Psychology Study Abroad

London The Freud Museum – Sigmund and Anna Freud’s home and museum Charles Darwin’s Home – Down House (approx. 2 hours from London by train and city bus) London Museum skulls with evidence of trephination burial customs short film on plague in London the London fire jail cell from 18th century suffragettes medieval London – (includes household items, religious items, etc.) British Museum British Library Magna Carta original letters by Darwin, Newton, and others musical scores Guttenberg Bible and other religious texts Stonehenge (about 2 hours away by bus) Leake Street (pedestrian tunnel with graffiti) Geffrye Museum (period rooms) Ragged School Museum (reconstructions of education establishments of 1800s) Old Operating Theatre (used before anesthetics) Roman Amphitheater Edinburgh Statue of David Hume David Hume’s Mausoleum Calton Hill National Museum of Scotland (science, technology, culture) More to come !

It is helpful for students to know what sites they will be visiting and your expectations of how they will comport themselves at these sites. Some sites may require preparation on the part of the visitors. For example, mass burial sites or concentration camps may bring strong emotions. Talk with the students about how they will deal with these feelings at the sites. You may want to have activities after the site visit that will help them process these thoughts and emotions. Students need to know what the clothing requirements are for different sites and what will happen if they do not have the correct clothing.

Local Faculty A good place to start is with the psychology departments in universities in cities you will be visiting. Faculty and their interests are often listed on these sites. You may wish to contact someone and ask about speaking with your group. You may know of researchers at universities based upon topic-related research literature you have read. Contact them and ask if they would speak with your group. Network with faculty who have done similar study abroad trips. They may have contacts you can use. Site and museum visits Check their websites to see who takes care of group visits. Then contact that person. Talk with them about your group size, your goal for that site, costs, and group discounts. It may be necessary to set up a specific date and time to visit. Some places may be very informal and others may require you to complete forms and make payments before the visit. Tours Contact the vendor by e-mail or telephone. These are usually available on the their websites. They may

Discuss foods that are traditional to the areas you are visiting. If possible, have them sample some of the foods before the trip. Some students have strong food likes and dislikes. Discuss with them what alternatives they have planned for times they do not like the food. Caution students about the need to use bottled water in some areas. In some countries there may not be a need to use bottled water. Talk about how they will find places to eat or buy food in each area you visit. In some countries, students may find supermarkets have prepackaged food that is very economical or students may buy supermarket goods together and make sandwiches and share fruit, chips and cookies. Ask students to declare any food allergies they have and help them research which dishes in the countries you visit might have those foods. Some restaurants have international menus. Students should know to ask when they go to the restaurant. If the restaurant does not, the phrase book comes in very handy. Students

Breakfast We suggest that breakfast be included in the cost of the program. Students may tend to skip breakfast and sleep in if they have to pay for it. We have found that they tend to eat if they know they have already paid. Too, if they are trying to save money, they still have a good meal to start the day. This avoids the complaints of being tired and asking about lunch constantly during the morning’s activity. Hotels may have a breakfast plan. This is the easiest method to feed the group. Ask if the hotel can give you a group rate. If the hotel does not serve breakfast, you might find a restaurant or coffee shop within walking distance and have students order up to a set dollar amount for breakfast and you pay with one transaction. Another suggestion is to buy bagels and cream cheese or donuts and have everyone meet to have breakfast together. Lunch Students and faculty should be able to find inexpensive food in most cities. Sharing a pizza often breaks down to a small amount per p

When considering a hotel, location is key.  How far is it from a transportation hub?  Are there places to eat or a supermarket within walking distance?  How far is the subway or bus stop?  We try to stay within walking distance of a train station or within walking distance of a subway stop. We save money on transportation to and from the stations that way. However, staying near an airport often means you will have a more difficult time getting into the city in a short amount of time. Using a site such as kayak.com or booking.com for research will help you learn what is in the area and what the basic rates are. It probably goes without saying, the pictures always present the hotel to its best advantage. We have had a surprise or two. After you have narrowed your choices, you may wish to contact the hotels directly and ask if they provide group rates and what amenities are included. Sometimes the hotel will give you a better rate than that listed on the clearing house sites. We have fo

Each person or the faculty leaders should have a photocopy or electronic copy of the passports in case of theft. The nearest U.S. Embassy should be contacted in case of a lost or stolen passport. Make a report of any theft to the local police. For credit cards, call the bank or credit card companies to report the theft. Everyone should have a copy of their card numbers and the customer service number in a location separate from the actual cards.

Air Travel Flying at night offers the opportunity to sleep on the plane and arrive at your destination with much of the day ahead of you. Seasoned travelers advise that you should not check into the hotel and take a nap. Their advice is to get out into the sunlight and to work on getting acclimated to the local time. Leaving on very early flights home or between cities is often most economical. A major drawback is trying to get to the airport for a 7 AM flight. Many major cities do not have subway service or full bus service as early as you will need it. For example, you will need to be at the airport at 5 AM and may need to leave the hotel at 2:30 or 3 AM on a night bus. Night buses have long routes and there are not as many as in the day. Before you book an early flight, be sure you will have transportation to the airport. Trains Some systems allow you to book and receive your tickets at a U.S. address for a much more economical rate than if you bought tickets overseas. You can use t

Putting together an itinerary is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. You will have to take into consideration your transportation, days when museums and other sites are open, when speakers can meet with your group, and when other activities are planned. The first consideration is to decide how many days you will need to set aside for transportation. Getting there and getting home already account for at least two days. If you are traveling from city to city or country to country, allow more time as travel days. If there are transportation delays, you may not be able to make an afternoon appointment in another location. A second consideration is how many sites, speakers, museums, etc. you wish to include to accomplish the goals of the course. Two activities per day may be the maximum that you can accommodate. Third, how much free time will the students have to explore the locations on their own? We have found that at least one free day in a three week trip helps keep spirits up, gives

Time management is a major concern on trips. Students need to be aware of your expectations about being on time at meeting places.Students being late to meet for a trip or activity has caused a great deal of stress in our experience. We usually set the time for a few minutes before the “real” time to leave to give a cushion for those who may be late.