Avoiding Air Travel Woes

April 26, 2010 Nadine Leave a comment

Ryan Adkins, Spring Intern with Forum-Nexus Study Abroad. Looking forward
to his travels this summer in South Africa, here are some ways to stay healthy on the plane.

Most of us will be spending a full day on an airplane traveling to our international destinations, which means plenty of sitting and close congestion with others. Here are some tips on how to sustain wellness in the air.

Ear Pressure

Everyone experiences the popping of their ear drums while up in the air. To minimize the discomfort of pressure building in your ears, here’s how to make them pop: Pinch your nostrils closed and inhale deeply. Then exhale through your nose, blowing out in short, firm bursts until you feel your ears pop. Yawning, drinking liquids, and chewing gum also help.

Jet Lag

Grogginess and sleep deprivation are no fun once you arrive in your new city, here are some tips to combat Jet Lag:

Adjust your sleeping and eating patterns to the new time zone a couple days before your flight–usually one day per time zone.
Drink plenty of fluids, keeping yourself as hydrated as possible. While trying to knock yourself out with a couple glasses of wine or wake yourself up with coffee may seem like good ideas while flying, think again–alcohol and caffeine dehydrate the body, making your even more tired when you arrive at your destination.
If it’s daytime in your destination, take a walk after you get settled. The exercise will stimulate your body and help convince it to stop producing sleep-inducing hormones.

Keeping the Juices Flowing

Travelling in such cramped conditions for several hours is terrible for your circulation, and can cause swollen ankles and muscle cramps. To avoid such extreme measures, here are some helpful hints on how to keep your blood pumping solidly throughout the flight:

Wear slippers or no shoes at all–not only will freeing your feet increase your comfort, but also circulation in your feet.
Take frequent walks up and down the aisles.
Try to keep your legs elevated while sitting.
Drink lots of water and avoid caffeine and alcohol.
Practicing some in-seat exercises several times an hour will help–flex and point your feet, do round-the-clock ankle rotations, move your legs in stair master motions, or practice seated knee lifts.
Doing a bit of stretching also does wonders for your circulation, as well as the nasty cricks you might develop from sitting for so long.
Aspirin helps to thin the blood.

Ryan Adkins For more visit http://dest.travelocity.com/Tips/Item/0,3295,215_AOLSVC,00.html

Travel Tips for Europe

Ready to go? Here are some helpful hints with packing and traveling…

April 24, 2010 Nadine Leave a comment

Guest posting: from Amy Pace, Spring Intern with Forum-Nexus Study Abroad.

Hey there traveler’s looking to start packing but don’t have a clue where to start? Here are a few essentials and recommendations to get you started!

1. Securities and Keeping Details Safe

Scan your passport, passport photos and paper tickets (if not the e type) in. Store this (in an email for e.g.) in your web based email account. You can also store the details of your emergency ‘lost card’ telephone numbers in your web based email account so you know whom to contact if your credit card or ATM card is lost or stolen. This way, even if you lose everything, you have immediate access your all-important information. You can even email the details page of your passport to the embassy or consulate when applying for a new one.

2. Split up your valuables

Split up your bank cards, cash, travelers’ checks and credit cards as much as possible in different pockets, your bags and wallet when packing. In case you do get robbed, at least you won’t be strapped for cash.

3. Nalgene/Small Bottles

Use nalgene/small bottles to pack toiletries and other small items. There are several sturdy and (very nearly) waterproof ones, with clear/see through ones being preferable (easier for security purposes post August 2006). You can also use small bottles to repack shampoo or lotions so that you don’t have to always carry a big bottle with you. This is especially useful if you normally take these items in your carry-on luggage, which as of early 2007 is much more restricted than before

4. Backpack Tips

When you are packing things into a backpack, place the lighter items at the bottom and the heavier ones on top. Your bag will feel lighter this way as the pack rests on your lower back. It is also smart to place the things you use the most on top. Dirty clothes are perfect to pack at the bottom of a backpack.

5. Plastic Bags

It is always handy to have a few plastic bags around certain items, especially toiletries. Not only does it counter any leaking, the bags can also come in useful to keep dirty clothes in, as garbage bags or even as a makeshift umbrella. Ziploc or other airtight plastic bags are the best.

6. Pack in Plastic

Pack everything in clear plastic bags (preferably zip lock), divided into items e.g. underwear, t-shirts, shorts etc. before packing in your suitcase or backpack. One plastic bag for each type of clothing. This is extremely useful in various ways. When you unpack your bag you just take out a series of bags and you can see immediately what you want. So an overnight stay somewhere just means taking 1 item out of a bag – no rummaging!! In addition, if you have to unpack at customs etc, instead of having to disgorge all your clothing etc out in front of everybody, you can calmly take maybe 5/6 bags out, the contents of which can be clearly seen by the officials. To repack then is also dead easy. Just be sure not to leave your plastic bags lying around if you are travelling in nature!

7. Clothes

Pack only what you know you will use and if you are travelling for more than three weeks, plan to wash on the road.

8. Separate Beach Bag

When packing to head to the beach consider pre-packing whatever you might need at the beach into a beach bag inside your backpack or suitcase.

9. Suitcase lovers

For those using suitcases without a divider. A piece of cardboard makes an excellent divider and helps keep your clothes organized and neat, as you are able to lay them out flat on the cardboard. It also makes airport inspections a lot less of a hassle as you can lift out your divider with clothes on top easily.

10. Flashlights or Torches

When packing a flashlight or torch (or any other item with batteries for that matter), turn the batteries around so that if the item is accidentally turned on, you won’t empty the batteries. Don’t forget to turn the batteries back around when using the flashlight.

11. Shoes

If you want to make sure everything else in your bags stays clean and odor free, place the shoes inside old socks and then inside airtight plastic bags (Ziploc).

12. Carry-On

Keep any medication and important papers in your carry-on bag. On long flights with multiple stopovers, packing a fresh change of clothes is a good idea as bags tend to get delayed or lost on long haul, multiple stop flights. You don’t want to end up stuck without medication, clothes or your important papers even if it is just for a few days.

13. Roll Technique

Somehow it seems that bags will hold more if the clothes are rolled rather than folded. If you roll in tissue paper, the clothes will also get less wrinkled.

14. Traveling to warm destinations?

If you appreciate cold drinks think of using a six-pack cooler as a toiletry bag. Once you arrive at your destination and unload your toiletries your ‘toiletry bag’ guarantees cheap cold drinks on the beach, no matter how remote.

15. Minimize on toiletries

Take only half a tube of toothpaste rolled up tight, store shampoo in small containers, only take half a roll of toilet paper (for emergencies only) and crush it so the middle is folded.

16. Take solid shampoo bars and tooth powder

Solid shampoo bars and tooth powder (instead of tooth paste) can be easily located on the Internet and make carry-on travel in this age of liquid restriction possible. Places like Beijing now bar all liquids in carry-on bags, and you’ll still be able to breeze through without checking.

Hope this helps for your next forum-nexus trip!

Source: http://www.travellerspoint.com/packing-tips.cfm

Academic and Professional Benefits, Explore European Cultures, Firms and Organizations Visited, The Forum-Nexus Experience

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Sponsoring University of Forum-Nexus)

April 23, 2010 Nadine Leave a comment

Guest posting: from Larif Hamm, Spring Intern with Forum-Nexus Study Abroad.

Forum-Nexus students will have the opportunity to take classes on the beautiful campus of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore ( The Catholic University of the Sacred Heart). Here are some brief facts about this prestige university.

The Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (The Catholic University of the Sacred Heart) is a university located in Milan, Italy. It was founded in 1921. Forum-Nexus programs are co-sponsored by this university. The Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is the biggest private university in Europe. The university has a beautiful historic campus that is housed in the buildings of a 14th century monastery.

The campus offers a complete range of services, and all which share a common goal: meeting the needs of a large student population. The campus may best be described as “a city within the city”, where finding your way and learning the ropes is easy thanks to effective tutoring services and competent academic advisors and coordinators.

I am looking forward to taking classes at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart.

For more information about The Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, visit http://www3.unicatt.it

By: Larif Hamm

Academic and Professional Benefits, Firms and Organizations Visited, Study Abroad, The Forum-Nexus Experience

Forum-Nexus Students’ Testimonials

February 18, 2010 Nadine Leave a comment

Student Testimonials and Excerpts from Course Evaluations

“Forum-Nexus was a once in a lifetime experience. The professors were more than qualified to teach the courses and the atmosphere for learning couldn’t have been better. I have never been to Europe before so this was all new for me. I met so many different people and created long lasting bonds with them that I really appreciate. The classes were better than normal classes at my university because they were smaller and more intimate which allows for so much more learning and understanding of the subject. The professors were great in and outside of the classes; we could be at dinner discussing how we are seeing first hand what we learned in class. Also, they all have such diverse and business-filled backgrounds it is an opportunity to get to know them individually, learn from their past experiences and take advice from them for my own future career. Company visits were extremely interesting to see how the material applies to real businesses. This is more important than knowing the class material alone. The hotels were great. The cities were amazing. I am definitely coming back! Every student needs to experience a program like this, it will open their eyes to a whole new world and they will learn more in these short weeks than they could ever possibly learn in a semester in a classroom.”

Christina Gambino, Junior, Entrepreneurship and Music,

Baruch College, City University of New York

“I enjoyed Forum Europe even more than I thought I would, it is truly too good to be true! Being able to travel to all these countries in 4 weeks is an amazing experience. Not only that but our visits to these cities were a lot different than my regular travel experiences; it got me a lot more mindful and opened my eyes to a lot of different things. What was also great was being able to see the topics you are studying being actually applied in real life and listening to speakers from prominent companies emphasizing them, it makes you understand and appreciate more the value of the knowledge you are gaining. The relationships I made on this trip are definitely something that I’ll cherish for a lifetime and it helped me erase a lot of shallow stereotypes that I had. I developed so much throughout this trip and I am so glad I participated! I would definitely advise anyone to go for it if they can!”

Menna Afifi, Business Senior,

American University in Cairo, Egypt

“I really liked the program, it’s a once in a lifetime experience. You not only get to visit some of the most important and exciting cities in the world but you also get in touch with so many businessmen and women who give their personal and professional opinions and views of what it’s like to work in some leading companies; being able to visit them and to see how they operate and succeed is something you could never do on your own. The hotels we stayed in were great, they are top class business hotels and if you had to stay in them on your own it would be virtually unaffordable. The classes were really good and the interaction with students from around the world was really the best part of the program, you learn a lot not just in the classes but also from talking to your classmates.”

Jenny Tanaka, International Relations,

Catholic University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

“I enjoyed participating in Forum-Nexus. I had the opportunity to learn a lot not only from the places I visited but also from the other students in the program. The Cross Cultural Communication class had a lot of intriguing material I will be able to apply to the rest of my life. I was very impressed with the international background of the students which was definitely one of the strong points of the program. I would most definitely recommend the program to other students!”

Christina Welch, Sophomore

Monterey Peninsula College, California

“The program, as the brochure promised, was really amazing! I learnt a lot from the other students because they came from different cultures and had different points of view about the world and about the concepts discussed in class. The classes were really good because the professors have inspiring worldwide professional and personal experiences that they can share with us. The cities and the professional visits were totally relevant because they were economic and cultural centers of each country. The Forum-Nexus environment was fun and friendly.”

Camila Luconi Viana, MBA Student, Finance

FGV Business School, Brazil

“It was an eventful, fast-paced experience. I enjoyed it! The classes were intense and challenging. I definitely learned a lot. The professors were laid back and awesome. I would recommend them to anyone. The company visits were great. The international background of the students helped us develop a better appreciation of other cultures. I would definitely recommend this program to any interested student.”

Molly Makor, MBA Student, Marketing

Texas Woman’s University, Dallas

“For me this was an experience of a lifetime, really one of a kind. I liked the way we mixed studies and cultural experiences, like trying to understand the way people behave in different countries. This helps develop your cultural tolerance and acquire an open-minded way of thinking. The best point of the program was the people, the students and the professors, we all learned a lot from each other. Also, the professional visits help you understand how countries and companies work in the real world. Overall it was a great experience for me. I have wonderful memories and I strongly recommend the program!”

Lilia Elizalde, Graduate, Food Engineering

Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico

“It was an amazing experience I’d like to repeat! I really loved it. I got to visit a lot of beautiful places and I enjoyed going out socially with a lot of new friends from many countries that will remain good friends in the future. I learned a lot of international finance and marketing and I learned to ski in Switzerland. I liked both of my classes; Peter and Brian were great professors! I learned about the risks of investing in foreign markets and about the influence of political and legal issues. In the professional visits I could see that what I was learning in class was actually applied by them in real situations. The cities we visited were wonderful and the hotels were very comfortable and had good food. I think that the program is a really good experience. I’ll tell my friends to come in the future and I myself would like to come back.”

Mateus Araujo Tajra, Business Junior

ESPM Business School, Sao Paulo, Brazil

“Forum-Nexus was beyond any expectation I had. I found the program online and after reading the itinerary I wrote an essay for the application immediately. I had never traveled internationally and I did not know anyone going which worried me a little (even though Dr H and I became phone/email buddies…). The day I reached Barcelona I was warmly greeted by the professors and student helpers. Everyone was so nice and I realized that everyone was in the same position as I was. After getting to know everyone and spending a lot of time with students from many different countries my International IQ skyrocketed! I learned so much from other students, the professors, the classes, the professional visits and from just traveling around. The professors were great and tons of fun…Each city was unique and had a lot of history and culture. The company visits covered many topics that we discussed in class such as planning, developing and marketing. The hotels were very nice and comfortable. The students were so nice, I now have good friends in Mexico, Brazil, Egypt and all over the US. I would highly recommend Forum-Nexus to any student interested in studying abroad. Studying in one foreign country is great but Forum-Nexus provides an opportunity to see it all. It is definitely worthwhile and I am so glad I had the chance to participate. Actually, if I can come up with the money or if I can get financial aid I would love to come back for another program. It was an amazing experience and I have difficulty expressing all the emotions I feel today, as I write these words, on the last day of the program in Istanbul.”

Salima Nathoo, Junior, Accounting

University of Houston, Texas

“The Forum-Nexus program was an excellent addition to my MBA education. Studying concepts like cross cultural communication, team leadership and international marketing in the classroom is one thing but actually getting the chance to study and apply them during our travels was a much more powerful experience. The Forum-Nexus professors were very well selected. They were passionate about their subjects and each had a lot of applicable experience working and teaching internationally; this combination made the classes so much more valuable. I also enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with the professors in and out of class. The diversity of the students in this program really added to the experience and helped facilitate the growth of my International IQ. I would definitely recommend this program to other students.”

Chris Schwalm, MBA Student, International Business

George Washington University, D.C.

“This was the experience of a lifetime! For anyone with minimal international exposure this program would be a dream come true. It is a great opportunity to meet many new and amazing people and see many new and amazing places. Time of my life! Thanks Dr. H!”

Jim Sweeney, Senior, Economics

Fordham University, New York

“Being able to travel, study and observe how business is conducted in Europe was an incredible combination. It was a very enriching experience that all students should participate in at some point in their lives”

Sumayya Husain, MBA Student, International Business

George Washington University, D.C.

“This experience has changed my education for the better! Meeting students from different countries made it even more fun and interesting because I also learned about cultures and places we didn’t even visit. The first person I met on the trip was from Brazil and I think that we learned so much from each other as we became really close friends. The program taught me a lot about Europe and about myself! It made me more independent and it helped me find my passion for traveling and for expanding my international knowledge.”

Nicke Buczek, Sophomore, Communication Studies

Loyola University, Chicago

“Amazing program! I really enjoyed everything and learned a lot about Europe. I had many new experiences and met many interesting people and made new friendships. The classes were very enjoyable and the professors were really good. The company visits were cool and learned a lot about how companies are ran. The international background of the other students was really interesting. I would recommend this program highly to anybody who wants to see Europe, expand their International IQ, and have an amazing time while meeting new people and making new friends. Dr Hervitz is really a genius and truly mastered this type of programs to make it into an awesome educational experience. I hope that in the future I’ll be able to participate again!”

Isaac Maleh, Sophomore, Business

Pace University, New York

“This was hand down one of the greatest experiences in my life. I am very happy I joined this program! I learned so much in just a few weeks. The professors are very smart and very experienced. I recommend it very highly!”

Hiram Haddad, Junior, Real estate Investment

Baruch College, City University of New York

“It was a great experience! I learned a lot about myself, other people and different cultures. The professors were great! It was impressive to see how much knowledge they were able to impart in just 4 weeks. The company visits were very informative and the cities included in the itinerary were amazing. I will surely recommend this program to other students. Y’all are great people!”

Hil Makor, MBA Student, Sports Management

University of Dallas, Texas

“This was exactly the program I was looking for! I enjoyed myself very much and I am very glad I had this opportunity. The classes provided me with interesting and relevant knowledge. I learned a lot about Europe, the world and myself.”

Allie Cooper, Senior, Organizational Communications

Ohio University, Athens, Ohio

Excerpts from Course Evaluations

I learned a lot especially working on my cultural intelligence
I improved my International IQ a lot
Great program. I loved the fact that we were able to see multiple countries.
I had the time of my life!
Dr. Hervitz runs a well organized and unforgettable program
Fantastic program. A great way to learn and have fun at the same time
Hugo is the best! Thanks for everything!
Thank you Dr H immensely for being so warm, comforting and insightful with your opinions and advice and for your support of each student, this set the tone for the entire trip!
I love Forum-Nexus!

Comments about Peter Resch, professor of International Marketing and Cross Cultural Communication

Peter was always giving real life examples of all the concepts and linking them to his personal business experience
Peter was very professional, friendly and relaxed
Very friendly with students, very easygoing. Made students feel comfortable and confident.
Great professor!

Comments about Georges Rocourt, professor of International Business and Introduction to the European Union

Georges was great, very knowledgeable and helpful. I learned a lot from him about European cultures and countries
He answered questions to the fullest
He was very nice, understanding and fun
He knows more about the subject than the author of the textbook
Wouldn’t move on unless students understood everything
Georges was very knowledgeable and friendly
Very well informed and up to date with current information
Was open to questions and answered each of them in great detail

Travel Tips for Europe

European Travel Guide: Visas, Who needs a visa? And how do you apply for it?

October 20, 2009 hobbes313 Leave a comment

If you are coming to Europe to study with Forum-Nexus this Winter, one question you might be asking is “do I need a Visa” to travel to Europe?”.

If you are coming from the USA, you do not need a visa (up to 90 days) for travel within the EU. For visitors from other countries, the details are as follows:

“Non-EU citizens that do not need a visa are those of North & South America in addition to:

Andorra, Australia, Brunei, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Gibraltar, Grenada, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia and Switzerland.

If you are one of these nationalities, you can enter Spain without a visa and stay for up to 90 days in any 6-month period. Source: Spain Guide

Now, for travel to Turkey, there is an additional research you should do. Find out if you need a visa to visit Turkey. With a little internet search, you will find information such as:

“Visas – Sticker-type entry visas: Tourists and business visitors from the following countries do require visas and can obtain a sticker-type entry visa at the point of entry for a fee (prices are dependent on nationality):

(a) 2. Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Malta, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, the UK* and USA for stays not exceeding 90 days;
(b) 3. Greek Cypriot Administrative Region, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic for stays not exceeding 30 days. Check out this source and this Source

For a full list of Turkish consulates and missions, go to www.mfa.gov.tr.

*note: this information is subject to change, and is provided here as a matter of refernce. Please check with your nearest Consulate / Embassy for the latest information.

Explore European Cultures

Forum Nexus International IQ News and Analysis – Update December 15th, 2008

December 15, 2008 hobbes313 1 Comment

International IQ Update – Country in the News: GREECE

The violent riots in Greece have erupted as a result of anatmosphere of high unemployment, frustration and hopelessness, especially among the youth. The very same symptoms are present in Spain, France, Italy and elsewhere in Europe. With the worsening global economic crisis and the resulting rise in unemployment, the likelihood of “contagion” of violent street protests throughout Europe is actually quite high.

Recent developments:

Daily violent street riots in Athens and other cities since the December 6 killing of a teenager by police

On the night of December 6, in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, known as a center of anti-establishment and anarchist activities, two policemen on patrol were taunted and insulted by a group of teenagers. In the confrontation that ensued, a 15-year old was shot dead by police.

Public reaction:

There has been a very angry and violent reaction on a daily basis all over the country. Peaceful street demonstrations deteriorate into violent riots, with firebomb attacks on cars, shops, banks and police stations, causing substantial property damage without any significant intervention by police.

Questions:

Why so much anger? Why violence? Why are the police so passive? What are the political and economic implications?

Analysis:

Greek society is still strongly affected by memories of the police and army brutality of the military junta that governed from 1967 to 1974, and violently crushed a student uprising on November 17, 1973 (in the Exarchia neighborhood).
The current Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis, of the center-right New Democracy party, was elected in March 2004, 5 months before the Athens Olympic Games.
The successful and well-organized Olympics restored a sense of pride and optimism. The return to power of the New Democracy party, after two decades of dominance by the social-democratic PASOK party, raised expectations of improved economic conditions and implementation of needed structural reforms (in the education system, the pension system, etc.)
Karamanlis managed to narrowly win re-election in 2007, but all-in-all the results of his administration have been very disappointing. The economy has stagnated and unemployment has increased especially among the youth. The country has been plagued by several serious corruption scandals involving land swaps and pension funds. The administration is widely accused of having mismanaged the handling of the out of control forest fires in the summer of 2007. The promised reforms never materialized.
The police shooting on December 6 was the detonator of the widespread malaise and discontent.
The majority of the population, however, does not support violence. The violent turn of the street demonstrations are due to small groups of well-organized anti-establishment anarchists, bent on creating chaos by attacking the symbols of “the corporate machine”.
The police have been disconcertingly passive by staying on the sidelines and allowing the violent rampages to proceed unimpeded. This is due to a deliberate government policy of maintaining a low police profile in an attempt to avoid further mayhem.
However, this approach appears to have backfired. Adding to the economic insecurity and the mistrust of corrupt politicians, now many people feel unsafe and physically insecure and don’t trust that the police will protect them.
The political implications may be quite serious for the Karamanlis administration. Its popularity is plummeting and the odds are increasing of a return to power of the opposition PASOK party.
The economic outlook is quite bleak. The turmoil is happening in the middle of a severe world-wide economic contraction. The reputation of Greece as a quiet, safe and friendly destination has been tainted with possible short-term impacts on tourism and foreign direct investment.
The atmosphere of frustration and hopelessness that prevails in some segments of Greek society, especially the youth, is also present in several other European countries, such as Spain, France and Italy. There has already been some evidence of “contagion” with several small but violent protests taking place across Europe. With the worsening of the economic crisis and the anticipated increase in unemployment, it is possible that this worrisome trend might intensify.

Forum-Nexus Study Abroad Blog