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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Study Abroad

Whenever I meet young people, my piece of advice to them is to study abroad. I cannot imagine my life had I not ventured to a foreign land. I did double duty with a semester in Paris (where my love affair with this city began), followed by a 10 country voyage around the world during that spring semester. I would not be who I am today without these experiences, and I wouldn't have met my best friend, or the amazing friends and people along the way. And I think anyone who has studied abroad would say the same.

As soon as Lindsey of Lost In Cheeseland linked to a EF Language school video, I was immediately enthralled in how they use video, typography and language to capture the spirit, charm and mood of studying abroad (and was quickly reminded how much easier it is to be a study abroad student than to actually live abroad long term!). With videos for Paris, London, Barcelona and Beijing, each uses the same format to tell a different story. The videos were produced by Camp David Films based out of Stockholm (even more international, ay?). Gustav Johansson directed the films, with Niklas Johansson as the Director of Photography, and gorgeous typography by Albin Holmqvist. I can't stop watching them!!




15 comments:

  1. UnknownJanuary 30, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    Thanks for the shout out! I KNEW you'd love the video series! It definitely reaffirms my reasons for studying abroad! (who knows, maybe that cute little couple kept their amour going! )

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  2. StephanieJanuary 30, 2011 at 3:28 PM

    those are great videos! I love the Paris one especially (of course). Sometimes I joke that studying abroad was the worst thing I did - it left me so enchanted by Paris I can't imagine living anywhere else and I found the US boring once I returned - no unique challenges with language barriers, exploration and massive amounts of things to learn ranging from 17th c theater to degrees Celsius. I hope I'm always wandering about abroad :) as even if I'm no longer officially a student, there is always something so new I'm learning.

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  3. VanessaJanuary 30, 2011 at 4:00 PM

    Amazing video Anne...Undoubtedly one of the best times of my life was studying abroad with you guys!

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  4. travelkateJanuary 30, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    I agree, the number one advice I give to college students or any students for that matter is to study abroad! (I studied abroad 5 times, so I am quite the advocate :) You learn so much more in a semester of studying abroad than you do in years of school! I could go on forever...

    I too, went on SAS...it was one of the best experiences of my life...what year did you go?

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  5. Cheryl PartonJanuary 31, 2011 at 12:39 PM

    My study in Paris changed my life. After a sophomore-year stint, I always found ways to return. After college, I moved to Paris and worked for the now defunct city magazine Paris Passion before returning to go to journalism school in Chicago. Enjoy this time in your life!! I now have three kids and we just returned from a RTW adventure. I'll encourage them to study or live abroad....for them, (and so I can visit). Kudos to your "un-glamorous" series. So true!

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  6. UnknownJanuary 31, 2011 at 2:10 PM

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  7. UnknownJanuary 31, 2011 at 4:47 PM

    Just checked them out. Fantastic! Makes me regret never having studied abroad. And inspires me to correct that {huge} mistake.

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  8. MegJanuary 31, 2011 at 5:55 PM

    These are beyond lovely. Makes me want to go back in time and do EF instead of Intrax (EEEK!!) but what a lovely way to show it, and yes, the typography is divine.

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  9. UnknownJanuary 31, 2011 at 6:23 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  10. UnknownJanuary 31, 2011 at 6:24 PM

    From my mother, who's taught high school French and Spanish for over 30 years, via email just now: "Now that I have an LCD projector and laptop, I will show Paris to my classes. Merci beaucoup."

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  11. annabronesJanuary 31, 2011 at 7:55 PM

    I looooove these....

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  12. This Time NowFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:02 AM

    These were amazing.

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  13. MaggieFebruary 7, 2011 at 3:53 PM

    Just found your blog and love it already! I also studied abroad with Semester at Sea (Spring of '06). It was my first time out of the country and I was so ensnarled by the travel bug that as soon as I got home I signed up for a summer in Paris! Needless to say, it was quite a year for me. :)

    maggiehigh.blogspot.com
    apictureof.tumblr.com

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  14. ChelseaFebruary 7, 2011 at 11:25 PM

    Thank you for these videos. I am about to embark on a study abroad adventure--to Melbourne to do my MA--and this video series just made me excited for everything to come...even if it's all going to happen in boring old English. It's Australian English though...that's gotta be different right?

    Only problem is I'm wishing I had looked into programs in Paris and Barcelona... :)

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  15. Learn english abroadApril 25, 2011 at 8:04 AM

    I am very happy to read your articles, more useful for me especially.I have the same thing with you. I am so very petrified of this in my lectures.

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Happy Travels!

-Anne