International Student News - Issue 118 December 2008

Issue 118 - December 2008

An InternationalStudent.com Publication

Welcome to the 118th issue! What a month we've had at InternationalStudent.com! We unveiled the winner of our 2008 Video Contest who took home the Grand Prize of $3,000 - congratulations to "Jorgeratu". So we got to watch tons of fun videos, while the holidays were creeping up on us. No wonder it's our favourite time of year! If you haven't seen them yet, make sure you check out the winning videos - and have a wonderful holiday season. Ross Mason Editor, InternationalStudent.com Join our Facebook Group \| Visit/ Comment on our Blogs \| Participate in our forum	In this issue: Winners Announced Student Insurance 2009 Don Quijote Spanish From the Mailbag Fun Site of the Month Calling Cards Student News Bentley's Tomorrow 25 Last Word
> Winners Announced
The votes are in - you have all watched and ranked the finalist videos, and voted for your choice for the winner. The rest was up to the judges, and it was not an easy job!! Our finalists told amazing, moving stories, with great artistry, poetry and humour. More than in any past year, we had many excellent videos that could easily have won the contest, however we had to choose one winner and we did! Congratulations goes to "Jorgeratu" and all the runners up! Go to our contest page now to see a review of our finalists, and then you can see the $3,000 Grand Prize winner along with the other three winning videos. Thanks for watching and for your overwhelming support of our contestants.
> Student Insurance for 2009
With 2009 right around the corner, and yet another new semester nearly upon us - it is never too early to start planning ahead for the things you will need. Don't let your international insurance coverage be one of the things you leave to the last minute or forget about entirely and let the team at International Student Insurance help reduce your stress. The Student Secure plan from International Student Insurance provides coverage for students that includes benefits such as: up to $300,000 policy maximum Doctors Visits/ Prescription Medication Maternity/ Mental Health Coverage Evacuation/ Repatriation Coverage and much more.... The plan starts at just $40/ month for International Students in the USA and $33 for US Citizens who are studying abroad, with the ability to pay monthly - plus the plan meets almost all school's insurance requirements! For more information please see the Student Secure website at: http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/student_secure_international/
> Don Quijote Spanish Language Schools
With more than 30 destinations in Spain and throughout Latin America, don Quijote will truly immerse you in the Spanish language and the local culture, inviting you to live Spanish while you learn Spanish. You'll find yourself speaking Spanish from the first class ! For more than 20 years we have seen our students gain confidence and ability as they apply their new language skills to practical situations. You'll learn Spanish as you learned your native language - through practice and continuous communication. G et more information now!
> From the Mailbag
This month we feature a post from our forums about an F2 visa - if you have any help or comments you can provide please post back on our forums: "Dear Friends, I am a F-1 student studying in New Jersey. I start from this fall-2008 semester. I am in PhD program. So I need at least 4 years. Recently my wife gets F-2 dependent Visa. She is a medical student in my country. She still needs 2.5 yrs to finish her study. My wife is 5 months pregnant. In January-2009 she has professional exam in her medical school in my country. Since she is pregnant people suggest me to give birth in USA rather than in my country. But if she comes US she will miss the professional exam for this time and she will need to attend next July-2009. So I need the following answers to make the decision about her coming. So far I came to know if my child born here he/she will be US citizen. But I want to know what advantage to become a US citizen especially for education or health. As I am F-1 student, is it possible for me to get free hospital treatment for my wife and child during birth. If my child not born here and later come here as F-2 , can he/she study in US school with free cost as US children get. If after completion of my study I get a job as H-1 category then can my child study here in US school with free cost as US children get. If my wife give birth here USA, how many days it requires to complete all paper works for my child, because my wife needs to return soon my country for attending her exam. As dependent of F-1 or H-1 is there any health facilities my child will get here in USA. Can any friends give me the answers of all theses questions. Really I need yours help to make a good decision. Thank you all. Azad" If you have a comment or can help, please respond here
> Fun Site of the Month
When you purchase a ticket to fly, most airlines will allow you to select your seat in advance. However, do you know enough to choose the seat you really want? Most of the time you do not know which seats are the best and which seats you should avoid. But, thanks to Seat Guru you can search for your airline, then your plane model and see a full overview of all the seats that are available! Seat Guru shows which seats are the good ones to opt for and which ones you should avoid. Take a look at SeatGuru.com and use it the next time you fly to get the best seat possible!
> International Calling Cards
With the online search tool provided by International Calling Card, you can search all the very best available international phone and calling cards to find the one right for you. Why search 5 different places for an international calling card, when with one search you can find the cards you need - find out which calling cards have the best rates and features! The online search tool is easy to use, plus provides great information on the calling cards so you can see which have other rates (apart from the per minute billing) and you can purchase the card right online. To save money on your international calls from your mobile phone or landline no matter where you are in the world, check out InternationalCallingCard.com
> Student News from Around the World
Malaysia Heads Towards 100,000 International Students by 2010 (from The Malaysian Insider) Led by students from Indonesia, China, Iran, Nigeria and Bangladesh, the number of international students enrolled in schools and universities in Malaysia has reached about 66,000, according to The Malaysian Insider. Because courses are taught in English, fees are relatively affordable and the multi-cultural society allows students to feel comfortable, Malaysia is becoming a popular alternative to more traditional destinations like the US, UK and Australia. Another reason for the burgeoning foreign student population is the large number of higher education institutions in Malaysia - over 600, including some Malaysian branches of popular Australian and UK schools. "For Chinese students, Malaysia is easy to come to," said Yajie, a professional communications student at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Kuala Lumpur. "Malaysia is the western and eastern cultures together. I feel like it can be a middle stop so I can go on to a western country." Read the complete story in The Malaysian Insider.
> Tomorrow 25 - Bentley College
Bentley College is now accepting nominations for the fourth annual Tomorrow25 program. Tomorrow25 is an international competition to identify 25 high-achieving students who are already making things happen in their world - and may well be tomorrow's leaders in business and society. Recognition and prizes for Tomorrow25 winners include participation in a national advertising campaign with TIME Magazine. The group will also be invited to Bentley (all expenses paid) to attend the annual Leadership Forum. It takes place on March 27, 2008 on Bentley's campus in Waltham, Mass., located minutes from Boston. For more information please click here
> Last Word
We hope you enjoyed this month's newsletter, and best of luck to you as you pursue or help others pursue an international education! As always please contact us with any questions or comments you have about the newsletter - we love to hear from you! And please give us your thoughts, good or bad, on the new InternationalStudent.com.

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