I am assuming if you are reading this, you have decided to study abroad and you are freaking out about the process of applying and everything that entails. Well, I'm here to ease your mind and tell you that most of the stress you will experience will be in the planning phase of studying abroad and the rest will be smooth sailing.
Take them or leave them, but here are five pointers that I wish I was told before applying to study abroad:
1. Start Your Application Early
Depending on your school, some applications are rolling admissions. In order to ensure a spot, you should start to fill out the application a few months in advance. With everyday frivolities getting in the way, it is easy to forget to finish your application and miss crucial deadlines.
For my school's application process, I needed to get recommendations from my advisors and one professor I had recently taken a class with. Advisors and professors aren't always on top of things, so by asking this favor early will save you a lot of stress down the road.
Your application also includes the visa process and this is imperative to start early, but I will go into more detail about this in a later post.
2. Research the Program and Destination
Before you get your heart set on a program or destination, please do some research. It may be a country that you have wanted to go to for the longest time, but it doesn't mean it is the right place for you to study abroad. For example I had always dreamed of studying in Paris to become a true Parisian, but I found out after meeting with my study abroad coordinator that they didn't have a program that would suit me.
Oh and I also realized that Paris weather is below par compared to the French Riviera's weather!
Most schools have affiliations with study abroad programs. A few examples of these programs are CEA, SIP, and CIEE. Before getting tunnel vision on one program, you should look at what programs can best accommodate the classes you need to take in order to graduate. By going to the study abroad website, you are also able to see ALL of the programs they offer and ask your home institution which will be the best for the classes you need to take. You also may discover places you never thought you could study in and discover a new found love for a country.
If you plan on taking only elective classes or core classes, you should be fine with any liberal arts program because a majority of programs offer them. However, if you plan on taking classes that relate to your major, you should do some research to make sure your credits will transfer back to your school.
I chose CEA, which directed my attention to the SKEMA Business School. They had the best program in France for Business Majors, as well as those who just want to take Liberal Arts classes and be on the French Riviera.
3. Speak with Your Study Abroad Coordinator
Please do this. Pretty please. I know this is just another task to pile onto what you already have going on, but set aside some time during your college schedule to speak with your coordinator. They are the person to ask all the necessary questions:
"Will my credits transfer?"
"What courses are offered?"
"How much will the program cost?"
I spoke to mine two semesters before I wanted to study abroad. This way, I was able to ask any necessary questions that would be helpful to know the answer to for future reference.
They may also be able to answer some questions about the cost, but the best division to ask would be your school's financial service office.
4. GET YOUR PASSPORT!!!
This might be a no brainer, but trust me people forget. While you are able to get it expedited if you are in a time crunch, it's better to have it off your plate a few months in advance because the fee for expediting your passport can be upwards of $200.
If you already have a passport, you should check when it expires. If the expiration date is while you are abroad, you should try and get it renewed because frankly you can't travel with an expired passport.
A good rule of thumb to follow is to have your passport valid for at least 6 months after you arrive into the country.
5. Talk Money
It is a daunting task to set aside money for the program fee, visa fee, travel, food, etc. However if you start talking logistics with your parents or caretakers early, you can save yourself a late night breakdown later on.
Over the Summer of 2019, my mom and I sat down to discuss how much money I would have to make over the summer and how much I would have to set aside in order to follow through with my dream. It definitely was not an easy conversation because both parties kept getting frustrated, but eventually we made a budget sheet that helped tremendously!
There are also so many scholarships on the Internet that are made for study abroad semesters. CEA has a whole page dedicated to scholarships and the applications are generally just a few simple essay questions.
Comments