Getting Over Your fear of Studying Abroad in America or Europe

My personal experiences of going abroad include as a delegate to a C.I.S.V. international summer camp in Klintagård, near Malmo, Sweden in 1970 (similar in some ways to going abroad as an exchange student), studying abroad as a postgraduate student from 2003-2007, and also helping to lead a study abroad program for two summers.

I have also worked to support myself while involved with study abroad in the Czech Republic, Italy and in Britain. I have held various part-time jobs and moneymaking arrangements to pay for lodging, books, travel and food.

I have successfully written applications and received grants, scholarships, research funds, supplemental living grants and other sources including awards for outstanding achievement.

I have taken mostly as a student or occasionally taught part- and full-classes and college level courses at the following schools and universities:

Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio, USA
Kent State University, Stark Campus, Akron-Canton, Ohio, USA
Malone College, Canton, Ohio, USA
SUNY at New Paltz, New Paltz, New York, USA
University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Palm Beach Community College, Lake Worth, Florida, USA
Miami School of Entertainment & Design, Miami-Dade College, Miami, Florida, USA
Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries, ATRiuM, University of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Wales, UK
School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, University of Glamorgan, Trefforest, Wales, UK
L’Università degli studi di Molise, Campobasso, Italy
L’Università degli studi di Molise, Termoli, Italy

When you are starting out, the process of writing personal statements and completing forms for colleges and for government agencies can seem overwhelming.

I hope my experience and accumulated wisdom in these areas can be of help to others, especially students like myself.

One tip I can pass along today is that very early on I took a basic computer course to make myself adept and skilled at word-processing and copy-and-paste, emailing and printing techniques.

I can’t say how much this helped me!

After this I was able to ‘automate’ the process of applying to school, and I got disciplined about creating a schedule and ‘To Do’ list – that is, a list of schools to contact and scholarships to apply to.

Managing all this while going to school and taking care of my home responsibilities wasn’t easy, but it helped me to grow up a bit more.

For example, every Christmas & Easter break, while finishing my B.A. degree, I saved money to pay for postage costs and copying costs, and then I spend time during these holidays (once I had spent quality time with my family) writing applications.

This was a small sacrifice, but I had to resist the urge to join everyone else going out every other night to restaurants or movies, and I had to resist surfing Amazon.com for hours looking for After-Christmas sales, etc.

But in the end, all my sacrifices paid off, and I was able to get ‘all my ducks in a row’ to study abroad.

So don’t get discouraged, if you feel alone with your dream to study abroad. You are not alone!



Thanks and good luck with your bright and promising future!

Comment ça va? Ici on parle Français. / Ciao! Qua parliamo italiano.

AIM: ATRiuM Intelligent Media

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Adoration of Beauty and the Grotesque, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called William Blake Spirituality: Toward a Theory of Horoscopes, Tarot and Tomorrow's Tea Leaves, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Courage 2 Create, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Grace-filled Empty Spaces, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh-American Family Genealogy, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh Music, Film, and Books Symposium, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Celtic Cult Cinema on the World Wide Web.

Visit the UK Film Studies and World Cinema and Music Import Showcase

© 2009 Dr. Mark Leslie Woods

Somewhere in a small town in Asia, Africa or the U.S.A. you are wondering: How can I get my college diploma in Europe?

[Pictured above: Dr. Mark Leslie Woods seated with his colleagues; Mark is about to receive his doctorate on 17 December 2007 from the University of Glamorgan in blustery Treforest, Wales, U.K.]

I want to discuss how you can get accepted at a school in Europe or North America, and how to one day reach the point where you get to wear a cap and gown:

You and your parents or friends or partner/spouse will have a lot of questions if you decide to go to college or university in Britain, Ireland, Europe or in the U.S.A. or Canada.

You probably don't even know what questions to ask.

Later on, we will try to generate a list of questions for you, so please check back or bookmark this site.



Right now, let's begin by you asking yourself, 'What do I want to be doing with my life in 10 years?'

This is the starting point for starting the sometimes long and expensive journey of studying abroad.

In my case, I completed almost all the requirements of a four-year degree in Broadcasting & Theatre (in five years) at a college in Ohio from 1977-1981, but I never graduated from this small, private college.



Then I decided at the age of 40 to go back to college. What a shock!

I started by enrolling at the Miami-Dade College. For one semester I took courses in every subject, just to see what interested me. I fell in love with film and cinema, during a course with one of my best teachers ever, Dr. Gary Davis.



Then I did a writing course with Prof. Frank Orifici. Again, I fell in love with screenplays and novels.
Before I knew it, I was enrolled on the Associate of Science degree in Film Production Technology.

After two years I transferred to Florida International university, where I eventually graduated with Honors with a Bachelor degree in Liberal Studies with a Film Studies Certificate.



[Pictured above: Dr. Mark and Mom at Mark's place in Miami Beach -- Florida International University's Graduation Day December 2003.]

The point of this story is, even with out telling you how I spent the years 2003-2009 studying and lecturing at universities in the U.S., U.K., Italy, Czech Republic and around Europe, you already get the point that I have had alot of experience as a student/instructor, so I know how universities work.

In articles to follow this I will try to use this expertise I gained while studying and teaching to help you and others who aspire to achieve a degree or further education.



Thanks and good luck with your bright and promising future!

Comment ça va? Ici on parle Français. / Ciao! Qua parliamo italiano.

AIM: ATRiuM Intelligent Media

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Adoration of Beauty and the Grotesque, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called William Blake Spirituality: Toward a Theory of Horoscopes, Tarot and Tomorrow's Tea Leaves, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Courage 2 Create, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Grace-filled Empty Spaces, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh-American Family Genealogy, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh Music, Film, and Books Symposium, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Celtic Cult Cinema on the World Wide Web.

Visit the UK Film Studies and World Cinema and Music Import Showcase

© 2009 Dr. Mark Leslie Woods

Welcome to my blog about Study Abroad in Britain, Europe and in the U.S.A.

[Pictured above: Dr. Mark Leslie Woods while studying for his Ph.D. in the U.K., led university-sponsored student trips to London and elsewhere.]

Welcome to my blog about Study Abroad in Britain, Europe and in the U.S.A.

I am an American who has studied, conducted research and also lectured at colleges and universities in the U.K., Europe, and in North America.

I have experienced the confusion of having to choose a school and a course, the chaos of getting ready to travel outside my own country, the turmoil of getting visas and passports and traveling documents organized.



I know what it's like to leave your family and go to another country to study in a foreign education system.

I know what it's like to move your family from one country to another and from one continent to another.

Here's a video of the place where I did my Ph.D. and lectured part-time, the University of Glamorgan:



Write to me or leave a comment and I will try to discuss problems and concerns that you have about study abroad in this forum.

Maybe you are Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Atheist, Hindu, or another religion.

Maybe you are gay, straight, bisexual or transgendered.

Maybe you are disabled.

Maybe you are hearing or sight-impaired.

Maybe you are from a rich family.

Maybe you are from a poor family.

Maybe you are a mature student.

Maybe you are married or divorced or with a civil partner or friend.

Maybe you have children.

Maybe you are average, ordinary and nothing unusual, but you are nervous and afraid to take the next big step to apply for a college abroad.

Don't worry! I have helped students of every kind, including myself.



I learned (the hard way) a lot about 'red tape' and how to get scholarships, acceptance letters and jobs while Studying Abroad.

I hope this blog is helpful to you. Please email me with any questions you have, and if I can help you, I will try.

Thanks and good luck with your bright and promising future!

Comment ça va? Ici on parle Français. / Ciao! Qua parliamo italiano.

AIM: ATRiuM Intelligent Media

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Adoration of Beauty and the Grotesque, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called William Blake Spirituality: Toward a Theory of Horoscopes, Tarot and Tomorrow's Tea Leaves, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Courage 2 Create, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Grace-filled Empty Spaces, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh-American Family Genealogy, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh Music, Film, and Books Symposium, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Celtic Cult Cinema on the World Wide Web.

Visit the UK Film Studies and World Cinema and Music Import Showcase

© 2009 Dr. Mark Leslie Woods