Everybody's Doing It: Top Study Abroad Destinations

By Courtney S. Ries

Some locations are just considered hotter on the study abroad thermometer than others. Top reasons one area might snag more students than its counterparts? Program credibility, safety, local sites, language offerings and overall country-coolness.

These study-abroad stylings mix the tried-and-true European destinations along with the newer, worldwide locales.

London, England: For the first-time traveler, England is an excellent place to start. Take in excellent performing arts, happening nightlife and wealth of historic sites - without worrying about the language barrier. Sure, there are some differences between the UK and other English-speaking nations, but not enough to throw any Commonwealth or Canada/US native into severe culture shock. Theatre majors flock to this metropolis, as do those looking for a country with easy (well, easier than most) work permit.

Sydney, Australia: Sydney is the new London. The hot-and-trendy city attracts those the world over for its stunning architecture, beach proximity, fun-loving lifestyle and, oh, yeah, that English-speaking thing. Considered one of the safer English-speaking nations, many travelers who are wary about hopping over the pond to the US or Europe have taken "safe harbor" with the Aussies. However, it should be noted that the Bali Bombing in 2002 killed mostly Australians, and Prime Minister John Howard's pro-UK and US stance has not been well received by anti-Western groups.

Barcelona, Spain: Even though the official language of Barcelona is Catalan, many students still travel here, and elsewhere in Spain (Seville and Madrid, for example) to brush up on their Spanish skills. Barcelona is a backpacker mecca, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that this up-all-night wine-and-dine sizzler is a main study-abroad destination too. Art students are especially drawn to this city for its ever-present ties with both Antonio Gaudi and Pablo Picasso.

Rome, Italy: It's historic! It's breathtaking! It's a madhouse! It's...ROME! Italy's capital has more jaw-dropping ancient sites than any other city. Plus, they're so big (and central) that they're impossible to miss. When you're tired of dodging the crazy mofos on mopeds, art, religion and history buffs can take refuge in the Holy See. If you're going to study Italian, this may be the place to do it. One of Europe's oldest universities in Bologna and the scene in Firenze (Florence) are additional Italy study-abroad draws.

Paris, France: Ooo La La! It's France at its finest. The nation's capital city is more art, shopping, food, fun and dog-packed than almost anywhere else in Europe. Francophiles usually trace the start of their obsession to this sight-and-sound drenched city. Not only is Paris the best place to pick up French swear words (especially on the Metro), it's also a great place for language immersion becuase even though many people speak English, they won't with you. Trust me.

Tokyo, Japan: With Japanese holding steady as one of the top languages used in the business world, future MBAs flock to Tokyo for a international education. Chefs, anime fanatics and engineers also study in Japan with regularity. The country is a popular stop on the "Semester at Sea" program as well. If you have any hopes of ever understanding the Japanese lifestyle, you've gotta live there - and studying while you're doing it can't hurt.

Article added on March 01, 2005

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