{"id":2407,"date":"2017-09-04T18:28:50","date_gmt":"2017-09-04T22:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hoodcomstudies.com\/theblueandgrey\/?p=2407"},"modified":"2017-09-04T18:29:55","modified_gmt":"2017-09-04T22:29:55","slug":"a-girl-abroad-off-to-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblueandgrey.com\/index.php\/2017\/09\/04\/a-girl-abroad-off-to-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"A Girl Abroad: Off to Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nailah Russell<\/strong>
\nLifestyle Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our wonderful lifestyle editor Nailah is studying abroad for the semester butthis will be her monthly travel column for the duration of her stay. The staff of the Blue and Grey dearly misses her and wishes her safe and enlightening travels.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hello and Goodbye (for now), Hood College! \u2018Tis time I depart and embark on an adventure studying abroad in Sydney, Australia.
\nI\u2019ll do my best to compress my excitement for this journey into a single column, but that\u2019s nearly impossible. I\u2019ve wanted to travel for as long as I can remember. Before I even picked a major, I knew that whatever I decided should take me to all the world\u2019s corners.
\nThe opportunity to study abroad is something for which I\u2019m incredibly thankful. As a token of my appreciation, I\u2019ll be taking you all with me as I submit a series of columns to the Blue & Grey journaling my experiences. I\u2019ll also keep you updated with tons of photos through Hood\u2019s new @hoodabroad Instagram account.
\nI haven\u2019t even finished packing, yet I know this is an experience I\u2019ll never forget. My classes are all squared away, I\u2019ve got an interview lined up for an internship to partake in, and apparently New Zealand is the hot spot everyone\u2019s planning to hit for Spring Break!
\nThough things are rolling along smoothly, and everything is now a simple matter of timely preparation and patience, I hit some turbulence before being able to coast.
\nAs many of you know, Kate Emory, our previous study abroad coordinator left after the 2016 spring semester\u2026and has yet to be replaced.
\nI truly appreciate the help of the faculty and staff to organize my business, including the folks at CAPA (the organization I\u2019ll be studying abroad through), but this process clearly demonstrated that Ms. Emory\u2019s position is quite important to say the least.
\nThere are a multitude of steps and documents you need to be fully accepted into the program. Transcripts, letter of conduct, letters of recommendation (multiple depending on if you plan to do an internship), the request to study away, a form for the university keeping your records, and more.
\nNot to mention that studying abroad is expensive. Fortunately, CAPA allows you to apply the financial aid you receive at your home institution to pay for tuition at your school abroad. They also have some really neat things like Early Bird discounts, and because they\u2019re partnered with Hood, there\u2019s an added discount.
\nBut it\u2019s still expensive! And ya girl was scrambling for more financial aid.
\nCAPA has some scholarships you can apply for, but I heavily encourage looking for other outside scholarships to go abroad early. The Benjamin A Gilman scholarship is a biggie. If you\u2019re involved with any honors organizations, check to see if they have study abroad scholarships. Phi Kappa Phi members\u2026in case you didn\u2019t know, I\u2019m getting you hip now.
\nThere\u2019s also the Shirley Conner Hardinge Scholarship, of which I am a recipient. The Provost\u2019s office is your contact point for this award. It\u2019s also wise to keep your professors and advisor in the loop so they can help you snoop around for other funding opportunities.
\nUnfortunately, since there really isn\u2019t a study abroad coordinator, information like this can quickly slip through the cracks and you can easily lose track of your needed points of contact.
\nI can recall specific points at which I was told that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, that I was speaking to the wrong person, and that I was doing things out of order. It was all quite frustrating and I almost\/did miss deadlines because of forms I was completely unaware of. Still, everyone was very understanding and helpful nonetheless, including CAPA correspondents.
\nNow that I\u2019m all set and ready to go, I know that this is the excitement I want for every student that is as passionate about traveling and learning abroad as I am. I want everyone to be able reach their goals, and I hope that sharing this complicated application process will encourage the quick and speedy replacement of Ms. Emory.
\nI would hate for anyone to be discouraged from this fruitful and unique adventure because of the missing link. This is an opportunity too precious to forsake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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