Make a Plan
Planning is the key to successful study abroad. How well you achieve your personal and academic objectives — and your long-range career goals — depends on your choice of the right country, institution, and program.
Begin planning as soon as possible for departure. A year or more is not too early, especially if you are planning your own program. Use your lead time to:
Consult your campus advisers
If you are a student at a U.S. college or university, your first and most important step is to consult your study abroad and academic advisers. If your campus does not have a study abroad office, work with your academic adviser to identify other key people on campus whose assistance you may need in planning your program abroad. These are likely to include people in the registrar's and admissions offices as well as department heads and deans.
You will also find it helpful to speak with U.S. students who have recently studied abroad, with students from other countries to learn what it is like to be a "foreign student," and with faculty members knowledgeable about international study.
Evaluate your language skills
Language ability is a primary factor in choosing where to study. You must be sufficiently proficient in the language of instruction to understand lectures and read course material. Indeed, many students study abroad specifically to strengthen foreign language skills.
Many U.S. college-sponsored programs are conducted in cooperation with a foreign institution or are taught by foreign faculty. The language of instruction is often the language of the host country. If you are planning to study in the host country language, be aware that the minimumeligibility requirement for most U.S. college-sponsored programs is two years of study at the college level or the equivalent.
If you enroll directly in a foreign university, courses are usually taught in that country's language. U.S. students typically must take language proficiency examinations for admission to foreign universities. If your language skills need improvement, many foreign educational institutions offer U.S. students special courses in the language and culture of their countries. American institutions sponsor similar programs.
Lack of proficiency in a foreign language does not restrict your study to the United Kingdom or Australia. English language options exist all over the world. In many countries, you can choose among programs taught entirely in the language of the host country, taught both in English and a foreign language, or taught entirely in English. However, your understanding of the country will be greater — and your appreciation of your experience will likely be deeper — if your program includes development of language skills.
Choose a location
About two-thirds of U.S. students abroad study in Western European nations. For those who want to know more about the languages and civilizations that are the origin of much of our culture, Western Europe is an attractive option. However, increasing numbers of students are choosing to study in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
The cultures of developing countries contrast sharply with the United States and offer provocative insights into our own society, values, and larger world role. With over 80 percent of the world's population living in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, a better understanding of nations in these parts of the globe is valuable preparation for life in an increasingly interdependent global society.
Other options include study in the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and the industrialized nations of East Asia, all of which have increasing impact on the United States. More study abroad opportunities in these nations have become available in the 1990s and will probably increase in the next century.
Arrange academic credit
Find out how international study will affect your degree and graduation requirements before making final decisions about your study plans. Your adviser can guide your evaluation of study abroad programs in relation to your academic needs — and may be able to help arrange academic credit.
Many U.S. college-sponsored study abroad programs award academic credit. However, your college may or may not recognize academic credit awarded by another institution's study abroad program. Students who assume they will earn U.S. credit for study abroad are often disappointed upon their return. Granting credit is never automatic.
If you are considering another U.S. institution's program, first make sure the institution isaccredited by a recognized accrediting body. Accreditation is the process by which U.S. educational institutions are evaluated for performance, integrity, and quality; institutions are reviewed periodically for maintenance of academic standards.
Credits earned at an accredited U.S. institution are transferable in the sense that they are able to be transferred, but it is the decision of the receiving institution whether the credits actually transfer, and if so whether they fulfill general education or major requirements, or whether they count as electives.
Check with your study abroad or academic adviser to determine if credits you earn on another school's program will be accepted on your campus. At many colleges or universities this is done through the study abroad office. At other institutions, it is handled by the admissions office or registrar in conjunction with academic departments. Well before you leave the United States, find out the procedure to ensure receipt of credit and obtain a written document confirming that credit will be awarded.
If you are attending a university abroad, the credits you earn will most likely be evaluated on your campus as foreign transfer credit. You can maximize your chances of receiving credit on your campus by bringing back as much documentation as possible on your academic program: course syllabi, exams, papers, and other work submitted for evaluation.
Arrange transportation and housing
Many U.S.-sponsored study abroad programs include group transportation. In other cases, students are responsible for their transportation to and from the program's location.
Travel agencies can provide advice on special student flights and discounts, student tours, accommodations, and rail passes. If you are arranging your own transportation, check with several agencies to compare fares. Compare the price of an open-ended ticket, in which you return at any point within a specified length of time, with the price of a ticket bearing a stated return date. If you are planning to travel on your own after your program ends, you might want to investigate "open jaw" fares, which allow you to return from a city that is far from your city of arrival.
Foreign government tourist offices, consulates, and embassies provide a variety of free literature about travel to their particular countries. Rail passes, such as the Eurail and Britrail, offer unlimited train travel for periods of one week to three months. Rail passes — many of which must be purchased in the United States before departure — may offer substantial savings to those who will be traveling by rail while abroad. The International Student Identity Card (ISIC) offered by the Council on International Educational Exchange entitles student bearers to numerous discounts on transportation, accommodations, museum entrance fees, and more.
Student housing is difficult to find almost everywhere. Often the choices are few. Many universities have strict quotas for the number of rooms allotted to foreign students. Generally, foreign students live in apartments, pensions, student hostels, or with families. Be sure to find out from your study abroad program representative whether securing housing is the student'sresponsibility, then check on the available alternatives.
Obtain your passport (and visas, if required)
Apply early for a U.S. passport. Processing an application takes four to six weeks — even longer during the peak travel season. You may apply in person at selected post offices, at federal or state courts of records, or at one of the passport agencies of the U.S. Department of State.
A visa is written permission to visit a country granted by the government of that country. If you plan to study in a country for an extended period, you may need a special student visa. Information relating to visas may be obtained from the nearest embassy or consulate of the country concerned. Some embassies and consulates process visa requests quickly, but many do not.
Verify medical insurance
Adequate insurance is important when visiting another country. Before leaving the United States, be sure that your medical and accident insurance policies are valid while traveling abroad. You should verify that your coverage includes medical evacuation and repatriation. Holders of the ISIC receive a basic plan of accident/medical insurance during their travel outside the United States as well as access to an international toll-free hotline for assistance in medical, legal, or financial emergencies. A physical and dental checkup are advised, and you should obtain any special vaccinations and inoculations that may be required or recommended.
Prepare yourself for life outside the United States
Once you have selected your program, prepare for life in a foreign country. If you are going on an organized program, you will probably receive much useful information and guidance at predeparture orientations. Whether you are in a group program or on your own as an independent student, you should become familiar with the country's language, history, culture, and social and political conditions through books, periodicals, plays, films, and exhibitions. Use reference materials at the public library. Request information from the appropriate embassy, consulate, or tourist office. Americans abroad are often asked questions about U.S. government, history, economics, culture, and current events. Your preparation for travel abroad should include a review of these topics.
Think ahead about coming home
As odd as that may sound, part of your study abroad planning should involve your return. Prepare yourself for a period of cultural adjustment when you come back to the United States. Many returning students are surprised to find that adjusting to life "back home" is more difficult than the adjustment they made to life in a foreign country. Why is this? While students understand that study abroad is a life-changing experience, many of them are not immediately aware of how they have changed or how their experience abroad has caused them to look at life in the United States through different lenses.
Many U.S. colleges and universities offer reentry workshops to help students integrate their study abroad experience with their continued life and studies. Such workshops also allow students to talk about their experiences with people they know will appreciate them: other student travelers.When you return to campus from your academic sojourn, consider volunteering as a "past participant" at orientations your study abroad adviser may be organizing for the next group of outbound students.
One other element to think about before you leave the country is what courses you need to take on your return. You may be able to preregister for courses to be taken during the first term after your return. Discuss this option with your study abroad adviser before you depart.
For a listing of organizations and publications offering information about study options abroad, please refer to the Resources for Students and Advisers sections: Organizations and Publications.
