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Write A Blog Post!

Keep wanting to talk about your AMAZING time abroad, but feel like no one wants to listen anymore? Looking to publish your writing online?

Write a blog post for CIS Abroad

WRITE A BLOG POST

Skip Directly to the Blog Post Uploader

Your story inspires other students to travel and see the same sights that you did on your CIS Abroad experience. We use your words and images in marketing materials and social media so that YOU can be #CISAbroad famous. Take a look at our blog to see what other students are writing about.

How to get your post featured on the CIS Abroad blog:

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 Right: Photos from a blog post by Katherine Kirchner, an Intern in Hawai’i: Summer 2018 alum 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.

DO YOU WANT PHOTOS?

Definitely! In addition to using photos, be descriptive in your writing about your amazing location. Help people imagine themselves there. Attach your high resolution photo files to the email as well as embed them in the document where you’d like them to be.

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. 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

Pre-departure and Early On-Site Topics:

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?

Identity Topics:

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?

Listicle Topics:

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 & Internship Topics:

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?

Food Topics:

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?

Local Life and Culture Topics:

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?

Post-Abroad Reflection Topics:

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

SUBMIT YOUR BLOG POST HERE

Your story inspires other students to travel and see the same sights that you did on your CIS Abroad experience. We use your words and images in marketing materials and social media so that YOU can be #CISAbroad famous. Take a look at our blog to see what other students are writing about.
Step 1: A little about YOU!

Tell us your name and the program you went on so we can share your story!
Your Name*
First Last
Email*
Home University*
Which program did you go on?*
What year did you go?*
A Short Bio:*
Write a sentence or two bio that will go under your name on your blog post. Use the template below, but have fun with it and try to make it your own.

Template: "My name is ________. I'm a ______ major at _________ university. I chose CIS Abroad because __________"
Step 2: Upload your Blog Post

Please upload a document containing your 500-700 word blog post here. For ideas on what to write about, read the FAQs above.
Blog Post Uploader*
Up to 8MB files. Allowed file types: doc, odt, ott, txt, pdf
Accepted file types: doc, odt, ott, txt, pdf, Max. file size: 8 MB.
Step 3: Upload Photos

Please upload 5-10 photos (using the photo uploader below) that you want to appear alongside your blog post. Make sure at least one of them is of you so we can use it as the photo next to your byline.
BEFORE YOU UPLOAD
Please name your files using this naming convention so we can keep track of who sent them in:

Term&Year_Program_Full Name_Home Uni_Short Description

EX: Summer18_Intern in Florence_Johanna Chapman_UT Austin_working at the office
WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED?

We’re sure you wouldn’t, but please DON’T include any of the following in your photos:
- alcohol/you out at a club or bar
- illegal drugs (including marijuana in Amsterdam)
- profanity
- parent-stressor activities, like bungee jumping or skydiving
Upload Photos*
Drop files here or

Accepted file types: jpg, png, tiff, Max. file size: 200 MB.
Terms and Conditions*
- I agree to CIS Abroad’s Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

KEEP SHARING YOUR STORY

Are you interested in being an Alumni Ambassador once you return home? Learn more about the alumni ambassador program and other ways you can be an active alum on our Alumni page.

Already sound like your kind of thing? Fill out the Alumni Ambassador application to get the process started!