#nrcsa

[nrcsa-blog]

Travel brings power and love back into your life. -Rumi

[thattealady]

What a week! This language intensive thing is no joke! Monday started with the equivalent of “ABC…" and today ended with sentence structure for basic functional conversations. We can completely and competently talk to people now. Actually that was homework on Thursday which is why we went to 명동 again but I’ll get to that later. 이선생님 is super sweet aside from the fact that she seems convinced that Arthur and I are destined for each other. That of course isn’t true. However, if circumstances were different Arthur and I would make a beautiful child. We talked about that on the walk home today. You know how you can take two photos of people and get another photo of what their baby would look like? Well we said we should do that for giggles since computer generated baby photos and our teacher’s imagination are the closest things the world will ever actually see to Ariel/Arthur children. Sorry world. Eat your hearts out. ;) Class gets a little crazy sometimes, and of course by crazy I mean fabulous. When we were first learning basic sentences we would go around using our limited vocabulary and introducing ourselves with signs like "안녕하세요 저는 마이클 잭산이에요." (If you can’t read Korean that was funny) I don’t understand why we don’t have billions of friends… (And that was sarcasm) After class on Wednesday we went to HomePlus to get some groceries etc. In general it was a fun time just mulling around the store until we got to the milk aisle. Something like lightening struck my fancy and I wanted banana milk. But I didn’t see it. I also didn’t feel like leaving my friends so I just said banana milk (which by the way is kind of fun to say. Try it) over…and over. Not loudly or anything but I hadn’t really thought about it until this older woman turns around and gives me the loudest WTF look I’ve gotten since I arrived in this country. I quickly turned to the next aisle and laughed until my eyes watered. Lesson learned- banana milk is good, some people suck.

[thattealady]

The hotel we are staying at isn’t so bad. There are some things I want to say but… Another time.The staff doesn’t speak any English which, combined with our currently limited Korean makes things very difficult. However, they are all very nice and they try very hard to be helpful. At the end of these 4 weeks here I may have to hurt someone at NRCSA for this whole mix up though. But for now we’re all smiles and it isn’t hard to with how nice these people are being to us! It is maybe a 10 minute walk from the hotel to Yonsei University. We made that trek today and explored a bit, but since we won’t know exactly where things are happening for us until Monday when class starts we were really just wandering around while people stared. But I’m actually really used to that. New tune, same lyrics. :D

[nrcsa-blog]

Shot taken in Queretaro, Mexico.

[nrcsa-blog]

If you are traveling to Mexico and you are a U.S. citizen 18 years or older, you will need the following:

Proof of Citizenship: A valid passport or certified copy of birth certificate.

Visa: No visa is needed for U.S. citizens for stays of 90 days or less. You may, however, need a visa for stays of 90 days or longer. Contact the nearest Mexican consulate or embassy for further information.

Health/Inoculations: None are required for stays of 90 days or less, however, you may want to check with your local public health office, your physician and/or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention if you have any concerns or are planning on traveling to remote areas.

Tourist Card: Your tourist card and instructions are issued by the airline and generally completed en route.

Other Documents: You may need other documents if:

your passport has a different name (maiden, etc.) than what appears on your air ticket.

you are traveling with your own child but without your spouse (if applicable).

you are traveling with children other than your own.

you will be visiting countries other than Mexico.

[nrcsa-blog]

Stunning scene taken in Fukuoka, Japan.  Happy Spring!

[nrcsa-blog]

Where can I study?

NRCSA offers language and culture programs in countries all over the world, including:

Argentina

Chile

Ecuador

Honduras

Korea

Poland

Switzerland

Australia

China

Finland

Hungary

Mexico

Portugal

Austria

Costa Rica

France

Ireland

Monaco

Puerto Rico

Uruguay

Bolivia

Czech Republic

Germany

Israel

New Zealand

Russia

Venezuela

Brazil

Denmark

Greece

Italy

Norway

Spain

Canada

Dominican Rep

Holland

Japan

Peru

Sweden

Because NRCSA schools offer different types of programs, where you study may depend on what type of program you're looking for.

Is study abroad for me? NRCSA believes that study abroad is for everyone, however, this question is a very personal one and it can only be answered by you. We suggest that you begin to try to answer this question by being as honest as possible with yourself about your own limitations and your ability to be open to new and different experiences. You can do this by drawing from the life experiences you've already had, times when you had to meet new challenges or face different circumstances than what you were accustomed to. Review your performance in these situations honestly and evenhandedly, don’t be too hard or too easy on yourself. We think that you'll find that in most instances you did a pretty good job of facing and adjusting to these new experiences. In fact, a lot people who have never traveled abroad find that, once in the foreign country, they're better at it than they thought!

How do I start the registration process for a NRCSA study program? All you need do is complete and submit a NRCSA Registration Form along with a $140 USD deposit. You have three different ways that you can do this:

You can fill out and submit a secure on-line NRCSA Registration Form at the NRCSA website. To complete and submit the NRCSA Registration secure on-line form, click here. OR

You can also print out the form at the NRCSA website and fax it or mail it to our office. To print out the NRCSA Registration on-line form, click here. When you complete the form, please fax or mail it to NRCSA at:

Fax: [phone]

Mailing Address: NRCSA, Box 1393, Milwaukee WI, 53201, USA

OR

3. You can contact NRCSA and we'll fax or mail you a form. To receive a NRCSA Preregistration Form by fax or by mail, please contact us at:

E-mail: [email protected]

Telephone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Mailing Address: NRCSA, Box 1393, Milwaukee WI, 53201, USA

Special Note: For those planning to register and travel in groups of two(2) or more, please fill out and submit one(1) NRCSA Registration Form per person. Make sure to note in either the "Lodging" or the "Options" section the name(s) of the person(s) traveling with you. What happens after I submit my completed NRCSA Registration Form and $140 USD deposit? As soon as NRCSA receives your completed Registration Form and your $140 USD deposit we will contact the program that you have registered for and make a reservation for you. In about 48 hours we will receive a confirmation for your enrollment.*

At the time of confirmation we will send out your first packet of information which includes:

Acknowledgment Letter confirming your registration and deposit made.

NRCSA Invoice with the details of your program, the balance due and a due date.

NRCSA Planning Guide

Travel Insurance Benefits Schedule

If there are any problems or questions that arise during the processing of your registration, your Program Coordinator will contact you immediately. Those who have questions or concerns regarding the registration process are encouraged to contact NRCSA by telephone [phone]), fax [phone]) or e-mail. *Please note that registrations which included special requests or require special handling (i.e. Official Acceptance Letter from the program to get a visa, etc.) may take longer to confirm. What happens after I receive my first packet of information? Your first packet of information will include the NRCSA invoice for your program. It will reflect the $140 USD deposit that you have paid and will state the balance due with a due date. Please remit your balance due to arrive in our office on or before the due date stated on the invoice. NRCSA cannot release any departure information until the we have received the balance due payment in our office. What type of payment options do I have? Payment may be in one of the following ways:

US dollars drawn on a US bank

Credit card (American Express, Discover, Mastercard, VISA and their affiliates worldwide)

For deposit/registration fee of $140 USD

For late fee of $40 (where applicable)

Wire (Bank Transfer)

Add $35 USD Bank Fee if paying by wire (bank transfer).

Wire funds to: Mibar Ltd F/B/O National Registration Center for Study Abroad (NRCSA) Account 19197794 M&I Bank, Swift Code MARLUS 44, ABA Routing 075000051 Address: 770 N. Water St, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA

The student must have the bank that issues the wire (bank transfer) fax a detailed receipt to NRCSA at 1-414-271-8884.

Personal or business checks drawn on banks in the these countries in these currencies: Australia - dollar Austria - euros Belgium - euros Britain - pound Canada - dollar Denmark - krone Finland - euros France - euros Germany - euros Hong Kong - dollar Ireland - euros Italy - euros Japan - yen Netherlands - euros New Zealand - dollar Norway - krone Portugal - euros Singapore - dollar South Africa - rand Spain - euros Sweden - krona Switzerland - franc Thailand - baht EXAMPLE: The National Registration Center for Study Abroad (NRCSA) can accept a franc check drawn on a Swiss bank (not a USD check drawn on a Swiss bank). For amount in local currency equivalent to the USD amount being paid, use the international bankers rate for that day plus 3% for exchange conversion. (The ‘bankers rate’ is based on transactions of $100,000 and presumably your check is for less than that amount, and there is an inter-bank collection cost.). For the bankers rate, see the web site of any major international bank, or call your local bank. Enclose a note specifying the rate of exchange you used and the date on which you obtained that rate.

What happens after I pay my balance due? After NRCSA receives your balance due payment, we will mail you your departure packet.*

The departure packet includes:

NRCSA "Departure Memo" with the study program contact name(s), address and contact numbers.

NRCSA Student Voucher, which must be presented to the director of the program upon arrival.

Your accommodation information.**

NRCSA "Know Before You Go" information sheets with specific information about the program and the area to which you are traveling.

NRCSA City Information sheets

NRCSA Country and City Maps

NRCSA Evaluation Form

* Departure information can be sent via fax or e-mail upon request of the student.

** Most accommodation information is received by NRCSA approximately 7 to 14 days prior to the student's departure date. If we have not yet received the accommodation address upon receipt of your balance due payment, it will be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to you as soon as it is received.

What are the conditions and restrictions when I register for a NRCSA study abroad program? When you register for a NRCSA study abroad program, the following conditions and restrictions apply:

CHANGE FEES of at least $35 apply for each change you make and some "changes" may result in cancellation fees.

CANCELLATIONS are effective the day received in writing by NRCSA in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. All payments less $140 per program fully refundable up to 60 days prior to departure. For cancellations within 60 days of departure, $250 per person is non refundable; within 40 days of departure, less 50% of program cost or $300 per person (whichever is greater); within 14 days of departure, 100% of program cost is non refundable. Airline cancellation penalties, if any, are in addition to those outlined above. Cancellation penalties are per person, per program. Medical, baggage (above that included) and cancellation insurance is strongly recommended. Attach a note if you have a medical condition or Rx which the study abroad program should know about.

CONDITIONS: Each institution listed herein is independent of the National Registration Center for Study Abroad (hereinafter referred to as NRCSA), controls, and will periodically make changes in the program. Classes may fill, be changed, or dropped by the sponsoring academic institutions. NRCSA is a division of Mibar Ltd. and not responsible for these changes or other actions beyond its control such as strikes, postal delays or loss, mechanical breakdowns, weather, government actions, delay or acts/omissions of suppliers. NRCSA may make changes or substitutions or cancel any program. In the event of entire program cancellation by NRCSA, liability is limited to refunding all monies paid for said program. Passengers electing not to use portions of a program shall not be entitled to a refund. No agent or representative of NRCSA shall have the right to alter the provisions listed herein. Costs based on tariffs and exchange rates effective the date of printing of this material, and are subject to change. Additional costs resulting from such change will be paid by the participant. Registrations are valid when accepted by NRCSA in Milwaukee. Any ARC or IATA airline may be used. Airlines are not responsible for acts, omission or event when you are not on board the aircraft. The passage contract used by the airline, when issued is the sole agreement between it and you. Photographs of or statements by participants may be used by NRCSA. NRCSA, group leaders or foreign coordinators, at their discretion, may get medical assistance for participants, or place them in a hospital, or fly them back to the U.S. for medical treatment. All costs related to medical treatment or evacuation will be paid by the participant. As visitors you are expected to adhere to foreign rules and customs. If the foreign staff feels you are not adhering to these rules and customs, your participation in the program shall terminate immediately without refund whatsoever.

NOTE: Classes canceled in honor of local holidays are not made up. Foreign Language schools use placement tests. If there is no group at your level, tutorial classes may be substituted with fewer hours per week.

What travel documents do I need? The travel documents you will need depend on four major factors:

The country in which you hold citizenship.

The country you plan to travel to.

The duration of your study program.

Your age.

The sections below have detailed information that discusses these issues, so please read on.

What travel documents do I need if I am a U.S. Citizen 18 years or older? It depends on what country you're planning to travel to:

Note: Most countries require “evidence of sufficient funds for your length of stay” and a return or continuing air ticket.

[nrcsa-blog]

Night shot taken in Chania, Greece.