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5 Ways to Continue Your Study Abroad Experience After It Ends

June 4, 2015

Your study abroad has ended. You have returned home. Now what? Even if you can’t travel back in time, there are still ways to continue your experience abroad. Whether it’s sharing your story or participating in a international volunteer program, you can prolong your worldly experiences in a number of ways. Here are five to start:

1. Join the #OneAlum2Another Campaign. Not having enough money should never stop someone from studying abroad. Yet 67 students withdrew from their ISEP placement due to financial reasons in 2014-2015. That is why we have launched the #OneAlum2Another campaign to help raise money for the ISEP Student Scholarship Fund. Giving another student the chance to have an ISEP experience is one of the biggest ways you can give back. Just $10 dollars can make a huge difference. Pay it forward and donate today.

Help another student experience what it is like to live and learn like a local. Photo by ISEP Student Charles Bourg who studied in Hyderabad, India.
Help another student experience what it is like to live and learn like a local. Photo by ISEP Student Charles Bourg who studied in Hyderabad, India.

2. Become an ISEP Ambassador or volunteer at your study abroad office. You can help students have an experience like yours by working with ISEP as an ambassador or volunteering at the study abroad office at your university. Advising students about what studying abroad is really like can make you feel like you’re still there. To apply for the ISEP Ambassador program, you must first talk to your study abroad coordinator for approval. Then submit your ISEP Ambassador Program application, but hurry, because the deadline to apply is July 26, 2015.

“I kept a hand-made journal throughout my whole year abroad. I wrote in thoughts, feelings, kept receipts, tickets, pieces of work…basically everything! I’ve just got back from my year abroad and it is such a nice thing to keep and remember my time in America.” – Kathryn Metcalfe, University of Chester
“I kept a hand-made journal throughout my whole year abroad. I wrote in thoughts, feelings, kept receipts, tickets, pieces of work…basically everything! I’ve just got back from my year abroad and it is such a nice thing to keep and remember my time in America.” – Kathryn Metcalfe, University of Chester

3. Tell your story. You can impact someone else’s experience just by telling your own story. When students hear about the crazy food adventures you had in East Asia, or how you were able to find an affordable study abroad program as STEM major, they might just be motivated to take the big leap themselves. You can tell your story by just talking about it with friends or by writing about it. The ISEP blog is a great place to have an impact on a lot of students through writing. Or if you are more visual, share your photos with us on Instagram using #ISEPBucketlist, #LiveLikeALocal, #AnimalsofISEP and #ISEPStudyAbroad hashtags. We love following along with your adventures and sharing your stories.

4. Work with a local language center. After speaking a language like Spanish your entire time abroad, you will want to show off your perfected “ñ” and rolled “r”. However most of the time, when you get back, you will find there are not a lot of opportunities to continue speaking that language with friends. To keep up your language fluency or to continue improving, we recommend finding a local language center. Not only can you help others learn English, but you can continue your own language learning at home.

5. Volunteer or teach abroad. Whether your goal is to teach English, get a fellowship or save the rain forest, volunteer or teaching abroad will allow you to make a global impact. Here are some ISEP Staff Pick programs:

Our Director of Marketing and Communications, Emilie Romero @EmilieRomero7 went to Honduras with the Peace Corps after studying abroad twice in college. Regional Director, Nancy Campbell @NancyCampbell12 and Program Officer for France and Belgium, Melanie Brisse @ISEPMelanie were both English teaching assistants in France. Feel free to tweet them to ask questions!

The Matador Network has also put together a list of 31 travel scholarships, fellowships, and grants to help fund your next trip abroad! Check it out.

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