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Living abroad: Apartment, shared, or homestay?

When deciding how you should live abroad, the most important thing to consider is yourself, not the cost. I decided a single bedroom in a shared apartment was best for me but I have lived with people who did a shared room and many of my friends were in homestays. Depending on where you study you might not have the same options I did so my knowledge of other situations (like dorms abroad) is minimal. Here is my take on all three of the situations offered to me. Single Bedroom, Shared Apartment: This worked out perfect for me because as much as I like being social, I really just need to be alone sometimes to relax. The common areas were shared, including the bathrooms but it was never really in issue in my apartment. I must say I really lucked out with the roommates I got because I loved all of them. We all established rules for cleaning, food, etc. on the first day and there was never drama in our apartment (seriously). Everyone really became like my family. One thing to note is I ha
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USAC Program

When I chose to study abroad, I knew I wanted to go to Spain. The USAC Valencia program was the only one where I could take my core classes (like calc II and physics) in English while also being on a Spanish track. I was nervous to go through a third party because I was worried it wouldn't be hands on or focused on the students but my study abroad adviser convinced me that they were a trusted third party and had done a great job in the past. Let me tell ya, I am so happy I chose to go with USAC. They were absolutely amazing in every way from the time I started my application to right now, as I am sitting in the airport getting ready to go back to the states. During the application process, if I had any questions they gave me a list of people I could contact under certain departments. When I got accepted into the process they offered me an even more extensive list. They gave me opportunities to apply for scholarships as well which was an important factor for me. When it came to ge
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Traveling Tips and Tricks!

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Everything from packing, to transportation, to apps, to cheap flights, here is what I have learned! This post is very long so follow the headings for the advice you need. Packing- Before you leave the States: Lay out the bags you're planning on taking with you. Open the suitcases, lay them down, unzip your duffel or your backpack and lay it in one area. Next lay out all the clothes you want to take with you. Girls this includes make up and cosmetics. The next part is dependent on your destination. If you're going somewhere very remote or to a village in a third world country then this might not be the best guide line but if you're coming to Europe, or somewhere like Europe, you might want to take out. Now eliminate at least 1/3 of the clothes. Yes you've read that right. One. Third. Although Europe is halfway across the world they have a lot of the same stuff here. When I got to Spain I realized I liked the Spanish fashion wayyyy more so I wanted to buy some clothes
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Update #3

Well, that's all the adventures I've had abroad. As I mentioned in my last update post, I'll be doing a series of posts about travel/ study abroad tips I have learned from my time here. I've packed all my bags and now, it is just a waiting game until I take my flight home. The sadness is hitting me much harder than I thought it would now that the end is finally here. Thank you to everyone who has stayed with me on the crazy adventure!
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Palma de Mallorca

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The Cathedral Palma was planned kind of on a whim. I didn't plan on coming here but I am so glad I did. It was cheaper for me to fly from Germany to Palma and then Palma to Valencia rather than a direct flight from Germany to Valencia so I thought, hey, why not stay a day? Palma was unbelievably gorgeous and there was so much more history than I thought there would be. The giant Basilica is stunning  and their Cathedral isn't too far. Maybe it's because we don't have there things in the US but I am always down to see a church or castle here in Europe because I think they are beautiful. The beaches here were perfect. Some parts were rocky and good for watching the sunset and others were smooth and good for sun bathing (burning for me really) during the day. Cheap transportation here was a little harder to come by but I think that's because it is a small island. Buses were more expensive here and less frequent but you can get most places by walking. I spent most o
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Germany

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I chose to go to Germany to see a friend who was also studying abroad. When I landed in Dortmund, Germany my first thought was, "Wow it's much more green that I thought it would be." The city of Dortmund was very pretty and always surprised me with how much green there was. I learned a little bit of German fro my friends but now that I am not there, I think I've completely forgotten what I have learned. The beer here, really does taste better and there are even kiosks were you can walk up and grab one if you're on the go. They don't have an open container policy so everyone was just walking the streets sipping a beer. I met the nicest Europeans here. The people in Germany reminded me of home because they were just so friendly and open. They'd talk to anyone and everyone who came and sat next to them which was awesome. I also had some of the best food I've I have ever had here. No I did not get the chance to eat a pretzel but I did try many dishes (tha
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Scotland

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The next stop after Ireland was Scotland. I have a friend who goes to school there full time and my main reason for going was to see her but I for sure had plenty of time to explore Edinburgh. It reminded me of Ireland because it was still so green and beautiful but somehow there was an... older vibe here. There looked to be more ancient buildings, more historical statues in places, and stuff like that. There's a stretch leading up to the Edinburgh Castle called the Royal Mile and it gave me strong Harry Potter, Diagon Alley vibes. There's so many old buildings through out the city which gave me plenty to see as I walked around.  Princes Street was full of people and cars because of all the shopping to be done along there. Right across the way though, I started my city adventures in the Princes Street Gardens which was gorgeous and right at the base of the castle which sits on a large essentially flat rock that overlooks the city. The park had everything from a church to a g
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