a campus in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong site will be open to students of all majors, from animation to advertising. The student body in Hong Kong will be made up of SCAD students looking to study abroad as well as local residents. The expected enrollment for the fall of 2010 will be around 300 students. SCAD hopes to increase this number to 1500 over the next five years.

Austin College of Sherman, Texas purchased carbon offsets for their study abroad trips taking place in January 2010. There were over 130 Carbon offsets purchased for students, faculty and alumni. These offsets were purchased in partnership with NativeEnergy which will be used to build a wind farm in Kansas.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ 2010 Job Outlook Report, employers plan to hire 7% fewer graduates than they did last year. This has resulted in graduates looking for other ways to strengthen their resumes. Many graduates have chosen to do this through international internships. Companies like Intrax Internships Abroad have seen a significant increase in applicants for their summer 2010 internships.

World Link Education, a Seattle based study abroad program shut its doors at the end of December, declaring chapter 7 bankruptcy. Over sixty-seven students were affected worldwide, twenty-six in China alone. Many students found themselves stranded in the respective countries where they were studying. The participants who paid in full for their programs are currently trying to recover their money back.

10 Study Abroad Destinations that Won't Break the Bank

Studying abroad doesn't mean spending all your cash. Sure, it'd be awesome to spend a semester in Tokyo, washing down your cornflakes with only the finest sake, and it'd be fabulous to study in Moscow, subsisting on the rarest of Beluga caviar. But if the world's first and third most expensive cities for expats, respectively, fall outside your price range, don't fret. Studying abroad on a budget doesn't mean trading your kidneys for a plane ticket on Craigslist; it means making an informed decision about destinations that are within your budget. While rural towns and smaller cities are, generally speaking, less pricey than major metropolises, you don't necessarily have to forgo the experience of a big city. In fact, there are plenty of other, oft-overlooked major cities around the globe that won't break the bank. These decidedly less pricey cities are economic and cultural centers in their own right--and they boast excellent study abroad programs, to boot.

According to Mercer Consulting's annual cost-of-living report, these 10 major cities rank at the very bottom. The most recent results from 2009 put Johannesburg at dead last of a total 143 world cities ranked. But the biggest surprise is perhaps Glasgow--a bustling economic center and a one-time European City of Culture--which is very inexpensive compared to other major cities in the U.K.

1. Johannesburg, South Africa (143)
2. Monterrey, Mexico (142)
3. Auckland, New Zealand (138)
4. Mexico City, Mexico (137)
5. Quito, Ecuador (136)
6. Tunis, Tunisia (134)
7. San Jose, Costa Rica (132)
8. Montevideo, Uruguay (131)
9. Glasgow, United Kingdom (129)
10. Santiago, Chile (128)

For the full list from 2008, click here.

Abroad101: Your Study Abroad Matchmaker

Check out our newest creative pursuit: StudyAbroadDating.com!