The Study Abroad Blog’s List of The 10 Best Study Abroad Blogs

Just like it says!

Let’s be real – I’m not the first or only person to blog about studying abroad. The popularity of studying abroad is growing exponentially, and growing along with it is the amount of information available as well as the people who want to share it.  While I hope you can find answers to just about every question you have on The Study Abroad Blog, I know people will still have questions on topics that I have yet to cover, so I’ve put together this list of The Top 10 Study Abroad Blogs You Should Read to compliment what you find on The Study Abroad Blog. The qualifications to get on this list are overall pretty simple, but at the same time extremely important. In order to get on this list, each blog must:

• Actually update their content on a regular basis (there were some great sites/blogs out there that I would’ve liked to have included, but since they hadn’t updated in over in a month, no go).

• Provide unique content that is actually helpful (as opposed to blogs or sites whose sole goal is to drive traffic to a particular program without providing benefit to their readers).

• Have an active social networking platform (which allows for easier access to info as well as promotes communication between students and program staff/study abroad experts).

1.  StudyAbroad.com’s Blog-Abroad

No post about study abroad can be written without mentioning StudyAbroad.com. They’re numero uno in the Google “study abroad” search results for a reason. Any question, whether it be about countries, specific cities, programs, subjects, finance and scholarships, and travel, can all be answered here. The StudyAbroad.com Blog-Abroad blog follows the adventures of current study abroad students, so just like on The Study Abroad Blog, you can find help and advice from the best source out there: study abroad students like yourself. (And as an exciting side note, yours truly will soon be an active contributor to the StudyAbroad.com community!)

2.  GO!Overseas Blog

GO! Overseas is a community driven website of people who are all passionate about teaching, studying and volunteering abroad. The GO! Overseas Study Abroad section features an awesome collection of articles covering all aspects of Study Abroad: travel, finance and scholarships, personal life abroad, and study abroad program features. There’s also a ‘Help Me Find a Program’ forum, and a blog community where they have brought together a wealth of overseas travel experiences. Need a little financial help? There’s even a GO! Study Abroad Scholarship which is open to all current or aspiring study abroad students.

3. The Official API Blog

Academic Programs International, API, is an educational organization which provides challenging and enriching study abroad programs for their students. All of their academic and extracurricular offerings are selected with the goal of helping students to grow more self-aware and culturally sensitive. (Like I always say! Learning is done both inside and outside of the classroom.) With one of the best social network presences of any study abroad organization out there, you’ll have no problem finding a way to get in contact with the people over at API about which program is best for you.

4. Current Voyage Blog

Semester at Sea stands apart from other study abroad programs, not only because you’re learning at sea (obviously) but also because their philosophy about studying abroad differs somewhat from the traditional idea of one country total immersion. Because students travel to roughly 10 locations per semester, SAS takes what they call “a broader comparative approach” to learning about today’s globalizing world. This unique aspect of studying abroad is reflected in The Current Voyage Blog, and is the reason it’s one of my favorites. I haven’t been lucky enough to experience a floating classroom yet, but I can only imagine how awesome it must be to pull into a new port every week.

5. GoAbroad.com Blog

GoAbroad.com contains tens of thousands of opportunities abroad including study abroad, internships, volunteer opportunities, teach abroad, and language schools, and the GoAbroad blog covers just about every aspect of going abroad. Whether you plan on studying, volunteering, or teaching, the GoAbroad Blog has profiles on just about every destination you can imagine, reviews of different study abroad programs and organizations along with interviews from their staff, both general study abroad advice and location specific advice, as well as “Top 10″ posts on everything from popular study abroad destinations to most unique languages to learn. I’m most excited about GoAbroad’s two new blogging initiatives, GoAbroad Blog of the Week and Become a GoAbroad Guest Blogger, both of which are worth checking out.

6. WanderingEducators.com

WanderingEducators.com is actually a collection of blogs, articles and directories covering both the travel and academic aspects of Studying Abroad. Not only is it the largest source of travel guide reviews on the internet, it’s also one of the largest sources of international jobs, internships, and academic conferences for educators around the world. WanderingEducators.com has over 35 editors, representing nations around the world and a ton of intercultural and travel-related areas. Basically, if you enjoy doing anything in the world besides sitting in your room, WanderingEducators.com has something for you.

7. “From I to U” Study Abroad Blog

I’ve heard the stat that in the U.S., there are around 3,500 colleges. Out of those 3,500, I would say that Indiana University’s Office of Overseas Study, is by far the best at promoting Study Abroad. The design of their site and depth of their content alone was enough to get them on this list, not to mention their frequent activity on Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. But most importantly, IU students blog each semester from their location abroad, providing hands-on information about their location, academic interests and cultural experiences on the “From I to U” Blog in an effort to help students earn IU credit in over 37 countries. Not an IU student? Check it out anyway.

8. Abroad101.com Blog

Abroad101 is the first ever Study Abroad Review Site. Founded in 2007 by longtime friends Mark Lurie, Adam Miller, and Mike Stone, Abroad101 provides in-depth study abroad reviews and listings of thousands of study abroad programs. The Abroad101 Blog is a wealth of info covering Study Abroad news, stories, and advice. One of my favorite parts of the blog is the “Highlight Your Study Abroad for Professional Development” series. And hey, they were even awesome enough to feature The Study Abroad Blog as one of their Featured Blogs of 2011.

9. CEA Study Abroad Blog

CEA prides itself on making the administrative aspect of studying abroad as easy as possible for students. Along with helping you find the right program and financial aid, they also help you navigate the student visa process, select housing, prepare for your health and safety in your host country, and make sure your credits transfer to your home university (i.e. make your life easier). The CEA Study Abroad Blog is full of posts from both students and faculty alike about managing your daily life abroad, utilizing your experience back home, program and general study abroad news, and my favorite – a collection of video testimonies from the CEA staff about their own experiences abroad.

10. CISabroad’s Travel Journals

Like most other study abroad organizations, CISabroad is committed to giving you the best value in study abroad, i.e. affordability, support, cultural immersion and academic relevance. What I find unique about CIS is their La Vida Local culture series which is geared toward helping students see where the locals eat, shop, hang out and learn to understand the culture in your host country. As the Travel Journals are not necessarily structured like a typical blog series, I think you can connect and relate with students in a different way than on traditional program blogs. Not to mention they’re another program with a great social networking platform.

And there they are, the top 10 study abroad blogs you should be reading. If for some reason your blog or site didn’t make the list, feel free to mention it in the comments section below! If you have a personal blog you’d like on The Study Abroad Blog, don’t forget to check out The Study Abroad BlogRoll.

By the way, if your blog or site did make the list, feel free to snag that Top 10 badge at the top of the page!

If you have any other questions or comments please feel free to leave them below and I’ll get back to you.

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