The Secrets of Studying Abroad

[Andrew Fletcher]

On Janurary 1st, I will be flying to Glasgow, Scotland for a semester abroad. I'm 20, don't have a serious girlfriend, and will have a deccent amount of money to blow. I've already connected with a few OOT's over there and it's clear I'm going to have the time of my life. I want to maximize all the possibities of fun, so I'm turning to OOT for nuggets of wisdom. Here is my plan thus far:

1) Drink a new kind of beer every day.
2) Try to visit a new country every weekend.
3) Travel with good friends who are studying abroad, but try to make as many new friends from different countries as possible.
4)Listen to what people think about Americans, rather then tell them anything about America.
5) Have a rough budget and try to stick to it (I'll have about 7k for travel and fun, not including tuition and accomidations)

What else should be in my plan? Obviously I'm going to try to get in bar fights and have sex with Scottish chicks.

[irishpint]

I spent about 8k in England last semester and I wasn't even in London. I'd say be sure to visit the smaller towns/areas- not just the large cities (a city is a city). Take lots of trips. Also, as we learned don't get on a train anywhere unless you're drunk or brought something with you to drink, it just doesn't make sense to not be drunk if you could be.

[MarkL444]

you should probably know that scottish chicks arent hot.

[jackdaniels]

I've been to Glasgow. Great beer, crappy food. Expect to lose weight.

[Andrew Fletcher]

I lost like 30 lbs in the last few months to increase my chances with the ladies. I'm less about the food and more about the girls.

[Andrew Fletcher]

So you're saying that I should focus on banging the other internationals at my university? That seems sort of lame.

I guess the choice is:
1) Sacrifice quality for the international experiance?
2) Or just go for hottness, regardless of nationality?

[Andrew Fletcher]

Did you spend 8k on housing and tuition, or just on booze and fun? Damn, that's a lot of money.

[irishpint]

[ QUOTE ]
So you're saying that I should focus on banging the other internationals at my university? That seems sort of lame.

I guess the choice is:
1) Sacrifice quality for the international experiance?
2) Or just go for hottness, regardless of nationality?

[/ QUOTE ]

My first month in England I only hooked up with 3 American Students who were there. After an initial shock and a few pints they'll look better. And just something about nabing international girls makes it exciting!!

[Andrew Fletcher]

Right, it's cooler to bang some international girls than go to another country and [censored] american chicks. This ain't spring break.

[irishpint]

[ QUOTE ]
Did you spend 8k on housing and tuition, or just on booze and fun? Damn, that's a lot of money.

[/ QUOTE ]

I spent a lot of time traveling, plus the dollar=dick.
And drinking is expensive. Do the math...a pint'll cost you around 3-4 pounds we'll say. That's like $7.

[mmbt0ne]

[ QUOTE ]
Obviously I'm going to try to get in bar fights and have sex with Scottish chicks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe you could move up to getting into bar fights with men by the end of your trip.

[whiskeytown]

just reading this makes me want to go back to college.

gl, bro.

RB

[Andrew Fletcher]

I'm trying to have fun, not get killed. Have you ever been in a Scottish bar fight?

[Andrew Fletcher]

The dollar is rising, thankfully.

Maybe I'll look into meeting a hot older women with a ton of cash. I'm also a lightweight when it comes to booze, so that's good.

[cdxx]

you should have a daily goal of reminding at least one man larger than yourself that you saved their butts in WWII, and that real men play american football, and not soccer.

you should make a lot of new friends.
good luck. study abroad sounds like fun.

[BottlesOf]

[ QUOTE ]
I've already connected with a few OOT's over there and it's clear I'm going to have the time of my life.

[/ QUOTE ]

If and when it goes south, I think we'll be able to pinpoint a possible explanation.

[KaneKungFu123]

catch a leprican

[Andrew Fletcher]

I like the second part, but not the first part. See my list of rules. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Andrew Fletcher]

As with all of Kane's posts, I'm never sure if his statements have some kind of deep meaning that I am missing. I guess I'll understand it when I move up from 10NL.

[Andrew Fletcher]

I think this entire trip is going to be amazing.

Obviously, OOTer's are more than welcome to come visit.

[Andrew Fletcher]

If OOT's is at least partially responsible for getting me locked in a Turkish prison, I expect OOT to come and get me out.

[Yeti]

[ QUOTE ]
On Janurary 1st, I will be flying to Glasgow, Scotland

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
it's clear I'm going to have the time of my life.

[/ QUOTE ]

hahahahahaa!

[Yeti]

[ QUOTE ]
..a pint'll cost you around 3-4 pounds we'll say.

[/ QUOTE ]

Huh?

[man]

[ QUOTE ]
it just doesn't make sense to not be drunk if you could be.

[/ QUOTE ]
this is perhaps the best advice I have ever heard in my entire life.

[Andrew Fletcher]

Does that seem to high or too low? Aren't you British? Let's here it directly from the source.

[Andrew Fletcher]

Snob. Who do you think you are, Sam Johnson?

[Yeti]

I stayed in Edinburgh for a year which is a pretty expensive city. I recall paying £2.75, maybe £3 tops. £4 seems very high.

[Andrew Fletcher]

Glasgow is sort of a slum, from what I can tell. That's cool, I'm from Philadelphia. I wouldn't know what to do in a place that didn't smell like piss all the time.

[1800GAMBLER]

It's nice to have a plan but no way are you keeping to that. After 7 days you will have drank every type of beer. Sorry to burst your bubble but we have the same beer you do, welcome to american culture taking over.

Anyway, just be sure to visit amsterdam.

and don't be a typical american with loud clothes on and a loud mouth and a 'i'm here' attitude, master that then banging scottish chics should be easy.

[Andrew Fletcher]

See my list of rules. I have no plans to be a typical American idiot, because I doubt I'll learn a ton that way.

[Riverman]

The women there are shockingly ugly, but slutty. I would take many cheap trips to other countries that have hot sluts as opposed to ugly ones- spain and iceland are supposed to have the finest selection

[Yeti]

[ QUOTE ]

and don't be a typical american with loud clothes on and a loud mouth and a 'i'm here' attitude

[/ QUOTE ]

[1800GAMBLER]

[ QUOTE ]
See my list of rules. I have no plans to be a typical American idiot, because I doubt I'll learn a ton that way.

[/ QUOTE ]

When we were in amsterdam last time we met a guy called Lane, from Boston, because me and my friend were laughing at a hooker in a window and he was too. After that we spoke, smoked some weed together, he told us of the cities he's travelling and the british girls he's banging mostly because of his accent etc. He was too shy to ask a hooker how much for the old in and out so we did, then off he went in with her. He met us 15 minutes later (the time limit for being with a hooker), said bye then went to meet up with some american girls who he knew that were also visiting amsterdam. That seems like it should be your plan.

[Andrew Fletcher]

I've had a lot of random sex in the past two years, and I'm obviously open to more. However, I'd also sort of like to meet a nice girl and just be with her for a few months. As one of my buddies said, "You're in a place in your live where you just want to have a lot of sex with the same person." Obviously it's deeper than sex, I want some of the stuff that comes along with those sorts of relationships.

I'm not saying that I'm going into this thing looking for a serious relationship, but I'm also open to it. I'm pretty much open to anything and everything happening. As for hookers, I don't know about that...

[Andrew Fletcher]

I hear Iceland is pretty cool. Plus it's a social democracy so if I catch something it'll be easy to get some healthcare.

[mushi]

I think scotish accent when spoken by a girl is very very sexy the problem is understanding it /images/graemlins/wink.gif

mushi /images/graemlins/spade.gif /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[Andrew Fletcher]

Why do you have to understand them?

[MaxPower]

Don't neglect the American girls. You will probably meet more there than you do here. They will also be more likely to talk/hang out with you just because you are a fellow American.

Try to go to class as little as possible. When I studies in London I scheduled all my classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. Nothing like a 5 day weekend.

[Andrew Fletcher]

Maybe this requires another thread, but it's time to turn to the favorite topic of OOT: sex and dating!

Background: I was in a serious, non-mongamous, long distance relationship for about a year and a half. It was pretty messed up, because both her and I were going through rough times. We're still friends, but I think we're both totally different people now. Anyway, we broke up and I proceeded to have sex with a lot of random girls at my college. I'm not trying to brag, just give a picture of my current mental state. Since that messed up girl, I haven't been in a serious relationship. I've never been in a serious relationship with someone who was at the same physical place as me.

What do you guys think about meeting someone while studying abroad? Pros/Cons? I have always frowned upon people who get into serious relationships while studying abroad, but I'm starting to reconsider. It seems like all of this could be more fun with a partner in crime that I get to cuddle with at the end of the night. A lot of crazy [censored] will be happening, it might be nice to have a constant.

Of course, she'd have to be cool as hell. I'm not going to date some girl just for the sake of dating a girl. But I think there will be a lot of cool people, as there are everywhere. Thoughts?

[RunDownHouse]

I was in a monogamous reltionship when I went to Germany for over 6 months. Its really, really hard, and I don't know if it was really worth it, even though I'm still with her and we've lived together for over 2 years now.

I wouldn't really recommend it unless you're serious enough to contemplate marriage.

[Andrew Fletcher]

I'm more talking about meeting someone while I am over there and getting serious. Focusing on finding one girl who is cool instead of [censored] a bunch of random people.

Obviously, there would be some issues when our time abroad was over, but we could figure that out when the time comes.

[BUD]

Make friends with as many locals and international students as you can. This way when you visit new places you will get the fun tour, from someone who knows. Visiting new places is much more fun with a local rather than the touristy route. Btw i found most girls who are out of their home country are easier to get in the sack, so enjoy the cultural diversity.
bud

[slickpoppa]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm more talking about meeting someone while I am over there and getting serious. Focusing on finding one girl who is cool instead of [censored] a bunch of random people.

Obviously, there would be some issues when our time abroad was over, but we could figure that out when the time comes.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats a terrible idea. You have everything ass backwards. Going abroad is about banging random girls. there will be plenty of time for settiling down when you get back.

[Shilly]

Hear All About my Semester Abroad! (http://www.thephatphree.com/features.asp?StoryID=1728&SectionID=11&LayoutType= 1&StoryMonth=12&StoryYear=2005)

[Georgia Avenue]

waxie,

Your list looks good. But, please don't hesitate to correct people's misunderstandings about the USA. It's one thing to listen to valid critiques without getting a big flagpole up yr arse, but that doesn't mean you have to agree with anything vitriolic or fallacious just because you’re trying to be polite. It’s perfectly OK to say to someone, “Well, actually not all American cities are full of drugged-up gang wars and burning cars like in Escape from New York” or “Actually, they’re called the AFL_CIO and they’re just a labor organization, not a secret society of torture experts…” There are bigoted xenophobes in Europe too, and I’d certainly want a French person in this country (US) to say to me, “Dude, you don’t know what you’re talking about…France isn’t like that, it’s like this etc.” In fact, I have had a French guy say that to me, and it led to one of the most eye opening and honest conversations I’ve ever had. Then we made sweet French love. Sweet sweet love…


Love it or Leave it to Beaver,
--GA

[Emmitt2222]

Just dont go too many places. A new country every weekend works well, but I suggest not traveling to too many different places in that city. You can get burned out fast traveling too much. Also, in general it is good to meet girls, but not to travel for long periods of time with them; almost all the guys I was with over there learned that eventually. The two good things to always have are a camera to remember everything and an ipod for long trips.

[kipin]

My experience in meeting American students who study abroad in Europe has led me to believe that the majority of young Americans are babies who have no direction of their own and wish to have someone hold their hand in everything they do.

I hope you do not fit into this category!

Have fun, Scotland looks like an amazing country, it is somewhere I really want to go to.

If you are into Music at all I'd recommend checking out Vienna, great city. Also if you want to find the hottest broads, head to Sweden. Tall, blonde, blue-eyed goddesses.

[kipin]

[ QUOTE ]
The two good things to always have are a camera to remember everything and an ipod for long trips.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with the camera, but disagree about the ipod. The ipod shuts you out from people. If you do bring a portable music player I would only use it when you are in your own room, or traveling on a train or plane where there is no one interesting to talk to.

I wouldn't recommend wearing the ipod around the hostel, that is a great way to meet no one.

[kipin]

[ QUOTE ]
I hear Iceland is pretty cool. Plus it's a social democracy so if I catch something it'll be easy to get some healthcare.

[/ QUOTE ]

Iceland is very cool if you are into nature, but it is the most expensive place I have ever been. Just to give you an idea, the sub on special at Subway cost about $14, that was just the sub. Also the best way to get around and see stuff there is to rent a car, also not cheap. It cost me and two guys $150 to rent the smallest car they had for a day.

Also, the girls are much hotter in Sweden, and more plentiful.

[CamelZoo]

don't get into a relationship abroad unless you somehow meet the girls of your dreams. meet int'l girls, american girls abroad, and feel free to hook up, have fun, etc. best case scenario is meeting cool int'l chicks and having an 'in' whenever you go out with them and so you get to chill with cool chicks, and sample their culture a bit. e.g. friend & i post-college trip, traveling to mykonos, meet hottie on ferry, get invited to ikaria for weekend, etc. and as far as american girls, feel free to hook up, and get their emails/keep on good terms so when you come back to states you have extra break destinations, so you can visit them and crash at their school (e.g. girls from usc, miami, etc are a bonus) and meet all their hot friends.

do not get into a relationship abroad.

[Andrew Fletcher]

I crave Scottish punk.

I am a very directed guy and I have no interest in being led around like a spoiled brat. I got my own plans.

[Andrew Fletcher]

This is golden. Kipin, I need to hire you as a personal study abroad consultant.

[Andrew Fletcher]

I mean, if I know about this I can take steps to avoid it. I'm not going to be obsessed with the iPod, but I will want to shut out the people around me sometimes. In crowded train stations, for example. Obviously I want to meet people, but there will be times when I just need to zone.

[Andrew Fletcher]

That's a lot of dough. I think you got ripped off.