So I Want to Study Abroad... Now What?

You’ve chatted with your friend, your older sister, your neighbor, your cousin and your mom’s friend’s son. They’ve all gone abroad. They’ve returned home more cultured, excited about life, eager to continue traveling, and overall more interesting. You know that you too want to study abroad but just aren’t sure where exactly to get started. Here are a few tips for how to get underway with the process:

1. Figure out what your school offers: Are you at a community college, small liberal arts school, private university or large public university? Wherever you are, you likely have some study abroad options available to you, though those options will vary. At a community college or small liberal arts college, you may have limited options. Not interested in what is available to you? Check with third-party program providers (*Note: It may or may not be easy to work with a third-party program provider, depending on the institution you are affiliated with. Be sure to speak with an advisor to find out more information).
2. Do your research: If you’re at a large public university, you likely have an overwhelming number of study abroad options available to you. How do you navigate this? Do a bit of research. What region of the world interests you? Do you want to learn a foreign language? Do you want to live in a big city, suburb or rural area? Do you want to move abroad for an extended period of time or a summer? Figure out what works for you personally, academically and financially.
3. Work with your advisors: I recommend that you meet with a study abroad advisor to learn more about the program(s) that interest you. Ask about the duration of the program, cost, housing and meal options, transportation, in country cost of living, classes and available scholarships you can apply. I also advise that you ask if there is a past participant that you may contact. You should also meet with an academic advisor to see how study abroad can fit with your academic schedule and progress, and a financial aid advisor to see how your loans, scholarships and grants may apply towards your study abroad program.
4. Apply for scholarships: Many students wait to be accepted into a study abroad program before applying for study abroad scholarships- DO NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE! I’ve had numerous students crying in my office because they missed the deadline for scholarships and they are not sure how to fund the program they already put a down payment on. You should look for scholarships (and sometimes apply for scholarships) as you apply for your study abroad program. I know this may seem a little backwards, but some scholarships only have once or twice a year deadlines. This is especially common for the large National Distinguished Scholarships such as the Boren Awards and the Gilman International Scholarship . It is also important to have a plan B. Scholarships are never a guarantee. Though I always encourage students to apply for as many scholarships as possible, you need to be sure to have a solid funding plan.

At the end of the day, this experience is yours. Be sure to take ownership of it. It’s your time, energy and (possibly) money after all. Set goals for yourself during and after the application process. I understand that as a student, the last thing you want to do is put in additional hours researching yet one more thing, but this isn’t your History 101 class, this is your chance to make your international experience dreams come true! The research should be fun. Check out blogs, travel magazines and websites that interest you so that you don’t feel like you’re adding an additional class to your already overloaded schedule.