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I was thinking of doing Study Abroad in College, any recommended spots?
My sister did study abroad in college, I'm hoping to do the same. I'm going off her word that it is really fun and eye-opening. Is that the consensus everyone agrees on?
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Tammy’s Answer
Studying Abroad is a wonderful experience. A few others have already pointed out the variety of experiences available. There are options to go with a specific course or program on a trip to study that specific subject in detail (these are usually guided trips, taught in English and short term) or you can actually enroll for an entire semester/year in a formal program in another country. Both have value in different ways and you should probably first start by determining which of these kinds of experiences you are interested in. Personally, I did a semester abroad in London during my Junior year of undergrad. In this situation the program was organized through my study abroad office at my University but once I arrived, I was treated as an international student in that country. I had to register for classes and take a full course load to be considered full time. I lived in the dorms and took classes as any other student in that country. The awesome part of the experience for me was that our program hosted events and mini trips and this included all the American students who were registered in England for that semester through my University program. So not only did I make friends in my classes with people from Britain but then also was able to make friends with other people from my University back home through those experiences. My only regret is that I didn't stay for the entire year but only went for one semester. A few things to consider: do you speak the language of the country? You will be taking classes in the native language. There are financial concerns involved as well. In my case, I was able to work with my study abroad office and was able to use my financial aid at my home University to pay for part of the trip. However, some of the other expenses like airfare and cost of living while there were things I needed to cover on my own. I ended up taking out a loan for a portion of the trip. You will need to save money or have means to pay for a variety of things. First step, go visit your study abroad office at your college! It is a wonderful experience and you will not regret it! Your sister is right!
Visit Study Abroad Office on campus
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Loriel’s Answer
Hello there! As with any trip to another country it can be an eye-opening experience and something that I typically encourage my students to consider. As far as recommendation spots… That should be totally up to you. I would suggest sitting down and thinking where you would most likely want to do your study abroad and also talk to your study abroad office to see what they offer. While it’s helpful to get tips from where other people have gone everybody’s experience and everybody’s likes are not going to be the same as yours. So while some students may go to the Galapagos islands zoology majors other students may venture to the Netherlands or Germany for a World War I experience as history majors. At the end of the day it’s totally up to you and what you want to do.
Myself personally I did you study abroad in my undergraduate. My first study abroad was to France and it was with the O urban studies department. That trip was just the appreciation of architecture and city layouts. Now immediately that was not my degree but it was an opportunity for me to go to France until I took it. My second experience was going to Netherlands and Berlin. I chose to do this study abroad because I’m not really a fan of history and it would fulfill a history requirement that I needed as part of my core classes so I said why not! I learned a lot more on that trip than I would have sitting in a classroom.
Make a list of places that you would possibly want to go.
Schedule an appointment with your study abroad office.
Save money for your potential trip.
If you haven’t done so already get a passport the wait times on those can be a bit long
Myself personally I did you study abroad in my undergraduate. My first study abroad was to France and it was with the O urban studies department. That trip was just the appreciation of architecture and city layouts. Now immediately that was not my degree but it was an opportunity for me to go to France until I took it. My second experience was going to Netherlands and Berlin. I chose to do this study abroad because I’m not really a fan of history and it would fulfill a history requirement that I needed as part of my core classes so I said why not! I learned a lot more on that trip than I would have sitting in a classroom.
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Claudia’s Answer
It is very important that you check with the university that you are attending to see what locations and how their program works. After you do that is important that is related to your degree plan or what you want to study.
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Sophie’s Answer
Hello! Studying abroad is a great opportunity and an amazing life experience. I studied abroad in Rome, Italy for three months for a Communications program at my university, and I was able to visit different Italian cities like Florence and Lucca, and visit major European cities such as London, Paris and Barcelona while I was there. I would highly recommend Rome - there is an incredible amount of history, architecture, art/museums, etc. I gained a huge amount of independence since I traveled to several of these places alone and with friends in my program!
It's a great way to immerse yourself in the city's culture, and it is a much different experience to "live" in a city abroad vs. visiting for a vacation. It was amazing to be able to see the Vatican from my Rome apartment, and I also made lifelong friends with several students in my program!
Keep in mind that study abroad programs can be expensive and will likely have an interview process - I had to write a personal statement and go through three rounds of interviews before I was selected to participate in my university's program. Make sure you have a set budget!
It's a great way to immerse yourself in the city's culture, and it is a much different experience to "live" in a city abroad vs. visiting for a vacation. It was amazing to be able to see the Vatican from my Rome apartment, and I also made lifelong friends with several students in my program!
Keep in mind that study abroad programs can be expensive and will likely have an interview process - I had to write a personal statement and go through three rounds of interviews before I was selected to participate in my university's program. Make sure you have a set budget!
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Ashley’s Answer
My "study abroad" was doing a College Program in Orlando, FL (not too far from my home country of Puerto Rico) but it helped me gain valuable work and life experience. Studying abroad gives you that opportunity (especially if you take courses in that other country) and can even give you friends for life. Sometimes, it's even less costly than going to that country after graduation!