LA Study Abroad

[Jason Benson]

Hey all,
I am thinking about studying abroad my senior fall semester (Fall 2010) and was wondering if anybody has any thoughts or comments on places that they may have traveled to or studied at. My options are pretty open right now and I haven’t really narrowed my field yet, so as for where i want to study I am still not sure. If there are any other students who are also thinking about studying abroad fall 2010 please feel free to share where your going as well. If anyone has an experience whether it was good or bad I would love to hear about it.

Thanks
J

[John M. Slinski]

Well, I can only give you advice on places I have travelled to. One of the places I would look into is the New Zealand/Australia area. It’s very far but it’s definitely worth it. It would require looking into what studies are available but NZ is a wonderful country with a HUGE appeciation for the natural world. A lot of the country is set aside as a World heritage area and/or national parks. In general they are into conservation. So if you share that philosophy and sustainablity there may be some good study programs. Just my 2 cents. Other than that I would look into some of the typical European countries (Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands).
John

[Ryan A. Waggoner]

Hey Jason,
Are you looking for something domestic, in Europe, or something more exotic?
During our study abroad at MSU we went all over Europe. Portugal was a place I would have definitely wanted to spend more time. It is cheaper than the rest of Europe, has a rich and historic culture and a great appreciation for L.A. There are many good universities with L.A. programs, and a ton of beautiful places and people. Germany would also be another great place, but then again Spain, France, Italy and England all have great things to offer. I would’ve loved to do a trip to southeastern asia or australia like John suggested. Hope this helps, and if there is anything you wanted to know about Europe I may be able to help…

[Jason Benson]

Well after having a meeting with our head chair at Rutgers, I am leaning towards the Europe side of studying abroad, although i would love to travel to the New Zealand/Austraila area, and yes John I also have heard nothing but wonderful things about those two countries. But when all said and done going someplace where i can still graduate on time is one of the bigger things im taking in to considerations. Thanks for the advice and i will definitely be in touch if i have any other questions.

Jason

[Boris Wong]

Hi Jason,

My university has a semester long (fall) study aboard program in paris that is geared specifically for landscape architecture students which is very unique. you will find a lot of planning or architecture study aboard programs but not a landscape one. From what I heard, the program is excellent and well organized. You get to travel to all these cool places in Paris and France and they take a week off to travel to other cities in Europe (this year they are going to bacelona). I am not sure if they will take students outside the university but there are other students from the US who share the same facility that houses our program. May be worth to contact the program coordinator to find out more about it if you are interested.

here is the link:
http://www.clas.ufl.edu/PRC/fall.shtml

hope it helps

[John M. Slinski]

Jason, I think your choice is wise. You can’t go wrong with your Europe selection. I’ve travelled extensivelly throughout Europe and loved my experiences. It will certainly be closer to the States. Someday you may want to venture further outside the US even if it is just for fun. Traveling is still an education. It opens your eyes to different cultures, politics, etc.. Make sure to document your experiences thru journal writings, sketching, photography, and just talking to the local people. Shed the “ugly American” image and mix with the natives. You’ll come back enlightened. By the way I see you’re going to Rutgers; I am a Rutgers alum (a very long time ago but I am still young!).
John

[Ryan A. Waggoner]

Our program is very similar in that our entire L.A. class travels together (optional, but everyone goes). I would definitely suggest the main cities like Barcelona, Paris, London, Berlin, Rome, Lisbon etc. Barcelona is by far my favorite city, and Gaudi’s work is amazing. But stepping off the beaten path have been the most treasured experiences. The Algarves in Portugal, Nice and Bourdeaux in France, San Sebastian and Grenada in Spain, Cinque Terra and Genoa in Italy, the list goes on. And I’m sure many people on this site will help you find more.

Documenting our travels with a sketching journal was a requirement of our study abroad, and we couldn’t have been happier. That and my pictures (I have a few in my folio) are priceless keepsakes of the travel. I would definitely suggest taking a journal, a camera, and a backpack just large enough to carry your necessities without being too large. If you’re traveling by yourself you should have a basic understanding of at least one European language. I hope this helps, and good luck in the planning!

[Jason Benson]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I seem to have hit a bit of a stand still with the progress. Im really interested in Europe, but at rutgers, our fall semester senior year we have to take a class on Construction Documentation. So im looking for a program that has something similar to this course.(trying to not let studying abroad delay my graduation). If anyone has any other experiences or knows of a program that offers a class that may be similar to this, please tell me about it. Thanks again all

J

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