One major aspect to a career in an Admission Office is travel. Considering some admission counselors will be “on the road” up to 200 days a year, you really need to make sure you like to travel before considering a job in admissions!
Luckily, I fancy myself as a globetrotter of sorts, and feel blessed to have a job that affords me the opportunity to experience cultures around the world. My favorite part of traveling is the thought that hopefully I will be able to introduce Darlington to a student that may have never set foot in the United States before, and reciprocally, that student will be able to share his or her culture with our students and staff! I have had the pleasure of visiting various countries, and have had a myriad of experiences from these travels. I hope you find these tips to be educational, fun, and inspiring!
I may eventually write about “Things Not to Do While Traveling,” but for now, let’s stick with the positives:
1. Learn as much as you can about the place you are visiting. My favorite series of travel books is called Culture Shock! These books are great at telling all about customs and cultural expectations for different countries. For instance, did you know you should never whistle in Russia?
2. Learn at least a few important phrases in their language. No one expects you to speak every language. I myself am horrible with second languages, but I always learn a few basics, such as “Hello”, “Nice to meet you,” “I don’t understand," and my personal favorite: “Have you ever thought about boarding school?” It is amazing how much respect you are given for at least attempting to speak the native language before assuming everyone understands English.
3. Don’t be afraid to try new things! Of course you should know your limitations. For instance, if you are a vegetarian, don’t feel that it is necessary to try the local meat. But work on stepping further and further out of your comfort zone. Attempting things like eating ant eggs in Puebla, Mexico, not only creates great stories for your friends and family, but also helps gain the respect of the local folks (in my case, the ones I am trying to impress!)
4. Research the currency. The age of traveler’s checks is long gone, and it is usually not wise to use a credit card in most places. Everywhere is different, as far as currency goes. Make sure you fully understand the exchange rate and the best place to exchange money (usually a local bank, but not always). You never know when you will need local currency, so it is always good to have some on hand (for instance, having to pay “exit” taxes to leave Venezuela, and they only accept their currency).
5. Most importantly: Use common sense! My travels sometimes take me places that are not exactly safe. Knowing what is going on in the country you are traveling through is huge. It helps to know if there are “demonstrations” happening in the “downtown marketplace” that happens to be in front of your hotel. Also, travel smart. Always travel with a buddy. If you happen to be alone, ask your hotel if it is a safe neighborhood, especially at night. My best advice for new travelers is pretend like you are walking in a large U.S. city, like New York. Be aware of your surroundings, and use common sense. The best piece of advice I received was, if I am being threatened or robbed, just tell them I am a teacher -- apparently everyone knows a teacher never has large sums of money!
