Story by Josh Funk
Illustrations by Matt Haney
Travel abroad
can change ]
views, lives
They say even the ice cream tastes better there.
On the lie St. Louis in the middle of the Seine River,
street vendors sell the ice cream Parisians say is the best
in the city while the shadow of the storied cathedral of
Notre Dame looms in the background in the heart of
downtown Paris on a hot summer day.
Couples wander down the banks of the Seine taking
in the city lights, the Berthillon ice cream melts delec
tably in your mouth, and the world suddenly seems like
a nice place to be.
Whether the place is Paris, Prague or just parts
unknown, the adventures are waiting for students with a
desire to see the world.
There are many programs available to help students
see the world from top to bottom through study, work or
travel.
It can easily become the trip of a lifetime.
Traveling the world can give students a new per
spective on life and teach them new skills, and it looks
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There are many different study &|iwork programs
designed to make travel more affordable and meaning
ful for students.
“Leave your cultural baggage at home, and have an
open mind,” University ofHebraska-Lincoha junior
Spanish and English major Mike Garcia said after
returning from nine months in Madrid, Spain. “I’d defi
nitely recommend it.”
Long-term stays in a foreign country help students
go beyond the monuments and attractions to gain an
understanding of the culture.
“I realized there is a lot more outside these walls,
this state and this country,” said Mike Kimmel, a junior
biological systems engineering major, who spent four
months in Germany.
For many long-term travelers, everyday activities
can be the most memorable.
“In Madrid, I had to learn to rely on public trans
portation,” Garcia said, “and before I went, I’d never
even seen a subway, except on TV”
Study abroad programs can run as short as two
weeks and as long as one year.
Students can go anywhere in the world, Christa Joy,
Study Abroad coordinator, said.
Many of the study programs are in English, though
those with language training can
^- \ immerse themselves in a language, Joy
said.
Jared Finklin, a
UNL senior English
major, went to
Cuerna Vaca, Mexico, this summer to work on his
Spanish.
“I learned more in seven weeks (in Mexico) than I
did ma year ami a half of college Spanish,” Finklin said.
“You’re forced to learn the language.”
^(flfTlNG STARTED
Last yeigg||tfjMti||fll^L students took the oppor
tunity to stl^IHRli ies.
The cost of study abroad programs varies, but the
amount of financial aid remains unchanged for stu- *
I pfH
Itional scholarships are available for stu
dents studying abroad.
‘ One of die more-common programs available to stu
dents costs $4,300, which includes tuition, books and -
room and board. tp 4
Airfare will vary between approximately $750 and
$ 1,500, depending upon destination and time of year.
With that program, students can choosqkfram 120
different universities worldwide. ^
Some study programs allow students to pay me
same tuition at their home university and dies exchange
places with a student from another university.
Then the only added cost to the student is airfare
and spending money. ,
And Intepational Affairs’ Flights & Travel Services
office offeSstudents some pf the best available deal^.
With an InleTnatiog^Student ID card ($20 at
IntematfoMl A#ah&iaa«ffats can save $2OO-$400 over
airline and travel agC^gHfces.
Work and volunref^rograms are another good
option for students, Joy said. Such programs help stu
dents get the necessary wore permits to work legally in
other countries.
Sometimes students can find a job before they
arrive in thaforeign country, but many times they Fmd
said, students
can find a job related to their career field.
“It’s important to be aware of what’s going on in the
world, whatever your field is,” Joy said.
GETTING AROUND
For those students who want to travel the conti
nent while overseas, there are plenty of ways to S
make it happen. \
“There is no substitute for being there,”\
Garcia said. V
In Europe the railroad is the best way to get \
around die continent, and there are good deals on
youth (under 26 years old) traggel passes.
The passes are available only in North j
America. J
Eurail passes offer unlimited travel for /
periods of 15 or 21 days and one, two or three
months. - is ^
Another rail pass option is the Flexipass,'
which offers 10 or 15 days of travel within a two
month period for more flexibility.
But students considering a rail pass should j
first decide whereJ»ey want to travel and add /
up the individual fares to see if the total cost /
is more than the cost of a Eurail pass, advised V
i the authors of “Let’s Go Europe 1998,” a \
V guidebook written by Harvard University stu
m dents.
1A good guidebook can be an invaluable \
resource when traveling.
Guidebooks are generally written to a specific j
budget level, and their listings reflect that. /
The “Let’s Go” and “On the Lodfce” series /
written by students from Harvard and Berkeley /
universities, respectively, are a good bet for low I
budget travel advice.
Other travel information can be found on
the World Wide Web, at the International Affairs ~
office and from people who have been there, Joy
Once budget travelers arrive at their destination,
they must find the best deal for their souvenir dollar.
Travelers should be aware of the exchange rate, so
they can know how much they are spending. ^
Remember, credit cards and bank cards
get better exchange rates than individuals do because
those institutions get a bulk rate.
Also, credit cards and ATMs don’t carry large ser
vice charges like those common at exchange offices.
Most souvenir shops in each city will carry a simi
lar fare of trinkets, so if prices aren’t right in one shop,
try next door. •'•*•••■ "• , ^
When traveling, the best deals may be/oui|||on
products made in that country, such as pkkensfoc^an- .
dais in Germany or Doc Marthas shoes in England,
$/& Many Countries also offer tax-free shopping for
r tourists. Shoppers get a refund check at the store for the
amount of the sates tax, which can be casj^dat the air
ijport upolleaving. -4
Another money-saving tactic for budget travelefiis
staging at hostels.
Hostels offer dormitory-style sleeping with six to
l&people itl a room^i^^^rooms and a cafeteria
for $6-$25 a tujgflfc
There are thousands of hostels worldwide, usually
in city centers; <ieS^ned to help young people see the* # '
Hostels also are a great place to meet other young
travelers/*
While traveling, students undoubtedly encounter
difficult situations and problems they have to solve, Joy
said.
4* * “Students learn what it feels like to be a foreign'
Joy said, “and how to handle themselvesjfcdifferen
uationsJapfe. ■ 4
But experienced travelers have learned two sim
steps to make the trip more enjoy ai
“Get everything you think you togeth
er, and then pack less and bring Garcia
said. ■ **
Spending time abroad can
dents think, Joy said.
“They come to the re;
