Going With A Friend and Location Selection With Nick Trifelos

Nick Trefelos Butler University

“No matter where people come from, they always have bad experiences that have taught them important life skills, and you can always learn from people by gathering and asking them what their experiences have been and what they learned from them.” Nick Trifelos 

Nick Trifelos

  1. Nick (@nick.triff) understood his international internship better than anyone I’ve interviewed to date, bar none.
  2. He went against the grain and traveled to Europe with a friend. (Why not, right?!)
  3. Him and his accomplice strategically selected their study abroad location as if they were setting out to conquer Europe. Really analytical stuff, but check out maps. Trieste is smack dab in the middle of it all.

Mic drop 🎤

“If I were to solve a problem, I would spend 99% of my time identifying the problem, and 1% solving it.” – Albert Einstein

SHOW NOTES

  • Choosing to study with a friend in Trieste, a Northern Italian town with easy access to transportation around Europe 👫Refugee Bears Trieste, Italy

    [1:55]

  • Using ISEP to study abroad via a direct exchange 💱[6:59]
  • School life and interning as an English teacher at the American Italian Association 👨‍🏫 [9:39]
  • 10 countries, 35 cities in close to 90 days of studying abroad 🇪🇺 [16:40]
  • Hectic transportation to hike in Zagreb, Croatia 🚘 [18:51]
  • Learning from other people’s experiences and journeys in a foreign country 🧐 [21:19]
  • Aperol spritz – the drink of Trieste 🍹 [23:13]
  • The high rate of studying abroad and other great assets of Butler University 🏫 [26:11]
  • Recommendations and final quotes 🙌 [27:45]

4 Ways To Travel Europe Infographic [Infographic]

 

 

 

If You Want The International Experience, But Can’t Find The Time, Listen to This Interview With David Carlton

David Carlton Ohio State University

“I challenge you to think of a way that in 10 years you will look back and think studying abroad was a bad decision.” David Carlton

David Carlton got three credits in one month. How did he do that? He studied abroad and took advantage of the plethora of options available to students at Ohio State. I’m sure your school has similar options to this, just talk with your advisor and I’m sure you can figure something out.

This turned out to be perfect for David because he wanted to do an internship in the summer and didn’t know if he was ready to study abroad for an entire semester (more on this later).

He ended up having a great time and, like everyone who comes on the podcast, he recommends studying abroad to any and every college student as evidenced in his quote above.

David liked his trip so much that he is planning a second trip to Spain for an entire semester. I haven’t talked about this very much on the website, but it seems to be an obvious benefit of going early on in your college career. 

 

 

SHOW NOTES

  • France and Morocco pre departure and timing (it’s everything) [1:35]
  • Applying for scholarships [3:14]
  • Fear of not being able to speak the language [3:57]
  • Trip costs and wrapping received credit into a one month period [4:53]
  • Living arrangements on the road with the Buckeyes [6:26]
  • David’s favorite part of the trip [8:18]
  • What David’s coursework looked like during this month [8:52]
  • Planning a second study abroad trip [10:05]
  • David’s advice if you’re thinking about studying abroad [11:18]

The Carltons and The Eiffel Tower [Infographic]

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Faculty Led WWII Focused Study Abroad With Kate Greer

Kate Greer in Normandy

“I promise it will be the most impactful experience that you do during your undergraduate or graduate career” — Kate Greer 🦘

Kate Greer is a history major at The Ohio State University and she was able to take a special faculty led trip to Europe to gain a greater understanding of WWII. This three week program consisted entirely of OSU students and they moved around quite a bit.

It’s interesting to hear someone tell the story of WWII from a German’s point of view, but that’s what Kate focused on during her time there and she talks about what it was like in the interview. We learned about Omaha Beach in school but it is different to go in person, and Kate does a great job of articulating her visit.

An inside joke of a quote that Kate would like to leave the audience with:

“Scaffolding” —Dr. Steigerwald

 

 

SHOW NOTES

  • Selecting the right program [2:38]
  • Applying for scholarships and grants [4:30]
  • How studying abroad changed Kate’s view of the world [6:52]
  • How Kate’s program worked [8:43]
  • Living arrangements abroad [10:08]
  • Really diving into the WWII side of Europe [11:12]
  • OSU Alum Robert Wright [13:20]
  • Kate’s advice to someone who is thinking about studying abroad [15:33]
  • Being a vegan in Europe [18:42]
  • Using Pinterest to help you find things to do [21:20]

Kate’s WWII Focused Study Abroad Trip [Infographic]