Photo credit: Randall Martin

10 Secrets to Saving Money While You’re Abroad

Posted by BCSAadmin on 01/13/2015

By Susan Seto

Yes, you’ve made it! You’ve been accepted to study abroad. You’re dancing around in your kitchen while reading your acceptance letter out loud. It’s an incredible feeling, isn’t it?

Just as the adrenaline rush dies down, you realize this isn’t going to be cheap. However, don’t let this discourage you. With careful planning and preparation, you will be able to pursue your dream to go abroad.

Here are 10 ways to save:

  1. Start saving now. Open a separate savings account and set aside a small amount each week. Even if it is just $5 each week, it will accumulate. Every little bit counts.

  2. Keep a budget. Give yourself a budget each month. Track your spending in an excel sheet or download a...
Tags: Study Abroad Tips Travel
Category: Student Blog
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Reflections on the Taiwan Global Youth Seminar in October by Anna Fernandez

Posted by BCSAadmin on 01/08/2015

In October 2014, several BC students took a break from their studies and flew to Taiwan to represent Canada in The Seminar on Youth Public Participation and International Humanitarianism in the Age of Globalization. This seminar was a hub for students around the globe to come together and share their experiences in international affairs and sustainable volunteerism. Some of the countries represented in the conference were the Dominican Republic, Ireland, New Zealand, Israel, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. A representative from each country presented and held a discussion on various topics from prevailing issues within his or her community to maintaining stability in NGOs.

University of Victoria student and co-C...

Tags: Taiwan Seminar Abroad Globalization Internationalization
Category: Student Blog
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Meghan Thompson

Je viens pour vous, France! (I’m coming for you, France!)

Posted by BCSAadmin on 12/22/2014

I’ll be embarking on my journey overseas in less than a month now, and things are starting to feel a lot more real. I’ve been planning for this exchange for over six months now, and these plans are all finally coming to fruition.

The process has been long, and there have been a lot of bumps along the way, but it’s all coming together – I’ve been admitted into the University of Toulouse, my French visa has been approved, and I was accepted into residence. In all honesty, though, it really has been time-consuming preparing for this exchange program. Arranging all of the paperwork to submit my French visa application took months; working out the details for my residence in Toulouse with an international coordinator in France who doesn’t speak English was a struggle; taking French courses in...

Tags: France Study Abroad Scholarship
Category: Student Blog
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Adventures with Alak

Posted by BCSAadmin on 12/02/2014

By Nadine Wilk

Spending the night cramped on a wooden beam, thinking about the cockroaches that could be nestled in the cracks is not a comfortable way to fall asleep. Hearing the loud squeals of a pig being slaughtered is not a pleasant way to wake up. Going for days without showering and being in the humid and hot weather, makes a cold shower and a soft bed sound like a luxury. At the top of a mountain with no electricity and no toilets; this is the magnificent reality of a jungle in Thailand. Yet, despite the stinky aromas, lack of cleanliness and uncomfortable bedding, it was by far one of my most treasured experiences from my two-and-half month field school in Southeast Asia.

Our guide, Alak, picked us up early in the morning from our hotel. Despite the early h...

Tags: Thailand Study Abroad
Category: Student Blog
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