Give back: Consider getting involved in community service. Maggie Fitzgerald, a sophomore at Northeastern University, supplemented her time abroad with volunteer work at a homeless shelter. She says: “Throughout my semester studying abroad in London, England, I worked at a local homeless shelter far from the bustle of the city center.  The experience enhanced my understanding of a major problem facing modern England–alleviating the immigrant homeless population. Volunteering in England provided me with a unique insight that could be of great value to anyone studying abroad. By creating a strong bond with fellow volunteers, I was better able to navigate and understand conversations with people of other cultures outside of the service.”

The Wall Street Journal