Making the decision to go abroad is already a hard decision, and narrowing down where to go can make the process even more difficult. At first when thinking about where to go abroad, I had no idea where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. Ultimately, I decided I wanted to go to a Spanish speaking country. I chose Granada because of the political science opportunities. After starting to learn even more in my pre-departure meetings, I am so happy with my decision!
- Attend Info Sessions
Attending Holy Cross Information Sessions was one of the key ways for me when narrowing down where I wanted to go abroad. There are 51 different programs to choose from at Holy Cross. According to the Institute for International Education, Holy Cross is ranked 1st out of all the baccalaureate institutions in the US with long term study abroad programs.
- Do your own research into programs
Beyond attending info sessions, it is so important to be doing your own research when you are thinking about going abroad. Look into the different programs offered and make sure the one you are picking has what you are looking for.
- Research the area!
I would argue that an even more important aspect of the study abroad search process is researching the different locations. The most important part of the experience is delving into the culture of wherever you choose to go. After some research, I had decided I wanted to go somewhere Spanish speaking, but I had to delve deeper into the information about the area to decide if Granada was the right choice for me.
- Talk to people who have been abroad!
The most comforting thing for me when making this decision was hearing all of the wonderful experiences that my peers have had abroad and in Granada specifically. I was able to learn so much about what it is really like to go to Granada for an entire semester.
- Follow your heart!
Studying abroad is about choosing what experience you think will be the best one for your college experience. I think everyone should go abroad in some form throughout their college years. If you choose not to go abroad for a whole semester or year, you can always do a Maymester for a few weeks and still get a similar experience. These opportunities are often college specific and should not be passed up.