We know you’re sharing all of the stellar sights during your time abroad, so share them with us!
Your stories inspire other students to travel and see the same sights that you did on your CIS Abroad experience.
We use your images and stories in marketing materials and social media to help other students get an authentic look inside what studying or interning abroad is really like. Take a look at our blog to see what other students are writing about.
What kinds of stories should I share?
- Pick a topic and write your post.
- Submit it using the form below.
- Our blog team will do a light copy edit (we’ll reach out to you if we’re interested in any major revisions) and post it to our blog.
- Once it’s posted, we’ll send you a link so you can check it out and share it with your network.
Pictured Above: Photos from a blog post by Katherine Kirchner, an Intern in Hawai’i (program discontinued) participant from the University of Dayton.
How long should my blog post be?
Although it’s always about quality over quantity, your post should be a minimum of 500 words, but don’t be afraid to take the length you need to tell your best story. The most successful blogs take the time to get to some deeper reflections about what study abroad experiences teach us about ourselves and the world. The most engaging writing is conversational and willing to be personal — don’t be afraid to share your struggles, your mistakes, your joys, your successes. Using emotion in your writing allows others to relate to you and connect to your larger message.
Want to write something super quick and to the point? Share your experience in a simple quote here.
Do you want photos?
Definitely! In addition to using photos, be descriptive in your writing about your amazing location. Help people imagine themselves there. Upload your high resolution photos using the form below! Please see the guidelines below.
How should I format my blog post?
Submit your blog post in a Word file or other word-editing document using the form below. Please offer short bio about you, a headline or title for your blog, and feel free to do some basic formatting if you like, i.e. bolded or italicized text.
How will I know my blog post is published?
Once we receive your blog post, we’ll do a light copy edit. If there are larger suggestions, we’ll reach out to you — also feel free to reach out to us if needed during your writing process. After you submit your content below, we'll send you an email that you can reply to. When your blog post is published, we’ll send you a link you can share. We encourage you to share the blog link across all of your social networks, using the hashtags provided. #CISblog #CISblogger #travelblog #studyabroadblog
If you’re a study student, also use these: #studyabroadblog #CISstudyabroad
If you’re an intern, also use these: #CISinternabroad #CISatWork
Blog Topic Ideas
- Rewind to your pre-departure thoughts: What are you expecting from this experience? What did you think your host country and host culture would be like? What were you most excited about? What were you most nervous about?
- What motivated you to study abroad?
- How did you afford this experience (or how did this amazing opportunity become a reality?)
- First impressions: What cultural differences have you noticed?
At CIS Abroad, we believe that study and intern abroad experiences are for EVERYONE, and we want to share your stories about what it’s like to be your particular intersection of identities abroad. Here are some prompts to get you started:
- Going abroad puts you in a new context that can lead you to reflect on your identities in new ways. What is it like being YOU in your host country?
- What changes have you noticed in your identity with this change of context? Are there ways in which you have stayed the same?
- Top 5 Greatest Cultural Differences between the US and _______
- Top 5 Greatest Surprises About…
- Top 5 Challenges of Studying Abroad in ___________
- Top 5 Moments of Your Weekly Routine
- Top 5 Things You Never Thought You’d Experience in __________
Academics
- What’s your favorite class that you’re taking abroad and why?
- How is your host university different from your home university? How is it the same?
- What’s the academic culture at your host university? Do people hang out and study on campus or elsewhere? Do people show up early for class? What does the academic culture say about the country’s local culture?
Internships
- Where are you placed for your internship and what are you working on?
- What are five things you wish you knew before you started your internship?
- What’s the work culture at your placement? When do people show up for work? How are meetings run? Do people chat around the proverbial water cooler? What does the work culture say about the country’s local culture?
- What is the food like where you are studying abroad? What has been a surprise? Were there any differences you were expecting?
- What are local foods you love? Ones you don’t love so much?
- What foods are important to your host country’s economy?
- What can students studying abroad in your country expect to be different about that culture’s relationship to food?
- What is shopping for food like? Have you had any fun surprises?
- Describe your funniest cross-cultural misunderstanding yet! Describe the situation and what you took away from the experience.
- What kinds of pressing policy debates are occurring in your host country, and do you have an opinion on them?
- Name one thing that you miss from the U.S. and why, along with one thing (activity, food, cultural norm) that you have discovered in your host country that you would like to incorporate in your life when you return to the states.
- Think about social media and how it’s utilized in your host country. Describe your use of social media and what implications you believe social media has on your experience abroad. How does your use of social media compare to those you have met in your host community?
- How will you use what you’ve learned abroad once you’re back in the U.S.?
- What made your study/intern abroad destination special?
- Write a thank you letter to your site director.
- What practical advice can you include to help students just like you follow in your footsteps?
- How has this experience changed your life?
- What are 5 things you wish you would have known before you went abroad?
- Share your tips for booking trips/flights/hostels/etc
- Rewind to your pre-departure thoughts: What are you expecting from this experience? What did you think your host country and host culture would be like? What were you most excited about? What were you most nervous about?
- What motivated you to study abroad?
- How did you afford this experience (or how did this amazing opportunity become a reality?)
- First impressions: What cultural differences have you noticed?
At CIS Abroad, we believe that study and intern abroad experiences are for EVERYONE, and we want to share your stories about what it’s like to be your particular intersection of identities abroad. Here are some prompts to get you started:
- Going abroad puts you in a new context that can lead you to reflect on your identities in new ways. What is it like being YOU in your host country?
- What changes have you noticed in your identity with this change of context? Are there ways in which you have stayed the same?
- Top 5 Greatest Cultural Differences between the US and _______
- Top 5 Greatest Surprises About…
- Top 5 Challenges of Studying Abroad in ___________
- Top 5 Moments of Your Weekly Routine
- Top 5 Things You Never Thought You’d Experience in __________
Academics
- What’s your favorite class that you’re taking abroad and why?
- How is your host university different from your home university? How is it the same?
- What’s the academic culture at your host university? Do people hang out and study on campus or elsewhere? Do people show up early for class? What does the academic culture say about the country’s local culture?
Internships
- Where are you placed for your internship and what are you working on?
- What are five things you wish you knew before you started your internship?
- What’s the work culture at your placement? When do people show up for work? How are meetings run? Do people chat around the proverbial water cooler? What does the work culture say about the country’s local culture?
- What is the food like where you are studying abroad? What has been a surprise? Were there any differences you were expecting?
- What are local foods you love? Ones you don’t love so much?
- What foods are important to your host country’s economy?
- What can students studying abroad in your country expect to be different about that culture’s relationship to food?
- What is shopping for food like? Have you had any fun surprises?
- Describe your funniest cross-cultural misunderstanding yet! Describe the situation and what you took away from the experience.
- What kinds of pressing policy debates are occurring in your host country, and do you have an opinion on them?
- Name one thing that you miss from the U.S. and why, along with one thing (activity, food, cultural norm) that you have discovered in your host country that you would like to incorporate in your life when you return to the states.
- Think about social media and how it’s utilized in your host country. Describe your use of social media and what implications you believe social media has on your experience abroad. How does your use of social media compare to those you have met in your host community?
- How will you use what you’ve learned abroad once you’re back in the U.S.?
- What made your study/intern abroad destination special?
- Write a thank you letter to your site director.
- What practical advice can you include to help students just like you follow in your footsteps?
- How has this experience changed your life?
- What are 5 things you wish you would have known before you went abroad?
- Share your tips for booking trips/flights/hostels/etc
