So, you’ve decided that you want to study abroad. Now the question is do you do a semester program or a summer program and more importantly, where do you want to go?! If any of you attended the study abroad fair a couple of weeks ago, I’m sure you were at least slightly overwhelmed. Africa, Australia, Europe, or South America? External or internal program? The decision certainly isn’t easy!
Here are some tips for deciding on a study abroad program:
- Decide whether you want to do a semester or summer program. Many students struggle with the decision to study abroad for an entire semester or for a summer. If you can swing it, I definitely recommend going for an entire semester. It is definitely difficult to leave BC for that long but BC will still be here when you get back and the experiences you have abroad are definitely worth it! With that being said, due to one’s major or course load, an entire semester isn’t always possible. If that’s the case you should definitely do a summer program! There are summer programs that can help you fulfill your core and major, or you could explore a new and interesting topic in a new and interesting country.
- Narrow down your search to a few countries (if possible). Even if you’re not entirely sure which country you want to study abroad in, you probably at least have an idea. If not, do you already speak a foreign language or do you want to learn a specific foreign language? That is certainly one way to narrow your search. Once you’ve narrowed your search, it is much easier to continue researching!
- Set up an initial appointment with an advising assistant at OIP. Setting up an initial appointment is easy! You can do it over the phone or online through the OIP page on the BC website. The advising assistant can give you more information about the process of studying abroad, the programs and/or countries you might be interested, and give you some helpful tips to narrow your search even further.
- Talk to your upperclassmen friends. Chances are that even if you don’t specifically know someone who studied abroad in one of the countries you’re interested in, one of your upperclassmen friends probably does. Reach out to them and ask! Most upperclassmen (myself included) are more than happy to talk about their experiences abroad and help you decide whether or not the program they participated in is a good fit for you. These upperclassmen are also great preferences for once you decide on a program because they can help you in the packing, travelling and living situation questions.
- Research, research, research. I can’t stress this enough. I spent hours researching study abroad programs and I was only researching the programs in Italy because I knew I definitely wanted to study abroad there. It’s extremely important to research the programs themselves to make sure you can take the classes you need and that those classes will transfer back. It’s also important to research the city in which the program is located: what is there to do when you’re not in class, how easy is it to travel to and from the city, and most importantly, does the food sound appetizing (I’m serious about this one…food abroad is an extremely important part of the experience)?
Whichever program you end up choosing in whichever country on whichever continent, know that you will have an amazing time! Your experience abroad is what you make of it!
Photo Sources:
Michelle Goldstein- Her Campus BC Photographer
Morgan Gibbons- Her Campus BC Publicity Director
http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-study-abroad-3/