Saturday, June 11, 2011

College-Style

College-Style

What to Consider When Choosing a Study Abroad Trip

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 08:47 AM PDT

By: Brittany R., UGA Alum. Follow me @brittanyareed

As far as academics are concerned, many view studying abroad as one of the most memorable and educational experiences of their collegiate careers.  It certainly was for me.  The bottom line: studying abroad is awesome, however, it's not a joke. There are many things to consider when choosing your study abroad program.

Pick a Place You Love

Here's the deal: this is one of the few times in your life when you can make a decision solely based on what you want — so take advantage of it! Some might say you should go somewhere exotic, or some place historical, or somewhere impoverished.  Here's what I say: do what you say.  It doesn't matter if you've never been there, have traveled there before, or never plan to return.  If you have a dream of living in a certain culture, or there's a place that is significant to you in some way, then that's the place you should try to go.  After all, you're the one who will be living there.

"Well, my school only has study abroad in Europe and Australia…" So, what?  I recommend looking into programs other schools offer.  I studied in Cortona, Italy with the University of Georgia, and we had a large number of students from Texas, California, Iowa, and other states around the country.   Studying through another university's program not only allows you to follow your dream, but also make friends with people you otherwise would never meet.

Italy-study-abroad-advice

This is me, very happy to not only be in Venice, but also excited to be going home in three days! Photo by: Catherine Soden

What if you don't have a clue about where you want to go, you just know you want to get the heck out of the country and spread your wings?  That's fantastic. Here are my guidelines when coming from this perspective:  first, have an idea of how long you are comfortable staying abroad.  My program was 10 weeks, which was fabulous because I wanted to immerse myself in Italian culture.  But by week 8, I found myself longing for an "everything" bagel with cream cheese and a hamburger… okay, and a hug from mom.

Also, be sure you will be comfortable in the country you'll be visiting.  When you're abroad, it's your responsibility to respect the culture of your host country.  You don't want to go stepping on the locals’ toes because you not only will be a poor representation of your home country and your university, but they will be far less willing to help you when you're having a problem finding the right train or bus line.  Another (very) important thing to consider is the cuisine.  If you're a picky eater, it may not be a great idea to go trekking through the Amazon with geologists. Who knows how your sensitive little stomach will handle the fine… delicacies offered to you?

Save, Save, Save

It's very important to be financially stable when studying abroad.  Chances are, you're going to face some

Italy study abroad college girls fashion

This is a picture of the meal I was eating when my purse was stolen. Luckily, my phone, camera, and sunglasses were spared (see them next to my pizza?)

kind of emergency and you'll need a little cushion to lessen the blow.  My emergency was getting my purse stolen in Florence.  Luckily, I was with a friend who bought me a train ticket back to Cortona, but it was nice not having to worry about being broke for the rest of the trip. (Word to the wise:  keep cash on your person, but NEVER carry all of your cash, and for goodness sake, do not think that because the café in the piazza is walled, your belongings are safe).

I was fortunate enough to take the semester preceding my study abroad term off in order to work and save money. If this isn't an option for you, I would definitely recommend picking up a weekend job.  It's definitely worth the sacrifice when you can plan an extracurricular trip with your friends to Amsterdam to, ahem, see the Van Gogh exhibit.

Also, apply for all the scholarships and grants you can.  As I said before, studying abroad is awesome, but it's even more so if you don't have to pay for it! Trust me, you're probably going to be losing a lot of money in exchange rates, so take it where you can get it!

Choose Classes You Love

Finally, schedule a load that will not be overbearing, but also won't cause you to graduate a semester late.  Supposedly, the main point of studying abroad is to study, so if you're going to have to write a paper and take a couple tests, it might as well be over material that excites you.  I majored in interior design and am a huge art dork, so I took furniture design, exhibit design, and Early Italian Renaissance art history.  Those are three of my all-time favorite classes I took in college, so I cannot stress enough: don't decide to take your organic chemistry class in Prague. I can pretty much guarantee you'll regret it.

study abroad Advice for college girls italy fashion style

You don't want this to be you when abroad.

Photo Credit

Are there any readers who feel I left something out or have something to add?? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)