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Jenna
Student
United Kingdom
1
Question
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What year of college would be the best to study abroad?
Hi! I'm about to start college in the fall. It's been exciting getting ready for it, but I still have a lot of questions! One of them being: is it smart to study abroad early on in college or later on in my junior or senior year? I would love to go study in Germany but I'm not sure if it would be a good plan to do it now.
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3 answers
Rafael Diaz Montelongo
Consultant
563
Answers
Raleigh, North Carolina
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Rafael’s Answer
Hey Jenna, how exciting that you're thinking about studying in Germany! Most students find that sophomore year or the fall of junior year tends to be the sweet spot for studying abroad. Freshman year is usually best spent settling into college life, building your friend group, meeting with advisors, and locking down your major requirements so you know exactly which credits will transfer. By sophomore or early junior year you'll have a clearer picture of your degree plan, making it easier to choose courses abroad that actually count toward graduation instead of delaying your timeline. Waiting until senior year can get tricky because you're usually finishing up capstone projects, applying for jobs or grad school, and wrapping up final requirements. If Germany is your goal, start researching your school's exchange programs and partnerships now so you can plan your course sequence around it, and look into whether studying German language courses early on might be beneficial or required for your program. The key is to talk to your study abroad office during your first semester so you can map everything out with plenty of time!
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach, Mentor
1209
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Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
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Karin’s Answer
Hi Jenna,
Rafael gave very good advice already. I would like to add that you should think about why you want to study abroad and what you hope to get out of it.
Some students are just interested in parties and travel and to pass some easy courses. Fair enough. You can see a lot of Europe while you are there. It probably won't help your study goals much though.
Some students just want to pass classes that are more or less identical to classes at home and transfer the credit. Fair enough. You'll finish on time and still experience a different culture.
I think you get the most out of your study-abroad if you take classes and activities that you don't have at your home university. Every university is different. Add something to your curriculum that's different.
If you plan to go to graduate school, you could also use your study-abroad to find a school you might want to attend or a specialization that you would like to pursue in the future.
What I mean by that:
If you are a geologist, you can of course take some generic geology courses abroad. Or, you can pick a university close to interesting geological phenomena and do field work there. Going e.g. to Iceland would be a unique opportunity. In this case going later rather than earlier in your studies would be better.
If you are an anthropologist, e.g. going to South Africa to study the Cradle of Humankind would be a unique opportunity.
If you are an engineer who is interested in robotics, but your university doesn't have robotics, going to a university that does and taking their robotics courses would add something to your degree.
I realize that this approach might prolong your studies and not everybody will be able to do that. But it's worth a consideration as it will set you apart from other graduates who have all done the same curriculum.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Rafael gave very good advice already. I would like to add that you should think about why you want to study abroad and what you hope to get out of it.
Some students are just interested in parties and travel and to pass some easy courses. Fair enough. You can see a lot of Europe while you are there. It probably won't help your study goals much though.
Some students just want to pass classes that are more or less identical to classes at home and transfer the credit. Fair enough. You'll finish on time and still experience a different culture.
I think you get the most out of your study-abroad if you take classes and activities that you don't have at your home university. Every university is different. Add something to your curriculum that's different.
If you plan to go to graduate school, you could also use your study-abroad to find a school you might want to attend or a specialization that you would like to pursue in the future.
What I mean by that:
If you are a geologist, you can of course take some generic geology courses abroad. Or, you can pick a university close to interesting geological phenomena and do field work there. Going e.g. to Iceland would be a unique opportunity. In this case going later rather than earlier in your studies would be better.
If you are an anthropologist, e.g. going to South Africa to study the Cradle of Humankind would be a unique opportunity.
If you are an engineer who is interested in robotics, but your university doesn't have robotics, going to a university that does and taking their robotics courses would add something to your degree.
I realize that this approach might prolong your studies and not everybody will be able to do that. But it's worth a consideration as it will set you apart from other graduates who have all done the same curriculum.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Phylicia Lee, MBA, PMP
Project Manager
5
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Phylicia’s Answer
Jenna,
This is so exciting! I studied abroad myself, and I will say this to anyone who will listen, it was one of the best decisions of my life. I learned so much and I still have friends from my time abroad. I went to college in the state of Pennsylvania and I also was an athlete, so I played volleyball all four years of college. I, like you, knew I wanted to study abroad so I started thinking about it before my first year. The school I attended also had a great study abroad program (about 60% of our graduating class studied abroad), so I took full advantage of talking to other students and working with our study abroad department. I also used my first and second years of college to build relationships with my professors, who ended up being such great support systems throughout my time and upon returning as well.
I studied abroad in France during the spring semester of my junior year (third year). Most professors encouraged students to study abroad in their junior year, and there were even students who decided to do both semesters (so a full school year) - most of those students were pursuing a major in a language.
Just like KP and Rafael mentioned, think about your why. Why would you like to study abroad (and what would you like to gain from it)? I encourage it and you will gain so much wisdom from the experience - more than just what you'll learn in a classroom environment. Also learn about the program types - I was pursuing a concentration in French and decided to do the French immersion program and not in a major city like Paris. My goal was to improve my French and to live with a host family to also immerse myself in the culture and the French way of life. I also asked my professors for advice and connections to other students pursuing the same path.
You are in a great position to be thinking about it now. I'll re-emphasize the point to allow yourself to settle into college the first two years, and plan a study abroad semester your junior year (that's the sweet spot). Allow your senior year to be finishing up your degree and spending valuable time with your friends while you're still altogether in an environment like this one!
I wish you the best of luck, and if you ever get stuck, lean on your professors and fellow students who have had the experience.
Best,
Phylicia
This is so exciting! I studied abroad myself, and I will say this to anyone who will listen, it was one of the best decisions of my life. I learned so much and I still have friends from my time abroad. I went to college in the state of Pennsylvania and I also was an athlete, so I played volleyball all four years of college. I, like you, knew I wanted to study abroad so I started thinking about it before my first year. The school I attended also had a great study abroad program (about 60% of our graduating class studied abroad), so I took full advantage of talking to other students and working with our study abroad department. I also used my first and second years of college to build relationships with my professors, who ended up being such great support systems throughout my time and upon returning as well.
I studied abroad in France during the spring semester of my junior year (third year). Most professors encouraged students to study abroad in their junior year, and there were even students who decided to do both semesters (so a full school year) - most of those students were pursuing a major in a language.
Just like KP and Rafael mentioned, think about your why. Why would you like to study abroad (and what would you like to gain from it)? I encourage it and you will gain so much wisdom from the experience - more than just what you'll learn in a classroom environment. Also learn about the program types - I was pursuing a concentration in French and decided to do the French immersion program and not in a major city like Paris. My goal was to improve my French and to live with a host family to also immerse myself in the culture and the French way of life. I also asked my professors for advice and connections to other students pursuing the same path.
You are in a great position to be thinking about it now. I'll re-emphasize the point to allow yourself to settle into college the first two years, and plan a study abroad semester your junior year (that's the sweet spot). Allow your senior year to be finishing up your degree and spending valuable time with your friends while you're still altogether in an environment like this one!
I wish you the best of luck, and if you ever get stuck, lean on your professors and fellow students who have had the experience.
Best,
Phylicia