need help deciding where to study abroad:)

[violathebee]

for the fall '10 semester, i am going to study abroad but i'm having a really really hard time choosing between milan, hong kong, paris, barcelona, granada, and madrid. does anyone have any great advice for me:)? or does anyone have friends that studied abroad at any of these cities? tia!

[diamond_lover]

I have studied abroad in England. My friends studied abroad in Spain (not sure which city), Florence, Shanghai and Paris. Depends what kind of experience you are looking for. I went to my study abroad school with the intention of learning as much as possible while also learning the culture. So my focus was more academic than anything else. My friends who went to Florence and Shanghai went to basically party and have as much fun as possible. My friend who went to Paris attempted her studies but ended up failing half the courses because she was busy enjoying the city. All cities are great but definitely research the schools and your experience is definitely what you make of it. Hoep this helps!

[carousel eyes]

Any of those places would be great, but my biggest advice for anyone studying abroad is really just think about what you'll be studying. Then from there, choose which place might give you the best opportunities to delve more into your major. It's all about the experiences you receive whilst there that will stay with you for a lifetime.

[sillykitty]

One of my friends studied in Madrid and then went back there for her Masters. She loved it there, obviously. Spain is practical because you can gain fluency in Spanish, which is more useful then say French. She did have some struggles there though. She felt lonley at times because the Spanish aren't the warmest, friendliest people (no, offense to anyone!). She also found the food to be pork-centric and repetetive. I personally would choose Paris, just because I found the city to be absolutely magical.

[everything posh]

I had a friend that studied abroad in Milan. She absolutely fell in love with Italy. She said the people are beyond friendly and warm. The food is amazing and not to mention the shopping! She traveled all throughout Europe with other friends as well so she felt that Milan was perfect for her!

[plumaplomb]

Out of those I think I would choose Madrid. It's a beautiful city close to other beautiful cities in Spain. It's also a hub for airports, so it'll be cheaper and easier to explore other nearby countries than if you were studying in Hong Kong. Try to study abroad a year if you can, and spend the other semester somewhere else!!

[meganfm]

I studied in Hong Kong and had a FANTASTIC time.

I studied at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

I will tell you, HK is a much cheaper place to study than many European countries. I also find it to be much safer. Although like any country, you have to be careful, I never felt nervous walking around late at night just my friend and I-there are always so many people around!

And don't worry about not speaking Cantonese-I never had a problem. I just learned to say "excuse me" so people would get out of my way on the train-they wouldn't move when my Chinese friend said it, but they sure would when a 5ft10 white girl did! XD

We did end up partying a lot, the clubbing in HK is GREAT (Thursday night all the clubs are FREE for women-and they're all concentrated in one area-there's lots of police around so it's quite safe :)) The shopping is good too-there's lots of sample sales (which I didn't learn about until AFTER I went) too. The people definitely aren't "warm and fuzzy" though-HK people are known for being pretty rude. But really, you just learn to deal with it. I love HK and I'm dying to get back there!

If you have any questions about it, feel free to PM me :)

[cakegirl]

I would choose Barcelona or Hong Kong.

[kyt5009]

Do you know Chinese, Spanish, Italian, or French? Or do you want to learn either of those languages? If I were you, I would try to go to a place where I know the language. Its just much easier. I studied abroad this past spring semester in Barcelona and I loved it there! I miss it a lot!!!! I've also been to Madrid. I like Barcelona more; its just a beautiful city with a lot of things to do. Most people I know love Barcelona. I can't quite pinpoint what it is. The weather is really nice in the spring semester: not too cold and not too hot, and you can always count on it to be sunny. I don't think you will get much sunny weather in Paris. I have friends who studied abroad in HK this past spring too, and they enjoyed it very much. I agree HK is a cheaper option out of the bunch. I've been to HK and enjoy it as well. I would choose either Barcelona or HK out of your choices. Good luck

[apey_grapey]

make sure the classes you take will transfer full credit to your university. a friend almost didn't graduate because her department initially didn't want to give her full credit for the classes she took in hong kong even though the program was supported by the university.

i agree with the first post. enjoy the different culture, but remember you're there to study as well as have fun so you won't waste the semester or year.

[meganfm]

Originally Posted by apey_grapey

make sure the classes you take will transfer full credit to your university. a friend almost didn't graduate because her department initially didn't want to give her full credit for the classes she took in hong kong even though the program was supported by the university. i agree with the first post. enjoy the different culture, but remember you're there to study as well as have fun so you won't waste the semester or year.

Transfer credit is really aggravating. I don't know about your school, but mine won't "pre-authorize" courses unless you're in engineering or business I believe, so you go through exchange HOPING you'll get credit. This is part of the reason I chose to study abroad in the summer-I got ahead instead of falling behind. Most people who do a year abroad end up having to do some "catch up" back at home.

They usually suggest completing electives overseas, because that's just the easiest way to make sure you don't fall behind.

How my school worked was, if the course matched a course they offered, you would get specific credit for it (I got credit for Social Psychology from Hk because, well, social psych is social psych). If they don't offer it, they would give you a "general area" credit (I took Chinese Anthropology and got a "3rd year ANTH" credit). If it doesn't fit anywhere, it goes into a general credit for your department (3rd year ARTS, SCIENCE, etc).

@kyt5009 I got by just fine in HK without a WORD of Cantonese. I was concerned about it being a big barrier, but it was never an issue.

[Rockysmom]

If you are wanting to learn a language pick a city with the language you want to study. I studied in Paris and had a fabulous time. I still dream about going back all of the time.

[meganfm]

Originally Posted by Rockysmom

If you are wanting to learn a language pick a city with the language you want to study. I studied in Paris and had a fabulous time. I still dream about going back all of the time.

I know. I was only in HK 3 months, but I still fantasize about it. I miss it so much sometimes.

[violathebee]

thanks everyone for all your input and advice:)! i think i'm narrowing it down to paris or hong kong, and i am absolutely stuck. any suggestions?

[slky]

Originally Posted by violathebee

thanks everyone for all your input and advice:)! i think i'm narrowing it down to paris or hong kong, and i am absolutely stuck. any suggestions?

I've lived in both cities (still live in Paris) and it really depends what you want to get out of it.

Paris: Great for art-lovers, historic architecture, terrific food, fashion capital, but all of this comes at a very high price. It's more expensive than London at the moment and I often wonder how students survive here. As a visitor, I'm sure many love it, but I know people who have studied here and they do agree that living and visiting Paris are two completely different things. It's easy to feel lonely here, especially if you don't speak the language and don't have any local friends yet. The locals are a bit wary towards foreigners and in general, many think Parisians are snobs, just because of the whole fashion scene and the type of people you see shmoozing in the more popular cafes or clubs. There is a little truth in that, although there are also plenty of helpful people around. I'm guessing if you make friends here, they'll be able to give you pointers on where to eat and hang out for less money.

Hong Kong: way more modern and dynamic. It also never sleeps and much like NYC, you can get pretty much get anything 24 hours a day, whether it's DVD shopping or a take-out dim sum. Very cheap in terms of good food and public transport. It's not as good if you want museums and old-school architecture, but you will get a fair dose of Chinese culture if you stay there and there are plenty of historic sites whether it's the Big Buddha or old temples. They also have terrific markets and HK includes over 200 islands, so if you want to get away from the city and do a bit of trekking or cycling, it's easy to get out to nature. Also, if you love harbor cities, you're better off here, because you'll find water (and beaches) easily. Shopping and food-wise it compares to Paris in terms of selection.

Like some have suggested, I would make your decision based on what you're studying and how the city could benefit you. If you're more in the business (finance, marketing etc.) field, I'd go for HK. If it's arts or fashion, Paris would probably be the better choice. Also keep in mind which language might be more useful to you in the future. Because China is an emerging market, having language skills in Mandarin or Cantonese will give you an edge, although again, this will depend on what you're studying.

Good luck! I love both cities, but for very different reasons, so whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll have a great time.