Here at Abbey Road Programs, we believe in harnessing international travel as a tool for education. But what’s more, we believe that international travel at a young age can provide a myriad of benefits. From mastering a foreign language to boosting your résumé for submission to colleges and employers, the choice to study abroad in high school can lead to some pretty great things! We present you a short list of some of those benefits to think about as you consider studying abroad:

1. Experiencing a Foreign Culture First Hand: You’ve seen the photos, you’ve read the books, you’ve added destinations to your bucket list… But all of that pales in comparison to actually getting out there and visiting a foreign country. Reading about Spanish tapas and bullfighting is sure to get your imagination working, but actually being in Spain and eating tortilla Española while you converse with locals en Español is really something that must be done to be fully understood. Choosing to study abroad will give you those experiences and allow you to broaden your worldview through hands-on learning and cultural immersion. Plus, learning to communicate across cultures is becoming very important. It’s a skill everyone should have, and studying abroad is one of the best ways to develop it.

2. Improving (or Learning) a Language: As years go by, the world seems to be getting smaller and smaller. With technological advances, we’re becoming even more like a single world community, so speaking multiple languages is definitely a plus! Studying abroad and immersing yourself in your target language’s home country is the best way to truly learn and retain a foreign language. Why sit in front of a computer screen and study French when you can walk through the famed streets of Paris and parler français as the Parisians do?!

3. Becoming More Independent: Getting out of the house for a while will certainly be fun, but beyond that, it’ll be a learning and growing experience. Mom won’t be there to do your laundry or help you manage your spending money, so it’ll be up to you! Of course, you’ll have counselors, teachers, and program directors there to help and guide you, but you’ll have a lot of independence in terms of handling your responsibilities. Studying abroad is a great way to kick start your independence and get a sneak peak of what it’ll be like to live as a college student.

4. Building Your Résumé: Colleges, and employers for that matter, are always looking for educated, well-rounded individuals. Adding a line to your résumé about a study abroad program you participated in will certainly indicate that you are not only educated, but well-rounded, too! It could just be the thing that sets you apart from the other applicants, so get out there and study abroad!

5. Creating Lifelong Friendships: The people you travel and live with abroad are likely to become some of your best friends. Experiencing a foreign country and a new culture together can be an extremely bonding experience, and you’ll likely come away from your trip with new friendships that will last you a lifetime. You’re even likely to make friends from your host country, a phenomenon that is quite rewarding!

There’s no place on Earth quite like Venice… 118 islands, close to 200 canals, and over 400 bridges make the labyrinthine city one of the most exciting places in the world to explore. The Grand Canal, the Bridge of Sighs, Saint Mark’s Basilica, the Rialto Bridge, and the Doge’s Palace are just a few of the more notable things to see during your visit to La Serenissima. But the small lagoon city can also become quite a tourist trap. So once you’ve seen the famous sites (and taken a gondola ride, of course), try to escape the crowds and see some parts of Venice many don’t. Here are some tips for places to go:

• San Zaccaria: This 9th century church named for Saint Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, is located in a quiet square just to the southeast of Saint Mark’s Basilica. Said to be the final resting place of John the Baptist himself, the church also boasts one of the oldest clock towers in Venice andhouses the remains of eight of Venice’s doges (magistrates) among other famous Venetians. In addition, the walls are covered in paintings by famous artists including Giovanni Bellini, Tintoretto, Angelo Trevisani, and Van Dyck.

• Mask shops: As you walk along the canals, you’re sure to see a plethora of shops and kiosks vending authentic Venetian carnival masks. And while you may be charmed by the intricately decorated beauties, hold off on purchasing one! There are shops buried within the city that sell unique, handmade leather masks that are much more worth your money. They may be a bit pricier, but the knowledge you now have a handmade mask unlike any other will probably be of comfort.

• Napoleonic Gardens: If you’re looking for a nice, quiet place to take a stroll or read a book, Venice can offer some wonderful gardens and green spaces. The Napoleonic Gardens, one of the city’s largest, located in the Castello neighborhood, feature moss-covered statues and busts of historic figures like Wagner and Verdi, tree-lined paths, and beautiful borders of flowers and greenery. What’s more, the gardens hold a bit of history: during Emperor Napoleon‘s reign, he decreed the gardens be created in 1812, thus giving them their current name.

• Casanova’s Birthplace and Home: Many notable historical figures have hailed from Venice, but one of the most recognizable personalities is none other than the infamous scholar, adventurer, and lover, Giacomo Casanova. Born to theater actors in 1725, Casanova found himself at a boarding schoolin Padua. Eventually he returned and his tumultuous life story carries on from there. You can find a plaque on Calle Malipiero marking his place of birth, and you can also visit the Palazzo Malipiero where he lived, studied, and socialized for a short time when he was a teenager.

• Lido: The Island of Lido is located across the lagoon from the main city of Venice. In July and August, it’s full of vacationing and sunbathing native Venetians, but otherwise, the island is practically deserted. You can walk the charming streets (which actually have cars unlike Venezia), shop, dine, and soak in the sights of this less visited section of the city. If you visit during the spring or summer, be sure to visit the sand dune beaches of Alberoni.

Thinking about Venice? Check out our summer programs in Italy!

Ah, Paris… The city of lights, the city of love, and the city of grand, but sometimes predictable, tourism. Chances are Paris is somewhere on your travel bucket list, and you probably have a list of at least five sights to see that most epitomize the city. Abbey Road Programs would like to present you with a short list of some attractions that may not be as famous and visited as the Eiffel Tower but are definitely worth a visit while you’re in Paris. Amusez-vous!

• Catacombes de Paris: Anyone interested in unconventional adventure and the somewhat macabre should be sure to stop by the Catacombs of Paris. Created in the late 18th century when cemeteries throughout the city began to overflow, the underground ossuary fills portions of the city’s old and abandoned stone quarries. It houses the remains of over six million people, some of whom were likely very important historical figures.

• “Space Invaders” Scavenger Hunt: While you’re out roaming the city’s beautiful streets, keep your eyes peeled for… aliens! Well, not real aliens, but mosaic art portraying alien characters from the 1980s hit video game “Space Invaders“. The artistic oddities have been installed in various locations around the city since 1998 by the aptly named French urban artist, Invader.

• Cimetière du Père Lachaise: History, music, and literature fans alike can find something of interest in Paris’ largest cemetery. Established in 1804 by then new Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, Père Lachaise is the final resting place for more than one million people in burial sites ranging from simple headstones to ornate and decorative crypts. Among the famous departed buried in the cemetery are Irish writer Oscar Wilde, Polish composer and pianist Fryderyk Chopin, American rocker Jim Morrison, French singer Édith Piaf, France’s 12th century forbidden lovers Abelard and Héloïse, and famed French essayist Marcel Proust.

• Versailles Musical Gardens: The palace of Versailles and its surrounding grounds are a must see. But after you’ve taken your tour of the Hall of Mirrors, roam the gardens as classical music from the era of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette fills your ears. To catch the musical gardens, you’ll have to visit the palace on a Tuesday between April and October.

While you have Paris on the brain, check out Abbey Road Programs’ great summer opportunities in France!

Here at Abbey Road Programs, we prize quality education and encourage our students to prepare for and pursue a college education. An important step in that preparation is taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which requires a lot of preparation itself. So how can you master the SAT? It may take some work, but it’s fairly easy! Here are a few tips from Abbey Road:

1. Start Early: The sooner you begin familiarizing yourself with the SAT, the better chances you’ll have of doing well on the test. You won’t have to worry about cramming or stressing about retaining information at the last moment. Sophomore year is a good time to start, either by taking an SAT prep. course offered by Abbey Road Programs, your high school, or another organization or by independently studying using an SAT preparation book. You can also take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which can give you a good idea of what to expect on the SAT and where you rank compared to other students nationally.
2. Know Your Options: Contrary to popular belief, most colleges and universities now accept SAT or ACT scores. So which one should you take? Well that depends on your strengths. The SAT tends to emphasize vocabulary, so if you love words and reading, it’s the way to go. If you tend to do better in math, you may want to look into the ACT, which places less emphasis on vocabulary. That said, be aware that ACT math is more advanced and will test all the way up to trigonometry. The ACT also has a science section – the SAT does not. There are some other key differences, but these details may give you a good idea of which test you’ll be better suited to take.
3. Know the Test: While the SAT will certainly be challenging, there is a strategy to taking it. First and foremost, know the format and details.

   • Format: The test contains 3 hours 45 minutes of timed sections, but is likely to last four to four and a half hours including administration time.
   • Sections: The SAT is about composed of three main sections (Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing) divided into nine subsections, plus one experimental subsection that will not count toward your overall score (200 to 800 points are possible for each section, for a total possible score of 2400). The subject matter of each subsection will not be presented in order! In other words, you may encounter a math subsection, followed by a reading subsection, followed by another reading subsection, or something different entirely. There’s no way to predict the order in which the sections fall, with the exception of the essay, which will come first. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect for each of the main sections:

     • Critical Reading: 70 minutes total. Two 25-minute subsections and one 20-minute subsection, with varying types of questions, including sentence completions that test your vocabulary and questions about short and long reading passages that test your reading comprehension.
     • Math: 70 minutes total. One 25-minute multiple choice subsection with 20 questions; another 25-minute subsection containing 8 multiple choice questions and 10 grid-in questions that require test-takers write their answers inside a grid on the answer sheet. One 20-minute multiple choice section with 16 questions.
     • Writing: 60 minutes total. One 25-minute essay subsection graded on a scale of 1-6; two multiple choice subsections (one lasting 25 minutes, the other 10) that test you on sentence error detection and improving paragraphs.
     • Experimental: 25 minutes total. One of the subjects will have a fourth, unscored subsection, but because College Board wants to get an accurate idea of how well you do on the experimental portion, you will not be able to tell which one it is. It could fall under any of the three main sections and come at any time during the test (except the essay), so try your best on all ten subsections.
   • Question Difficulty: There are three levels of difficulty for questions: easy, medium and hard. The questions in the first third of each section are easy, those in the second third are medium, and the last third are hard (Reading comprehension questions will not follow this pattern).
   • Scoring: You receive one point for each correct answer in multiple choice sections. One quarter of a point is deducted for each incorrect answer, but there is no penalty for leaving a question blank. This means you should be able to make a very educated guess if you’re having trouble on a multiple choice question. Otherwise, leave it blank. Unlike multiple choice questions, there is no penalty for incorrect answers on grid-in questions because the test-taker is not limited to a few possible choices, so if you’re crunched for time, you can make a guess without it affecting you negatively. These points (including your essay score) will be added up to make a “raw score”, which will later be converted to your individual section scores.

4. Study, But Don’t Stress: Studying doesn’t have to be a soul-draining experience. Do be diligent in your studies and test preparation, but make sure you remember to give yourself a break! You should not spend the month before the test locked in your room, pouring over test prep. books and cramming. Schedule time to study, but give yourself breaks, get outside, and have fun, too.
5. Rest, Eat, Breathe, Relax: Make sure you get plenty of sleep the few nights before the test. Don’t cram the night before the test! If you haven’t retained concepts before this point, you’re not likely to absorb them so close to the test. You may want to have a light review of vocabulary and math concepts, but frantically studying probably won’t help you. Eat a balanced breakfast the morning of the test, and make sure you use the restroom before the test begins, or you’ll have to wait for designated break times (you will have three 5-minute breaks during which time you may use the rest room and consume snacks and beverages). Make sure you relax and stay calm during the test. If something goes horribly wrong during the test, you can always cancel your scores. But remember there are only a certain number of tests offered each year, so it’s good to make each time you take the test count.
6. Pace Yourself: Every question on the test is worth the same amount (one point), so spend your time making sure you get the easy and medium questions correct and save hard questions for last. Rushing through the test to get to the hardest questions will likely drag your score down.

The 85th Academy Awards are upon us! Sure, the glitz and glam of red carpet coverage is fun to watch, but behind the designer bags and gowns are actors, directors, casts, and crews of people who’ve worked hard to create the sort of films they hope will become embedded in our memories as truly great. While the Oscars are thought of as a Hollywood institution, a rich history of foreign films exists within the tradition.

When the first Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1929, there was no separate category to recognize foreign language films. The Academy did issue honorary Oscars to foreign language films between 1947 and 1955, but they weren’t given out every year, and they weren’t competitive (only one film was honored). It wasn’t until the 29th Academy Awards in 1957 that a competitive, annual category, Best Foreign Language Film, was created to honor non-English speaking films. Since 1947, there have been 64 Oscars presented to honor foreign films, 51 of which that have gone to European films (Italy holds the record with 10 awards, 3 special awards, and 27 nominations).

Outside the Best Foreign Language Film category, many foreign films have risen to critical acclaim, including last year’s winner for Best Picture, The Artist, which was financed by France. But while that may be true, non-English speaking films aren’t often considered for Best Picture – only nine have been nominated to date. In fact, one of the nine, Austria’s French language film Amour, was nominated this year and won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film. Additionally, only twelve films financed outside the U.S. have won Best Picture, eleven of which were funded at least in part by the United Kingdom.

Films aside, many award-nominated and winning actors and actresses hail from countries outside the U.S. The 80th Academy Awards ceremony was a big one for foreign acting – all four of the major acting awards went to foreign actors and actresses.  Marion Cotillard of France won Best Actress for her portrayal of Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose; English actor Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor for his work in There Will Be Blood; Javier Bardem of Spain was awarded Best Supporting Actor for his role in No Country for Old Men; and British actress Tilda Swinton snagged the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in Michael Clayton.

Foreign language performances have also been recognized in the Academy Awards since 1961. Up to this year’s awards, 28 actors and actresses have been nominated for Oscars for foreign language performances. Eight of them have won, and five have received multiple nominations. Recent winners include Christoph Waltz and Penélope Cruz for supporting roles, and the aforementioned Marion Cotillard for Best Actress. This year, Emmanuelle Riva is nominated for Best Actress for her performance in Best Picture-nominated Amour, so the upcoming ceremony could be another big year for foreign films and actors!

What’s your favorite foreign film?