How Does One "Study Abroad"?

As the queen of indecision, narrowing down study abroad programs was – honestly – more daunting than the college application process. Some people go into college with a clear-cut image of their future, whereas the majority of us are just winging it. Some know they want to study fashion in Milan while others are just looking for the next adventure. This is for those of us that never thought too hard about the details. You want to study abroad but don’t really know where to start. No worries, I got your back.

Disclaimer: I am in no way an expert. I’m just an overthinker that probably spends way too much time researching and daydreaming about making my frequent flier dreams come true.

Step #1: Do you want to study abroad?

It’s a simple yes or no question. If yes – Awesome! I’m excited for you. If no – Sorry, I can’t relate – but as always, you do you.

Step #2: Talk to your Advisor

Start with a simple conversation. At the end of the day, your advisor’s job is to keep you on track for graduation by guiding your choices, but they will never make a choice for you – at least a good advisor won’t. Break it down for yourself – you're still on the long road towards self-discovery so no pressure – ask yourself and discuss simple questions such as who, what, where, when, and why? It may sound rather elementary at first but trust me it helps – especially when it comes time to fill out applications. Remember you’re the writer of your own story – cheesy but true.

Who: Who’s studying abroad? YOU – you’re the priority here, don’t make choices just to please or impress others. You DON’T need to defend your choice to others. This experience is solely yours so if a program in the middle of the Amazon sounds awesome don’t let anyone talk you out of it.

• What: What do you want to study? What do you want most out of this experience? What is necessary to stay on track for graduation? What are the basic steps for making study abroad a reality? Remember to take your time answering these questions, it’s not always easy knowing what you want out of life. Articulating your response concisely is often the hardest part, so don’t be afraid to take your time.

• When: When do you want to study abroad? As in what year, what semester, and season of the year because the “Fall” semester in Australia is spring for the southern hemisphere. Consider a sample schedule of courses needed to graduate, because maybe your school offers courses “As Needed.”

• Where: Where do you want to study abroad? Many people go to Europe but there is study abroad programs on all 7 continents – even Antarctica. Consider culture, language, and climate.

• Why: Why is Study Abroad a good fit for you? This is a fundamental question for most applications so really think about it.

Step #3: Reach out to your Study Abroad Office

Depending on the size of your school you should be able to schedule a one-on-one meeting with a member of their staff, if not the director. Just like befriending your community assistant, I recommend getting to know your study abroad office staff, if you end up studying away, you’ll be communicating with them frequently. Don’t be afraid to arrive at the meeting with nothing more than your basic interest in study abroad.

Note: Every university’s study abroad office runs a little bit differently – some are a little more organized than others and some are more personally invested in their student’s experiences than others.

In my experience, there is usually a list of potential programs that a university has previously worked with and actively works with, but some colleges give students the option to apply for external programs – programs that you don’t find on their list.

There are different types of study abroad experiences: study abroad organizations, exchange programs, direct enrollment programs, and university-run programs are the most common.

Following an initial meeting, at the bare minimum, you should walk away with a decent understanding of the application timeline and the following steps to meet deadlines. (I’d recommend starting the process Freshman year just so you have time to plan, and if heaven forbid an international pandemic hits – cough, cough, COVID – you have time to try again the following year)

Step #4: Preliminary Research

This first round of research is specifically intended to create a list of criteria. Imagine writing a list of necessary amenities for your dream house but instead, it’s for your dream study abroad experience – start basic. Consider factors such as:

· Language

· Location

· Subject of study

Step #5: Second Meeting with Study Abroad Advisor

Once I had created my preliminary list of “wants” I had a second meeting with my study abroad director to start accumulating a list of programs to further research.

Step #6: Deep Dive Research

You get out of it, what you put into it so don’t expect this to be a walk in the park. This second round of research is much more tedious and unique to each person’s preferences and goals. I went through my list of programs/colleges and listed out information such as:

· Housing (

homestay, apartment, dorm)

· Food (meal plan, homestay, pension plan)

· Interesting Class Courses (note what semester they are offered if applicable)

· Cultural Activities Offered

· Travel Opportunities (program run and time for personal travel)

· Internship Opportunities

· Random Rules (unique rules set by each study abroad organization)

· Location’s College Student Friendliness (cost of living, crime rate, party scene)

Step #7: Narrowing it Down

With your list of potential programs, slowly start to prioritize criteria and cross off options on your list. During this final stage, I binge-watched vlogs of people’s experiences studying in the programs and locations I was considering. Additionally, this was probably a little extra – even for me – but I got ahold of alumni that attended the various programs I was interested in and had a brief phone call with each individually. Watching and listening to firsthand experiences really sped up my decision-making process.

Much like choosing a college, I still second guess my study abroad decision, so don’t be hard on yourself, you’re always going to wonder what if. Personally, I've found the best mentality when making big life decisions is simply following your intuition. Always follow the path that makes you happiest, and remember people can advise you but they can never make decisions for you.