Hallo!

The International University in Germany (IU), located in Bruchsal, is a state-recognized private university that focuses on information technology, business administration, and communications management. The IU offers the following degrees: B.A. International Communication Management, B.A. Business Administration, B.Sc. Information Technology, M.Sc. Computer Science, and M.A. Information and Communication Technology.

If you hold high school diploma or equivalent degree and are interested in this unique opportunity, apply by sending your CV, including the latest university transcript and a statement of purpose (around two pages).  Applications should be sent to the IU Admissions Office by Aug 15 for the intake in September 2008; November 1, 2008 for the intake January 2009. Scholarships may be granted to exceptional students.

If you have any questions, please contact: admission2008@i-u.de or info@education-germany.de or visit www.i-u.de .

I am happy to answer any further questions.

Best wishes from Germany

Christiane Rösch

10 Small Things To Take On Your International Trip:

Here are some small things that you should think about including on your packing list for your next international trip.

1. Calculator, Jodie Fosters character in Contact talks about numbers being the universal language that will probably be used to communicate with extra terrestrials, let me tell you it works great on this planet as well, from Bangkok to Beijing it is understood, say Casio in a market anywhere in the world, and the trader will know what you mean if you forget to bring yours. Recommended that you get the solar power ones so that you will never run out of batteries and they are more eco friendly as well.
2. Alarm clock, been to many times that the morning call was missed in small hotels & guesthouses, also you can sleep in airports, train stations and bus stations and you will never miss your connection. If you bring an air mattress and beach ball (I bet you though I carry them for the pool) for the occasions of late flights and cancelled trains. Yes everyone else will be jealous of you especially if you snore like a bear!
3. Compass, walking around town it will get you headed back in the right direction if you get spun around. Can be used to watch that the driver is not taking you in circles, amazing the amount of travel time you can save in Manila with one.
4. Multi use electric plug adapters, there are many on the market they make some that you can change to many different pin & plug configurations I carry 7 different ones for all the different countries I have the pleasure to explore. The round 2 prong for 220 KV is the most universal in my opinion. A common adapter will take the American 110 KV without ground as well as 3 pin rounds and 3 blade large 220 KV. If you have all American plugs make sure to get the grounded 2 blade plug adaptor in the states, or you will have a real hard time everywhere, as most countries in Asia are not grounded, and the adaptors are not set up for the 2 pin one blade American grounded plugs.
5. Camera seems like a natural, but not for this reason. Security if you have a butt head taxi driver take his picture, you will be amazed at the transformation in their manner, also works as a tout warding tool for when you are being harassed by street touts after you have used the 3 No, Thank You, Buzz Off rule.
6. Immersion Heater amazing all the things that you can make to eat and drink once you have one of these. I always double check that this is in my bag. I bring two on long trips just in case. I use it mainly for coffee in the morning and sometimes for noodles as a late night snack. Most airports have places that you can find a plug, sure beats paying 3 bucks for coffee, or 6 bucks for a sandwich. If you are on a real back packer budget traveler use it to heat the cold water in a splash bathroom to cut the cold a bit. Adventurous Try the handmade Tuna Ala King Veggie Surprise, you’ll love it, I promise!
7. Super Glue I don’t know what will break on your trip but from my experience they have fixed shoes, sun glasses, BCD’s and held a friends filling in place until we could get him to a dentist, which I might add is not a recommended use, but for him any thing was preferred to the pain. One of Super Glues first uses I’ve been told, was as a combat medic and M.A.S.H. surgery tool for holding wounds together until they could close them correctly in the rear.
8. Paper clips, rubber bands and safety pins, OK I cheated they are more than one thing, but they are really small and weigh nothing. Rubber bands for holding wads of money together after the stop at the foreign currency exchange. 100 USD = 766 Yuan, which = 4000 Baht which = 400,000 Riel gets to be a lot of money to hold together, especially if it is big money like Thai 1000 baht notes, or 100 Yuan notes. Paper clips for holding tickets and receipts together in your note book, also for extra passport photos attached to your passport, where they are easy to find. Safety pins for broken zippers and for wounds if you run out of super glue.
9. Note book and pens for writing down stuff that you are going to need to remember like flight times, phone numbers and words you want to learn like thank you, hello and how much, which I usually don’t write down anymore, as I just whip out my calculator. The idea is too have all your data in one place. In China they want the receipts back for everything; you can store them in there as well. I buy the little black books that fit in a shirt pocket and then keep them for after the trips as mementoes.
10. A sense of humor you will be surprised at the many and varied uses you will get from this magical tool in your travels. Hope to see you using it soon!

An international education, be it a semester abroad or a full degree program in another country, can be one of the most rewarding and exhilarating experiences in a person’s life. There is so much to be gained from learning a new culture, experiencing new challenges and opening your mind to a whole new world.

Although the events of September 11^th may have had repercussions to hinder this, it also spells out the need for more students to study abroad so cultures can mix and create a greater understanding among nations. In the USA alone, 2000/2001 saw the greatest increase in foreign students to their shores since 1979/1980, with 547,867 foreign students studying in the USA.

The biggest barrier to students studying in the USA is money.

The average for a low-cost private institution costs $12,000 US Dollars a year, excluding living expenses. This of course can be lower or higher depending on the school, but for international students, this is a huge burden and one that stops many from attending.

However, it need not be an obstacle, with international student loans now available and a wealth of scholarships and resources for students to utilize.

Along with the cost, admission to top schools in the USA can also be extremely competitive and require advanced planning; application forms need to be completed, test scores need to be produced, and some may require application essays or letters of recommendation.

This at first may seem a daunting prospect, but students should not be put off. Hard work and planning are the key factors for students wishing to come to the USA. Students need to obtain the best grades possible and plan well in advance (at least 18 months) and this will give them the best chance to study in the USA.

For US students to study abroad, the obstacles are not as great as for those wishing to come to the USA and since September 11^th, there has been greater emphasis by US students to study outside the USA. As Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute for International Education, states “Even more heartening is the enthusiasm and interest among students in gaining international experience after the terrorist attacks of September 11^th”.

In 2001 there was an 11% increase in US students studying abroad with the majority of this increased coming in shorter (less than 8 weeks) programs.

In part this has also been due to the popularity and success of companies such as Semester At Sea and InternationalStudent.com who specialize in helping students achieve their study abroad goals.

Studying abroad can do so many things for an individual. On the personal side, students are able to experience new cultures, religions and new ways of thinking thus enhancing their acceptance and tolerance of minorities and their outlook on life.

On a professional level, it can enhance their career by exposing students to a variety of new perspectives, the latest technology or state of the art research and training.

There are so many benefits from spending time studying abroad, and arguably the most important benefit is to create a better understanding of the world around

If you are looking to learn and take an educational program but you are not near a prominent post-secondary institution, you might want to consider taking a distance learning course. It is a great way for you to get some learning in when you do not think you are within the distance to handle travelling to a full-time educational facility. With people living all over the place, you can often find yourself too far away from an educational institution that offers the classes that you would want, but with a distance learning course you can change all of that and start to get the education you want without leaving your home.

Basically, a distance learning course is a way to get the educational qualities of the course that you would normally get from attending school but in your home. This allows the school to come to you, in a way, because it enables you to take part in all of the elements of the course without leaving your home. You can take part in classes through a web cam or a chat session on a message board and you can complete assignments in much the same way. This enables you to grasp all of the aspects of learning without travelling to the school or going out of your way to get there. This allows you to concentrate on your learning and do better in your class.

Understanding Distance Learning

Of course, there are many questions about the distance learning course that you may have. The best way to discover if distance learning is for you is to contact the closest school detachment you have nearby and ask them the important questions. There are basics that can be covered in general discussion with someone over the phone, but a lot of the particulars may have to still be set up with a face to face meeting at the school. In other words, you may have to make at least one trip to the actual place of learning in order to complete some of the paperwork and to interact with your instructor on some level beyond the computer.

As you consider whether or not to take a distance learning course, you need to keep in mind that your education is the goal of taking such a course. If you are not interested in it for those reasons and you think you can actually make it to classes, you should not consider a distance learning course because you will be depriving yourself of a greater learning experience in person. Distance learning is normally reserved for those that, through a disability or a geographical issue, cannot actually make it to the classes and the effort to get there would be a detriment to their learning process.