CHESTER, Pa., Jan. 10, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Three college students are using an interactive educational reality show called BlogAbroad.com to bring study abroad to the masses.
As they study in Hong Kong and Budapest, and an Indian student comes to New York University, they share an audience of reality show fans, academics and future study abroad students tracking their experiences.
The difference between their show and others like MTV's The Real World is that BlogAbroad.com is posted over the Internet via an interactive Web log, or blog. It also focuses on academics and life discovery, and originated the trend that led to such clones as NBC's Junior Year Abroad.
Richard Romeo from San Antonio, Cynthia Hall from Tennessee and Sahana Sharan from Karnataka, India are trying to entertain people while informing them about the realities of studying abroad.
And for Sharan, who is seeking a graduate degree at the prestigious NYU, it is an opportunity to show that America is still the best location for foreign students seeking a higher education, despite recent negative press and tightened VISA restrictions.
All their stories are posted as journals at www.BlogAbroad.com. Viewers are able to read these posts as well as see pictures and listen to periodic podcasts to help them associate voices and faces with words. Viewers can also respond to the bloggers and ask questions or make comments.
This is the fifth season of BlogAbroad.com, and what made previous seasons successful was that for the first time ever, the audience could interact with the star of the show. The audience actually became the supporting cast. The new season hopes to improve on its predecessor with even higher levels of interaction.
"The first four seasons were a breakthrough for the reality show genre," says Mark Shay, president of StudyAbroad.com, the company behind BlogAbroad.com. "This new season will continue to innovate and give the audience an influence over the show like never before. Plus, while being highly entertaining, BlogAbroad.com is a terrific educational tool. It is a way to show firsthand what it is like to study abroad, and we anticipate our new bloggers will take us on amazing and unique adventures, expanding our understanding of the world."
The three bloggers were chosen from hundreds of study abroad students who competed for the part. Two judges chose them based on a 250-300 word written audition as well as answers to a few questions.
Sahana, who says, "I had dreamt of writing articles and having people read them all over the globe," believes that BlogAbroad.com gives her, "a new sense of responsibility and accountability to my own self."
Beyond personal gain, however, all three bloggers look forward to sharing their lives. Or, as Cynthia Hall puts it, "From glorious scenery to fascinating foreign friends, country-hopping adventures, brilliant historical landmarks and even the frustrating mishaps that come with any worthwhile experience, I am ready to tell it all."