[nabs-l] Studying abroad: tips and tricks.

[Kaiti Shelton]

Hi all,

I have applied for a ten-day study abroad service project to take
place in June of 2015.  If selected to be a part of this program, I
will travel to Boston Bay Jamaica and use my music therapy training to
work with special needs school children, patients at an infirmary on
the geriatric and psychiatric wards, and in a homeless shelter.  It
would be a great experience for me, both personally and
professionally.

I'm trying not to be too optimistic, but I think I have a fair shot of
getting in.  The interview portion of my application process went
really well, and I've met all other requirements.  I've already
discussed accessibility for the course materials and things like
safety with the program's director, and he seems more than willing to
accommodate with electronic materials and some extra orientation if I
need it when I'm at the site.  He told me that all that is left is for
my professor to give her approval, and she's already told me that she
thinks this would be great for me and that I have her support.  So,
all signs look pretty good.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that
everything panns out as expected.

I am now curious as to how others on this list have studied abroad.  I
realize my situation is a little different because it's short term and
experiential rather than class work, but there are still aspects of
the experience I am wondering about.  For example, how did you raise
the funds to go if that was an issue for you?  How were you received
in the airport of the country you visitted?  What was it like in the
country you visitted when locals saw you/talked to you?

I have limitted travel experience.  My first plane ride was to the
2012 National Convention, and although I navigated both airports like
a champ and had no problems, I've never had to deal with customs or a
foreign airport before.  I also can't find anything about how
Jamaicans view people with disabilities.  I know that Jamaica is a
very religious country, and that Christianity is the prominent
religion, but I've had people from various sects of Christianity do
everything from claiming I was blind because some demon punished me or
my mother, and others who just acknowledged it for what it was-a
genetic or physical thing without religious affiliation, and that's
just in the U.S.  In my research I've also learned about the crime in
Jamaica, and am a little worried about being an easy target.  The
program I would be a part of is very well-staffed, and I would never
be out of the enclosed living area without a staff member to chaperone
me.  The program also has a 100% track record in ten years for
students returning home unharmed and with all their belongings, and
the program's director told me that we'll be in a pretty safe area
since we'll be in the countryside with local farmers and fishermen who
know what the students are doing and don't want to bite the hands that
feed them persay, rather than by the resorts where tourists are taken
advantage of frequently.  Nevertheless, I want to do everything I can
to ensure that I am safe if I end up going abroad.  I want to remember
the trip for the good things and the learning, not for getting hurt or
losing something valuable.  What extra measures would you experienced
study abroad students advise I take if selected to go?  Any
suggestions are welcome, especially if anyone has done study abroad or
service work in the West Indies before.

-- 
Kaiti