1.
Gain a greater understanding of different cultures
2.
Travel within and around the host country
3.
Growth in self-awareness
4.
Growth in interpersonal skills and adaptability
5.
Gain a different perspective on American culture

What: The ability to interact and communicate effectively and appropriately with people of other cultures
• Know: recognize & understand differences
• Accept: desire to not only understand differences, but to acknowledge, appreciate and accept differences
• Act: incorporate your skills of knowledge and acceptance throughout your interactions

• Fulfill Personal, Academic & Professional Goals:
• Greater understanding of different countries
• Growth in self-awareness, interpersonal skills & adaptability
• Diplomacy & Globalization: your experience is unique and carries global responsibility
• 300,000 US students study abroad (2011/12)
• 14.2% of US bachelors students study abroad during their degree program (2011/12)

• Knowledge & immersion are not enough
• Engagement requires effort
• Interaction requires intentionality
• Observation requires reflection

1.
How do you plan to actively engage in your host culture?
2.
How can you expand your cultural engagement beneath the surface of the iceberg?
3.
What is your cultural lens & how will it impact your experience and immersion in your host culture?
4.
How will you reflect on your experiences?
5.
How will this experience enhance your personal, academic and professional goals?

Making the Most of an International Experience:
Career Considerations
Presented By: Career Services
Becky Carlson

• Quote or picture? Something captivating?

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• Active involvement in professional opportunities
• Internships
• Volunteer
• Job shadowing
• Student/community organizations
• Informational Interviewing

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Phone: 314-977-2828
Schedule: SLU Appointments
Location: BSC 331

• Learn a foreign language
• Increase intercultural competence and communication skills
• Learn about foreign cultures
• Study a specific subject in depth
• Enhance future career skills
• Encounter one’s heritage
• Expand your limits

 Culture shock  refers to the stresses and strains associated with adapting to life in a new and different cultural sphere.
 Symptoms: Frustration, mental fatigue, disorientation about how to work with and relate to others, boredom, lack of motivation and physical discomfort.
 Reverse Culture Shock ->Worse!

The W Curve of Culture Shock
Positive
Feelings
Negative
Feelings
Entry into Host Culture
Honeymoon
Stage
Reentry to Own Culture
Honeymoon at
Home
Adjustment
Adjustment at
Home
Crisis Stage
(Culture
Shock)
Recovery stage
Time
Crisis at
Home
(Reentry
Shock)
Recovery at Home

Registration
1. Must discuss classes with advisers/mentors/deans
2. Make sure you have registered correctly for courses at the
Madrid Campus
3. If going abroad for a semester you will need to be registered as a full time student (12-18 hours) Not only for visa reasons, but for your visa to be valid
4. Check for language requirements for specific courses
5. Grades will affect your GPA
6. Courses run Monday-Friday. Students are expected to attend class following the attendance policies of their courses.

Passport & Visa
• Make three copies of your passport:
– Leave one with your parents
– Put the other one in your purse/wallet
– Keep one in your luggage
• Keep an electronic copy of your passport & visa easily accessible through email
• If your passport gets stolen, contact the US Embassy or consulate in your country
• Who here does not have a valid passport?

Embassy:
• If there is unrest in the country to which you are travelling, contact the US Embassy.
• Make sure you know how to get in contact with the US
Embassy or consulate near you.
• Register with the US Department of State before you leave the country: http://studentsabroad.state.gov
•Do not participate in anti-American demonstrations.

C/ SERRANO, 75
28006 Madrid, Spain
91 587 2240
Emergencies outside office hours
91-587-2200
Fax 91-587-2303 http://spanish.madrid.usembassy.gov/

•
PACKING:
Every student says “I wish I would have packed LESS!”
• Aim for 1 piece of luggage & 1 carry on
• Know your airline’s luggage restrictions
• Only use TSA approved locks
• Mark your luggage with name & address inside and out
• Carry all of your important documents, money, credit card with you on the plane.
• Pack a change of clothes, toiletries, & medications in your carry on. Luggage can be delayed a day or more!
• Review carry on requirements – they may change

• You may need to buy a converter!
• You may want to think twice before bringing your expensive Chiirons and hair dryers…they may fry! You may purchase cheap appliances at the local drug store abroad

PACKING:
• How you dress will affect how others perceive and act towards you.
• Americans are more casual than many other cultures -extremely casual dress may be considered disrespectful.
• Some places have dress codes when going out to nice venues/restaurants.
• You do not need to give up your sense of identity to dress appropriately

• Students must purchase a roundtrip ticket arriving in Madrid no later than
January 8 th 2014. Move out date is set for May 14 th 2014.
• As a reminder during Spring break housing will not be available. The move out date for Spring break is April 12 th 2014, the move in date is April 20 th 2014
• Know how you will get to your final destination from airport (train, taxi, metro, bus, or some combination thereof?)
• Have a written plan and bring phone numbers in case of delays or something goes wrong
• Call your family—they will be worried about you (Remember to tell them ahead of time you probably won’t be able to call for a few days)
• Email us that you have arrived: goabroad@slu.edu
• Make sure you fill out the arrival form

Padre
Arrupe Hall
Padre
Rubio Hall
San Ignacio
Hall

• Taxi
• Bus
• Metro
• Train

• Be respectful
• Engage!
• Get to know your family
• You are a guest in their house
• Let them know if you will not be there for dinner
• Use common courtesy
• Move out dates during Spring
Break are: April 12 th to April 20th

• Email – A great cheap way to stay in touch (University, Internet café) ALWAYS CHECK YOUR SLU ACCOUNT
• Calling cards – Purchase in your host country
• Pre-Paid Cell phone-very common!
• PicCell phone (instructions sent from finance-madrid@slu.edu)
• Voice over Internet (i.e. Skype)
• Host Phone -Respect phone usage in your host household. Local calls are not free & calls to cell phones may be expensive. Please avoid receiving phone calls in the host phone between 10 pm and 8 am

• Inform your credit card company
• It is not necessary for students to open a bank account. Most banks will not allow you to open an account with just a passport.
However there are a few that will. If you want to open a bank account the Student Life Office staff in Madrid can assfist you.
• Withdraw money from ATM. It will be in local currency.
– Check with bank for additional fees
• Don’t bring all your money in cash. You can use traveler’s checks,
ATM and credit cards.
• Change approx USD$150 before leaving.
• Traveler's check s are not recommended as many placecs do not accept them.

Sanitas Health Insurance
Sanitas Health Insurance - You will get a card upon arrival
• Carry your insurance card with you at all times!
• You may view information on the SLU Madrid Website: http://spain.slu.edu/student_life/medical_information/index.
html
• Sanitas also includes coverage in other countries in case you travel outside of Spain. Contact numbers to use these services will be at the back of your Sanitas card

SERVICES MULTI SANITAS COVERAGE
Medical fee for participating physicians and specialists* 100% coverage
Hospitalization and surgery
Dental
Medication
100% coverage within Spain
Not covered, although a dental supplement can be added.
For more information, please contact: financemadrid@slu.edu
Not covered. Prices for medication are significantly lower in
Spain than in the U.S.
Repatriation (in case of death)
(available beginning September 1, 2011)
100% coverage to international airport in country of origin.
100% coverage from international airport to home city within European Community (EEC).
Reimbursement of up to $1,000 from international airport to home city (> 30 kms) in non-EEC countries.

Insurance
• If you take a prescription drug, make sure you have enough for the entire semester. If you can, get a letter from your doctor stating that you are authorized to take that medicine. This is important as some medications are nearly impossible to obtain and the formulas vary by country.
• It is not recommended to cancel your U.S. Insurance
Plan while you are abroad.

Drugs, Alcohol & Local Laws
• Never leave food or drink unattended while abroad – may be drugged
• Don’t go out or stay out alone
• Know your limits. Worse-case scenarios CAN happen.
• Each year, 2,500 Americans are arrested overseas. One third of the arrests are on drug-related charges.
• You are responsible for understanding and following the laws of the country you are visiting. You are subject to all laws of the host country.
• You will not receive special treatment because you are a foreigner/American.

• Understand the role/impact of alcohol in:
• Host culture:
• Norms and expectations
• Study abroad:
• Increased social anxiety in foreign countries
• Culture shock
• Availability
• Sexual relationships
• Regret, assault, sexually transmitted disease, etc.
• Know the alcohol laws of your host country and the countries you intend to visit:
• Legal drinking age, open container laws & public intoxication, etc.
(drinking on the street or public transportation)

• Understand the consequences of excessive alcohol & drug consumption:
• Physical health risks
• Mental health
• Arrest
• Accidents
• Pick-pocket
• Impact on academics
• Lost or stolen documents
• Sexual Assault & Rape
• Other violent crimes

• Cultures and laws vary widely in what is acceptable and non-acceptable behavior.
• Be aware of stereotypes that exist of Americans.
• Dating norms and gender roles will be different.
• Be alert. Avoid crowds, demonstrations, or other situations that could put you in danger.
• Keep a low profile. Try not to attract special attention to yourself.
• Do not leave your bags unattended.
• Avoid places where Americans are known to congregate and you may consider avoiding American logos on your clothing and belongings.

Safety Is YOUR OWN Responsibility!
• Institutions Cannot:
– Guarantee or assure your safety or eliminate all risks
– Monitor or control your daily personal decisions, choices, and activities
– Prevent you from engaging in illegal, dangerous, or unwise activities
– Assure US standards of due process apply in overseas legal proceedings
– Assume responsibility for persons or events that are not part of the program, or for situations due to lack of your disclosure
– Assure that home-country cultural values and norms will apply in host country

• If anything happens while you’re abroad, tell someone AND contact the Madrid campus directly as they are closer and will be able to provide help quicker
During business hours (9:00 am – 6:00 pm Madrid time):
(34) 91 554 5858
After-hours health and safety emergency number:
(34) 638 763 758
Counseling emergency number: (34) 609 269 323
For life-threatening emergencies: 112
• Contact us (goabroad@slu.edu or studyabroad-madrid@slu.edu)
Remember you are never alone, we are here to help you!

• Tuition will be billed directly by the Saint Louis
University, Missouri Campus (including any class fees). Due dates are the same as previous semesters
• Housing is billed directly by Madrid (bill included in your housing assignment). Firs payment due date is
December 16 th .

• Understanding your rights and responsibilities
• Waiver
• Communication with parents
• Role of the study abroad staff

Take lots of Pictures!
Keep your eyes open for details regarding a study abroad photo contest!