Starting college is a big step. You move somewhere new, live with people you probably have not met before and are in charge of your life for what might be the first time ever. It can be stressful for most people. Now, imagine having to do that in a completely different country. It’s exhilarating and beyond terrifying all wrapped into one. You have to figure out a totally new culture, and how to handle life in a different language (depending on where you go of course!).
For anyone thinking about taking those first steps toward studying in a different country, I offer you my experience and important things to take into account before stepping off your home campus and onto a foreign one:
Now this first step may seem a bit silly, but it is an important first step to take! Make sure your campus has study abroad options for your major. You don’t want to start prepping to leave the country and find yourself without any actual study abroad options. Your university should have a specific study abroad website with a place to search for your major and its options. If you can’t find that, then reach out to your study abroad advisor or even your regular advisor! I am sure they could help you figure out which direction to go. I started with my linguistics professor, who was in charge of the program I was a part of in Bilbao, Spain!
After you have figured out whether or not you have somewhere to study, you are gonna want to meet with your study abroad advisor to figure out what you need to be accepted into the program. For me I just had to fill out health forms and create an account with STEP, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. This is through the U.S. Government and it is a way to enroll your trip with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in the country you’ll be in. This is just another step to keep you safe while outside the country! My program did not require me to write an essay for my application, but I know that a lot of other programs will, so be prepared to write about why you want to study abroad and should be accepted to the program! (This is not to say that you will be rejected, as most students will get accepted as long as forms are signed and submitted.)
After that, congrats! You’re going to study abroad! This part is just as important as preparing, both mentally and physically, to leave the country for an extended period of time. I had been to Spain before, but never alone and never to the part where I would be studying. All I knew was that I was scared, not even just nervous, but scared. It is easy to say now that I was filled with both fear AND excitement, but it did not feel like it then. The mental preparation was definitely more difficult than the physical. Of course, I did wait until three days before I left to start packing. Not my brightest moment, but I just thought how can I pack if I need most of the things that are going into my suitcase?
Like a true procrastinator, I got everything packed in time, but I did not prepare for the hardest part- saying goodbye to my family. I knew I would be seeing my mom and brother in a few months for spring break when they came to visit, but I just was not prepared to say goodbye to them. I was also sad to say goodbye to my cat, but in true cat fashion, she did not care. This is one thing I wish I had done better, so I am telling you now that you must prepare yourself to say goodbye to family and/or pets.
The final step is crucial: have the time of your life! I can tell you with confidence that studying abroad is the best choice I have ever made. I miss Bilbao with every fiber of my being every day, and the friends you make abroad will more than likely become lifelong. I will also tell you that this is supposed to be an amazing experience for you, don’t let the study part of study abroad spend too much time on the backburner, because this is still an educational trip.
If you do end up studying abroad, do not forget to travel, especially if you’re in Europe because you can get really cheap tickets. Long weekends and spring break are the best time to broaden your horizons. Take it from me, studying abroad helped me get my list of visited countries up to 19 (not including the U.S. since I live here).
Overall, I highly recommend studying abroad if you are able to. You may think that it sounds like a long time away from home, but that time will be gone in the blink of an eye, I promise you that. I also promise that if you go, you will never regret it.