Been abroad? Tell us about it!

At MyWorldAbroad, we're eager to hear about your experiences!

Message from Claire Seringhaus - Editor, MyWorldAbroad (Previously The BIG Guide to Living and Working Overseas)

If you're a student or young professional who has traveled, worked, studied, interned, taught English, learned a language, or volunteered in another country - or if you're just an outgoing and globally-minded student who's active on campus - this is your chance to share your knowledge and anecdotes with a community of internationally-oriented, motivated young people.

Published contributors will receive a $25 mini-honorarium as our way of saying thanks!
(Please note that while we welcome submissions from around the world, we are only able to offer honorariums to US and Canadian citizens.)

1) Choose a topic

Choose a type of overseas experience from the list below to find the relevant selection of questions. Choose between seven and twelve questions that you want to answer. (If you need to, you can also modify the questions to better suit your experiences.) Answers can be up to 200 words per question, for a maximum total of 2,400 words. Simply copy the questions into a Word document or directly into an email. Along with your answers, send at least one photo of yourself (preferably a photo that we can use as a headshot), and three or more photos from your journey (good quality jpegs are best). Include captions.

2) Write about it

Try to keep your answers fun and informative - this is an upbeat section geared towards motivating others. When answering a question, try to focus on one story, or something particular that you learned. Include a bit of detail, as well as your personal perspective.

You are writing to all of our MyWorldAbroad users, so please keep in mind that quality writing is important. Answer each of your selected questions to the best of your ability.

3) Submit it to us!

Email your completed profile and pictures to claire@myworldabroad.com and we'll be in touch soon after. If you are chosen for publication, you'll be featured on the MyWorldAbroad blog and website. To protect your privacy, your family name will not be used, but your first name and school may be included.

By sending us your profile answers, you are giving MyWorldAbroad permission to publish your submission now or at any time in the future. MyWorldAbroad may also edit submissions for grammar and clarity if need be.

We look forward to hearing your stories!

- Claire Seringhaus
Editor, MyWorldAbroad (Previously The BIG Guide to Living and Working Overseas)
claire@myworldabroad.com

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Q&A Topics

Select a topic below that best suits your experience.
(Please note: We are no longer offering honorariums for study abroad stories from Western Europe or East Asia.):

Build International Skills While on Campus

Travel Smarts

Intern Abroad

Volunteer Abroad

Working Vacation

Teach English Abroad

Study Abroad

Learn A Language Abroad

Work Abroad

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Build International Skills While on Campus

Editor's note: This Q&A is for students who are highly active in building cross-cultural skills and international connections on campus. If you're proactive and globally-minded, consider answering this set of questions.

1. What drives you to be an internationally-oriented student?
2. Do you have an international interest in a particular subject area, language, or region of the world? If so, why?
3. How have you geared your classes or study path to incorporate your international interests?
4. How do you keep up with international news and/or stay connected globally?
5. What internationally-focused activities have you taken part in on campus and why are you attracted to these activities?
6. Do you participate in international clubs and what do you enjoy about them?
7. Have you connected with international students on campus? If so, what have you learned from these connections?
8. Have you connected with internationally-oriented faculty members? How have they helped you expand your international understanding, focus your goals, or gain more experience?
9. Have you benefited from services in the study abroad or career offices; and how have they helped with your international aspirations?
10. Please describe what makes you successful as a globally-minded student.
11. Do you have a classroom story that gave you particular insight into other cultures?
12. Have you participated in any off-campus activities that have helped you build your cross-cultural understanding and skills?
13. Have you been abroad? When, where, and why did you go? What impression did your trip make on you?
14. Describe an “international experience” at home or abroad that made a particularly strong impression on you.
15. Do you have advice for anyone hoping to build international skills on campus?
16. What are your future plans for going abroad, building your language skills, and for your career? [REQUIRED]
    (Our experts would like to supply you with some personalized advice and relevant reading from the MyWorldAbroad site.)

Travel Smarts

1. When and where did you travel abroad? Did you backpack? [REQUIRED]
2. What made you want to travel abroad?
3. What was the biggest surprise about your travel experiences abroad?
4. Did you participate in cultural activities abroad? If so, how did they differ from social activities in your home culture?
5. What made your travel experience abroad a success?
6. How did you finance your trip abroad and did you find any creative solutions to stay on budget?
7. Can you talk about a particular instance that gave you insight into your host culture or that helped you build cross-cultural communication skills?
8. How did you deal with the cultural divide?
9. What was your return like?
10. What is your number one tip for anyone hoping to follow in your footsteps?
11. Describe an experience that made a particularly strong impression on you.
12. What did you miss most about your home while traveling abroad?
13. Do you have any final observations on your experience?
14. Describe an experience you had abroad that made a particularly strong impression on you.
15. What are your future plans for going abroad and for your career? [REQUIRED]
    (Our experts would like to supply you with some personalized advice and relevant reading from the MyWorldAbroad site.)

Intern Abroad

1. When and where did you intern abroad? What was your position? [REQUIRED]
2. What made you want to intern abroad?
3. How did you conduct your search? What made you select your program/company?
4. Describe the application process. What made you successful?
5. What was the biggest surprise about your intern experience abroad?
6. Did you participate in extra-curricular or social activities while interning abroad? If so, how did they differ from social activities in your home culture?
7. What made your experience abroad a success?
8. How did you finance your trip abroad and did you find any creative solutions to stay on budget?
9. Do you have a story from your intern workplace that gave you particular insight into your host culture?
10. How did you deal with the cultural divide during your internship?
11. What was the most important thing you learned about communicating in a foreign culture?
12. What is your number one tip for anyone hoping to follow in your footsteps?
13. What did you miss most about home?
14. Do you have any final observations on your experience?
15. Describe an experience from your time abroad that made a particularly strong impression on you.
16. What are your future plans for going abroad and for your career? [REQUIRED]
    (Our experts would like to supply you with some personalized advice and relevant reading from the MyWorldAbroad site.)

Volunteer Abroad

1. When and where did you volunteer abroad? What was your position? [REQUIRED]
2. What made you want to volunteer abroad?
3. How did you conduct your search for a position? What made you select your program?
4. Describe the application process. What made you successful?
5. What was the biggest surprise about your volunteer experience abroad?
6. Did you participate in extra-curricular or social activities while volunteering abroad? If so, how did they differ from social activities in your home culture?
7. What made your volunteer experience abroad a success?
8. How did you finance your trip abroad and did you find any creative solutions to stay on budget?
9. Did anything happen in your volunteer workplace that gave you particular insight into your host culture?
10. How did you deal with the cultural divide during your volunteer experience?
11. What was the most important thing you learned about communicating in a foreign culture while volunteering abroad?
12. What was your return like? Do you plan to go abroad again?
13. What is your number one tip for anyone hoping to follow in your footsteps?
14. What did you miss most about home?
15. Do you have any final observations on your experience?
16. Describe an experience from your time abroad that made a particularly strong impression on you.
17. What are your future plans for going abroad and for your career? [REQUIRED]
    (Our experts would like to supply you with some personalized advice and relevant reading from the MyWorldAbroad site.)

Working Vacation

1. When and where did you work abroad? Did you go with an agency? [REQUIRED]
2. What made you want to take a working vacation?
3. How did you conduct your search? How did you select your program/country and/or find employers abroad?
4. What was the biggest surprise about your working vacation experience?
5. Did you participate in extra-curricular or social activities while abroad? If so, how did they differ from social activities in your home culture?
6. What made your experience abroad a success?
7. How did you finance your trip abroad and how much did you earn while abroad?
8. Do you have a story from one of your workplaces that gave you particular insight into your host culture?
9. How did you deal with the cultural divide during your time abroad?
10. What was the most important thing you learned about communicating in a foreign culture while you were abroad?
11. What is your number one tip for anyone hoping to follow in your footsteps?
12. What did you miss most about home?
13. Do you have any final observations on your experience?
14. Describe an experience from your time abroad that made a particularly strong impression on you.
15. What are your future plans for going abroad and for your career? [REQUIRED]
    (Our experts would like to supply you with some personalized advice and relevant reading from the MyWorldAbroad site.)

Teach English Abroad

1. When and where did you teach abroad? Did you go with a program? [REQUIRED]
2. What made you want to teach English abroad?
3. How did you conduct your search? How did you select your program/country and/or find an employer abroad?
4. Describe the application process. What made you successful?
5. What was the biggest surprise about your teaching experience abroad?
6. Did you participate in extra-curricular or social activities while abroad? If so, how did they differ from social activities in your home culture?
7. What made your experience abroad a success?
8. How did you finance your trip abroad and did you find any creative solutions to stay on budget?
9. Do you have a story from your workplace that gave you particular insight into your host culture?
10. How did you deal with the cultural divide during your time teaching abroad?
11. What was the most important thing you learned about communicating in a foreign culture while you were abroad?
12. What is your number one tip for anyone hoping to follow in your footsteps?
13. Do you have advice on how to handle a cross-cultural classroom?
14. What did you miss most about home?
15. Do you have any final observations on your experience?
16. Describe an experience from your time abroad that made a particularly strong impression on you.
17. What are your future plans for going abroad and for your career? [REQUIRED]
    (Our experts would like to supply you with some personalized advice and relevant reading from the MyWorldAbroad site.)

Study Abroad
(Please note: We are no longer offering honorariums for study abroad stories from Western Europe or East Asia.)

1. When and where did you study abroad? Did you have a study focus? [REQUIRED]
2. What made you want to study abroad?
3. How did you search for programs? What made you select your program?
4. Describe the application process. What made you successful?
5. What was the biggest surprise about your study abroad experience?
6. Did you participate in extra-curricular or social activities abroad? If so, how did they differ from social activities in your home culture?
7. What made your study abroad experience abroad a success?
8. How did you finance your trip abroad and did you find any creative solutions to stay on budget?
9. Do you have a classroom story that gave you particular insight into other cultures?
10. How did you deal with the cultural divide?
11. What was the most important thing you learned about communicating in a foreign culture while you were studying abroad?
12. What was your return like? Do you plan to go abroad again?
13. What is your number one tip for anyone hoping to follow in your footsteps?
14. What did you miss most about home?
15. Do you have any final observations on your experience?
16. Describe an experience from your time abroad that made a particularly strong impression on you.
17. What are your future plans for going abroad and for your career? [REQUIRED]
    (Our experts would like to supply you with some personalized advice and relevant reading from the MyWorldAbroad site.)

Learn a Language Abroad

1. When and where did you learn a language abroad? Which language? [REQUIRED]
2. What made you want to learn a language?
3. Were you involved with a particular program or school? What made you select your program/country?
4. Did you have experience with the language before going abroad?
5. What was the biggest surprise about your experience abroad?
6. Did you participate in extra-curricular or social activities while abroad? If so, how did they differ from social activities in your home culture?
7. What made your experience abroad a success?
8. How did you finance your trip abroad and did you find any creative solutions to stay on budget?
9. How did your language skills improve? Did anything in particular help you improve?
10. Do you have a story from your classroom or workplace abroad that gave you particular insight into your host culture?
11. How did you deal with the cultural divide during your time abroad?
12. What was the most important thing you learned about communicating in a foreign culture while you were abroad?
13. What is your number one tip for anyone hoping to follow in your footsteps?
14. Do you have any final observations on your experience?
15. Describe an experience from your time abroad that made a particularly strong impression on you.
16. What are your future plans for going abroad, building your language skills, and for your career? [REQUIRED]
    (Our experts would like to supply you with some personalized advice and relevant reading from the MyWorldAbroad site.)

Work Abroad

1. When and where did you work abroad? What was your position? [REQUIRED]
2. What made you want to work abroad?
3. How long did it take you to find a job and what job-search strategies did you use? Did you work in your field of interest?
4. Describe the application, interview, and selection process. What made you successful?
5. What was the biggest surprise about your work experience abroad?
6. Did you participate in extra-curricular or social activities through your work abroad? If so, how did they differ from social activities in your home culture?
7. What made your work experience abroad a success?
8. How did you finance your trip abroad and did you find any creative solutions to stay on budget?
9. Do you have a story from your workplace that gave you particular insight into your host culture?
10. What was the biggest challenge in adapting to your international work environment?
11. How did you deal with the cultural divide in the workplace?
12. What was the most important thing you learned about communicating in a foreign culture while you were working abroad?
13. What did you miss most about home?
14. What is your number one tip for anyone hoping to follow in your footsteps by working abroad?
15. Do you have any final observations on your experience?
16. Describe an experience from your time abroad that made a particularly strong impression on you.
17. What are your future plans for going abroad and for your career? [REQUIRED]
    (Our experts would like to supply you with some personalized advice and relevant reading from the MyWorldAbroad site.)