I spent the spring semester of my junior year abroad, receiving college credit to essentially—mess around. The four months I spend in Europe were the most amazing times and adventures of my life, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But I can’t say that I wouldn’t do somethings differently, looking back on my time there.

Here’s my list of things to try and things to avoid, so that all you CollegeCandy readers can have the best time ever.

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Are you going abroad this semester? Have you been abroad? What tips do YOU have?

Questions for Tuffinski can be emailinskied to TuffyLuv@collegecandy.com and shoop.

Dear Tuffy Luv,

My boyfriend has recently gone on a study abroad trip for the rest of the summer.  He’s only been gone a week, and already I’ve noticed how drastically our relationship has changed.  For the first half of the summer, he always called many times a day and we visited each other every few weeks because we live in different states.  But now that he’s overseas, between the time difference and his busy schedule, there is no time for me! The trip he is on is with a huge group of his friends and is very party-oriented and it’s hard for me not to get jealous.

A big problem is that his phone does not work overseas so the only way for us to talk is for him to send me an email saying that he’s available to Skype, which goes to my Blackberry, and then I rush to a computer.  So I’m totally powerless to get in touch with him.  I end up getting really upset all the time just waiting to hear from him… which has only even happened once!! I really love him and when we’re together we never have problems and are very happy. But I don’t know what to do! Please help! Should I just wait it out and be miserable for the next month? I don’t want to send him anymore nagging emails about it because he says it makes him feel guilty and I can tell it’s not helping.

What should I do?

— Abandoned in the Eastern Time Zone

Dear Abandoned,

Okay, I gotta be honest, I got red flags all up and down my spine reading this. But Tuffy is a suspicious beast, so let’s come back to my concerns.

I can answer the surface part of your problem in two words: Phone date.

He can’t be reached, right? And then you’re totally at his whim?! No way, rosé!!! You guys just need a schedule.

Set times that will fit both your needs. He wants to go out partying with his friends at night? Great! Phone dates can be set for lunch breaks, or for breakfast time, or for whenever. Make sure you set enough phone dates a week so that you feel satisfied (let’s say, at least 4) and not so many that he feels stifled (um, no more than 7, please).

This doesn’t mean you can’t call each other at other times. By all means, if he’s available and feels like talking, he should give a call! But the phone dates are times that you are OBLIGATED to be available to one other. Think of it exactly as you would a regular date. Standing the other person up is really not an option and is actually quite shoopy.

So, phone dates. That’s pretty easy, right?
But Tuffy Luv gots her some concerns, too.

Why has he only called you once? I understand that he’s busy and having fun and all that, but ONCE?! That seems like an awful small number.

I don’t think it’s anything to get alarmed about. But if he puts up resistance to the phone date idea, I’d have a little talk with him if I were you. You’re being so considerate of his feelings. The least he could do is be a little considerate of yours. Still, judging from your letter, I have a feeling he’ll come around. Something tells Aunt Tuffy your boy just got a little caught up in the fun. He just gots to remember–you’re fun too!

Hearts & Skulls,
Tuffy Luv

Going abroad for the semester is full of new sights, new sweets and new stories to tell, but the abroad experience does not have everyone’s name on it.  Some apply for the passport while others just pass all together on the international experience.

But what happens when our friends go abroad without us?

How do we possibly survive when our closest pals board those planes and we are back in the states being red, white and totally blue?

Let’s put those old words into practice and let the distance make our hearts (and friendships) grow stronger through these simple ways to survive the semester apart.

My best friend Skype: We thought Jefferson was pretty clever with the light bulb, but this innovation blows electricity away. A free service that allows people to communicate through web cam, this handy messenger has changed the face of long distance relationships and is easy to use as well. Grab a cup of coffee and make a date with your friend abroad to catch up face to face.

Traveling pants and other random belongings: Sewing the gap between countries can be so much easier when you form a common thread; a journal that you pass between friends, a shirt that gets mailed from person to person… all of these things can be mailed back and forth to one another in order to keep in touch with something tangible. Currently, my best friend and I purposely leave juicy stories out of our emails and write them in a journal that we mail back and forth to each other. It makes for something exciting to look forward to in the mail.

Growing closer by growing apart: I took for granted the fact that I could call my best friend at a second’s notice to meet up and talk on campus. Now that she is gone I realize the amount of time that I have on my hands, no longer filled with coffee dates and shopping excursions. Instead of wallowing over the open gaps in the planner, fill those slots with new and exciting things you have always wanted to do. Go out and do things that will make those emails to your abroad buddies even more interesting. Salsa dancing, blogging, pottery painting, meeting new people – the possibilities are endless.

They are off seeing the world, not stopping ours: Seeing your friends off to the airport can be brutal, but as they go off to find some new adventures it is important to carry on and find our own adventures. Don’t stay stationed at that computer waiting for the Skype call or constantly refreshing your inbox to see if a new email awaits. Get out there and enjoy that semester! You’re on a college campus, not in jail! No matter where you are, be it twenty thousand miles away or in the same place you have been for three years, each day holds an immense amount of potential for great things to happen.

It is no shocker, the distance is tough. Some days will hit harder than ever as you wish your friend was there to pick up the phone when you call or meet you to sort through a midterm break down. But let’s pick ourselves up, cheer our traveling friends on and seek our own adventures. With letters and emails and a little care package here and there, our friendships have the potential to go above and abroad.

For those going abroad for the upcoming semester or planning a trip to Europe anytime soon, here are some helpful tips to get you around:

You are from Canada: Let’s be honest – Americans like to think they rule the world, and sometimes that holier than thou attitude rubs Europeans the wrong way. Don’t go overseas acting like a stereotypical American (you know, the ones that yell loudly when speaking to someone that doesn’t understand English as if the other person is deaf…) It may be hard when adjusting to culture shock, but the best way to get past it is to simply embrace it. If you can’t … just say you’re from Canada and all the questions will go away.

“Tap Water is For The Prisoners”: When I was thirteen, I went to Europe for two weeks on a guided school trip. The tour guide told my class that only prisoners drink tap water, so we shouldn’t order it at a restaurant. Forget that, live like a prisoner. Unlike in the states, restaurants just don’t bring out water for you. They tend to bring out bottled water, and after walking around Amsterdam all day, finishing off one of those babies happens fast…as does racking up a huge bill. Unless you really have a problem drinking tap water, order it. Not only will it save you money, but it will be cold. Most restaurants will serve you room temperature bottled water, but if you want something icy cold … tap water is the only way you’ll get those extra ice cubes. Free, cold water? No complaints there!

Transportation made easy: With an abundance of train services, ferry boats, and cheap flights (EasyJet and Ryan Air – however, beware of extra fees), traveling from one country to the next is affordable and a must for any European experience. If you shop around for the best deals, you can save lots of money hopping from Belgium to France in one weekend. Although taking the train may seem foreign (trains are rarely utilized in the USA as a form of fast, easy transportation), it is the best way to see Europe. Really, how can you complain when you’re on your way to Paris for the weekend with countryside outside your window?

Hold the Anchovies: I ordered a ceasar salad expecting just you’re standard plate of lettuce and ceasar sauce, but instead, I got a plate full of anchovies (complete with their eyeballs still intact) and a mayo sauce. Make sure when ordering at a restaurant you are as specific as can be or else you may be surprised. Also, if you like your meat cooked a certain way, tell your waiter or else you’re “well done” steak may come out bloody and pink. However, if you can get past some food differences, indulge yourself in as much cultural foods as possible, i.e. when in France, live off of croissants and macaroons!

See the sights: While a lot of my study abroad group got wasted every night, a good amount chose to see the sights. You are abroad, so why are you blacked out outside of Big Ben? A big mistake that a lot of abroaders make is mixing culture with fun – they think they can’t. You paid a lot of money to go abroad, so it is important to see everything that you can. No one wants to come back from Europe to say “I skipped out on the Mona Lisa because I was hung over” or “I couldn’t climb to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral because I was puking in a pub instead.” Party and have a great time, but prioritize what you are going to see. If you can schedule your days ahead, you can save a lot of time for partying and pub crawls later.

Be a local: Instead of eating at restaurants you are familiar with or sticking to simple tourist destinations, expand your travels and pretend you are a local. Ask opinions of the receptionist at your hostel of where to eat. Find out what shopping areas aren’t as famous and go see what you can dig up there. Try new foods and drink. For example, you can’t leave London without at least trying their fish and chips once. Don’t just stick to the same old path everyone else is, explore the beaten path and you will have a much more rewarding experience of culture and understanding of the area along the way.

Happy Traveling!

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman, so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like the ever controversial jeggings!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

The time has come once again to start picking classes for spring semester (really? didn’t we just do this?) and my mind turns to places that won’t be covered in grey slush come January. Places with warm, sunny vistas and boys with sexy accents. In other words, places abroad.

The appeal, of course, of study abroad is distinctly held in the ”abroad” part. It’s a chance to go off and live somewhere exotic, and yet, have the safety net of a very specific purpose and time period (not to mention a built-in group of people who speak your language). With study abroad, you get the chance to soak up a new culture and really be a part of it, instead of the way you rush through on vacations. Plus, you can go to a place you’d never really be able to afford to live in and because of the school, you can make it work.

And even putting aside the sights, the food, and the boys with sexy accents, there is one other major perk of study abroad. Just like when you first moved off to college, you get a new start, a chance to reinvent yourself with people who probably didn’t see that time you made the walk of shame with your underwear hanging out of your purse.

But even things involving boys with sexy accents (did I mention that already?) have their downsides, and it’s true for study abroad too. Going off to another country is a much bigger move than most of us make for college, and it’s not just leaving behind those weekend trips home (and the way your mom lovingly folds your laundry when you visit) or all the memories your friends back on campus are making together. Without you. Just like moving to college the first time, you’ll be starting over, having to make new friends in a strange new place and this time you might not even speak the language. If you had freshman depression, this might not be a road you want to travel. And there is also an expense involved in doing some study abroad programs. Though most schools do their best to make it viable for all students, if you’re trying to put yourself through school, it just might be out of reach.

What do you think, ladies? Would you want to try your hand at school in a foreign country? Have you? Or do you think that going abroad might be a little more than you’re looking for from college? Duke. It. Out.

Let’s just hope you never have to know how to say this one. Although, from our experiences with guys abroad, this convo is a given.

[Photo courtesy of failblog.org]