FAQs Archive

Q: Can family and friends visit?

Your parents are welcome to visit you, but be sure to call the office to make arrangements prior to purchasing tickets. It often works best for your parents to visit at the end of your semester or during your scheduled vacation days so you don’t miss any teaching days. You will not know your vacation dates until you arrive in-country (they are set by the host school) which can make planning a visit a little tricky. ILP cannot predict your vacation dates, so your parents will likely need to wait to purchase tickets or plan on visiting you after your ILP semester ends. Friends and siblings are not allowed to visit during your semester unless they are accompanying your parent’s visit. If your friends and siblings would like to visit on their own, they can schedule a trip with you once your ILP semester is completed (if you choose to travel on your own afterward).

Q: Is traveling on vacation expensive?

We know travel is a huge part of your experience abroad and often ends up being most of your personal spending budget. But since you and your ILP group are planning where to go, where to stay, and how to get there, you can have some control of how much you’ll spend. How much you spend on vacation will vary — flying is going to be more expensive than taking trains or buses, certain countries are going to be more expensive than others, etc. Volunteers who have managed their money well on other things (like eating out and buying souvenirs) were able to attend all trips during vacation time with a $1,500ish budget while a few others who opted for more expensive experiences have reported spending closer to $5,000 throughout the semester. Just remember: how much you spend abroad is completely up to you. We have had volunteers get by on less, and have had volunteers who have spent more than double that amount. If you cannot afford to travel, you are welcome to stay in your city during vacation times. Certain ILP countries do require that you leave the country at some point to abide by visa rules, so if you’re planning to not travel, please let your representative know so that you can be placed in the right country for you.

Q: Will I have free time or vacations?

You’ll have every Saturday and Sunday off, plus a few vacation dates scattered throughout your semester. Usually, it works out to be around 9 days off from volunteer days (in addition to your free weekends). You will not know your travel dates until you arrive in-country; your school and your Local Coordinator will figure out your vacation dates. Usually, semesters have a couple of 3- or 4-day weekends, plus a longer vacation that may be around 5 days off from teaching (plus the time off you get on the weekend, of course).

Q: Will I teach by myself?

You will be teaching alone, but in rare cases you may team-teach. It’s natural if you feel nervous about this at first, but you will be surprised how comfortable you become leading an activity (it's one of the skills we hope your ILP semester abroad will teach you!). Remember, the groups are small and your students are excited to be there – even if they’re too cool to show it.