Study Abroad Programs and Guides:

With international travel so easy these days and college kids being much more adventurous than when I was young, studying abroad for a semester or even a full year is commonplace. Study abroad programs are offered through most universities and colleges in the United States. If a student is really serious about studying internationally, they need to look into the options available to them through their university or attempt to enroll through an independent study abroad program. We suggest visiting your Study Abroad Office on your campus and see what they offer. Right now the most popular study abroad destinations are Spain, England, Australia, China, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Japan, and Israel. For years foreigners have been coming to America and studying abroad here to enrich their lives with a quality experience. Now, it has caught on with American students and they want the same opportunity to learn a culture and travel to new places while still getting credit for their studies.

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The first thing to do is make sure you will receive full academic credit for classes you take while studying abroad. Meet with your study abroad advisor or academic advisor to discuss the classes you expect to take abroad. If your college offers a study abroad program, often they will have a list of classes that you can take giving you full credit. Studying abroad is much more than just taking classes in another country - you can build on a 2nd language, get practical living experience internationally, meet new people and learn about different cultures. These are life changing dynamics that can't be taught and that is why so many young college students are looking into study abroad programs. We suggest starting at Studyabroaddirectory.com and search for programs by country or field of study. You will get a list of certified study abroad programs in countries like France and where they are offered. Several of my friends did the study abroad thing in college, one going to London for a semester and the other to France for an entire year. They both loved the experience and took enough college units that it was worth it academically as well. After they were done with the time alloted for the program, they both spent an extra month traveling throughout Europe to further enhance their experience. Both of them used their study abroad programs offered through their college so it ended up being a really easy process with very few hitches.

What you need to know in order to Study Abroad?:

You first need to find a program that fits your needs and find out who runs the program so you can discuss credit transfers, cost, etc. Determine if you will need financing for your study abroad program. Have an application sent to you so that you can begin to fill it out months in advance. Once you are accepted into a study abroad program, you need to start your departure planning with airline tickets, get a valid passport or visa, see if you need insurance (health), research how the laws vary in the country you will be staying in and how it could effect your life, write down a list of emergency phone #'s in and out of the country you will be in, make sure your housing situation is secure, pack light, be prepared for some culture shock and basic adjustments since you will be living in a country that will probably be vastly different than what you are used to. Above all, make sure you have fun no matter where you go and always have extra spending money for those side trips you are bound to take.

Study Abroad Scholarship:

Studying abroad can be done on a budget, but to truly enjoy the experience and get out and do things on a regular basis, you may need to fund it with a scholarship or grant. The best site we found for information on study abroad scholarships, fellowships, and grants for funding study outside the US at an undergraduate, graduate, or PHd level was at Studyabroadfunding.org. You can search the site by country or by subject (accounting, marketing, etc) and see what schools offer what types of scholarship/grant programs. We also liked Internationalscholarships.com, they are the premier "financial aid, college scholarship and international scholarship resource for students wishing to study abroad". Get access to listings of loan programs, scholarships, grants, and other financial information needed for university and college students studying abroad.

Summer Study Abroad:

A great idea is to consider just doing a summer abroad program. This keeps your stay short and still gives you a good taste of living internationally while getting college credit for courses taken. Gseabroad.com offers some excellent summer abroad study programs, our favorite being the Paris, France summer language and culture program. Tuition is about $4095. Students will take French language courses with an emphasis on phonetics. This program includes cultural classes that touch on French literature, arts, economics, and current social problems. The program includes arrival hotel, shared student apartments, tuition, course enrollment, an official transcript from the university, city orientation, weekend excursions and daytrips, cultural events, transportation pass, medical and accidental insurance coverage, an onsite program director and a cell phone. Sign up early since this program sells out fast. It all takes place at the Université Paris Sorbonne - Paris IV. There are countless study abroad programs offered throughout the world, so pick a country that interests you and I'm sure you will find a program that offers classes in your major so you get credit.

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