Plan Your Study Abroad Trip with Five Resources from Abroad 101!

When I decided to go abroad in the fall of 2009 to Parma, Italy, I had very little idea of what I was getting myself into.  Packing was difficult – I had to keep each suitcase under 23 kilos! – and I wasn’t always prepared for the weather.  I spent days looking up websites for information about Parma, talking to friends who had studied there previously and trying to remember to pack things I didn’t even know I needed.  Luckily, those of you going abroad now don’t need to guess the way I did.  Study Abroad 101 is your go-to guide for reviews about programs, packing lists, tips and pointers for how to live in your destination, and even a matchmaker to your perfect study abroad location! 

Here are five of my favorite resources on the site that I think every study abroad student – past, present, or future – should use! 

1. The Matchmaker:  This is a great tool for those of you who are still thinking about going abroad but just can’t decide on a spot!  It helps you narrow your choices down by the things that matter: location, academics, housing, the cost, the culture and tons more!  If Hovey House isn’t being as helpful as you need them to be (probably true), definitely try out this program. 

2. Rankings: Reviews are one of the best ways to decide on a program!  Many times, people will seek out older friends that studied in the locations they’re interested in to find out about housing, money, whether they had a good experience and so on.  Sometimes, though, you don’t have anyone to ask – especially if you’re doing an external program – and these reviews can be an invaluable resource!  Former study abroad sudents rate and review the program, and it even lets you limit your search to BC-approved programs only! 

3. The Blog: The blog acts as a great resource for insider information about living abroad, whether it’s the new phenomenon of woofing or nine reasons to study abroad if you still haven’t been convinced.   Reading through these posts will definitely help you get a sense of what you want out of your program and allow you to decide the best path to take.  It’ll also give you an idea of things you can do or places you can explore that you didn’t even know existed! 

4. List of Providers:  At BC, we’re lucky enough to have a huge study abroad program, but there are still many places that are not accessible by internal programs.  Study Abroad 101 has a list of study abroad program providers (what we call external programs) for you to peruse through should BC not offer what you’re looking for.  Even if BC does have a program where you’re going, it may not be at the school you want, so checking out the list is still helpful! It also lists the reviews of each place so you can read about first-hand experiences from each program. 

5. Insider Tips:  Once you’ve read the reviews, done the research and finally decided on a location, now you must prepare to go!  The insider tips have tools such as an abroad checklist, which helps you to make sure you’ve covered all your bases, and a packing list.  There is also information on how to get scholarship money to go abroad.  From my own experience, money will definitely be tight, and every little bit you can get will help! 

Once you’re back from studying abroad, you will absolutely want to share every detail about your adventures with anyone who will listen.  Reviewing your program on the site is extremely important for helping future students choose their programs and for helping the program you attended and loved to continue!  If you’ve been abroad and back already like I have, it’s a very simple way to take a walk down memory lane and get nostalgic for all your favorite memories and, in my case, the cheap wine!  Studying abroad is one of the best experiences many students have in college, especially when they choose their perfect program.  Hopefully with these resources and a little bit of research, Study Abroad 101 can help you all find the best place to study during your time away from the Heights!