Studying abroad is amazing, and those who want to experience it should definitely make every effort to do so, but I’ve found that many don’t know how. One of the most common things I heard when I told other students that I had committed to studying in New Zealand for a semester was along the lines of, “That sounds so cool, I wish I could do that but it sounds too hard/stressful/confusing”. The truth is that getting from point A, wanting to study abroad, to point B, actually studying abroad, isn’t that difficult as long as you’re willing to devote a couple hours each week to the process. This process should be started as early as possible, although most advisors recommend starting one semester prior to when you want to study abroad.
The first step in my process was narrowing down where I thought I wanted to go. Luckily for me, New Zealand has been at the top of my list since I was very young, but plenty of students who study abroad had no idea where they wanted to go at the start of the journey. Whichever one you are, you’ll have plenty of resources available to you to help you choose. I suggest first to do some research on your own, whether that be talking with friends who have studied abroad, attending the university study abroad fair, or just finding information online. My recommendation is to narrow it down to three countries that seem the most rewarding to you, and then set up an appointment with a study abroad advisor.
If your parents are anything like mine, you’ll head into that advisory appointment with a full page of questions. Don’t worry, these advisors are used to it and are a great resource to help put a lid on your parents worry as well as your own. This meeting will be the first of a few to help you along the path to studying abroad. The first meeting is about working with your advisor to find specific schools in your countries of interest that have programs with your major. Once you’ve done this, it’s time to once again do some of your own research into these schools. Decide what you’re looking for when it comes to a new university abroad. Do you want to be in a city? Do you want to be near the coast? How large would you like the university to be? How much are you willing to pay for tuition? These are all questions you should have in mind when researching universities abroad.
The next step is meeting with your academic advisor. I suggest doing this once you have narrowed down the potential universities to two or three. If student’s have studied there before, your advisor should have a list of classes that successfully transferred back, and they can help you choose which classes to take so that you can stay on track for your expected graduation. This was the part of the process that for me was the most difficult, since many of the classes that transfer back for my major were only offered during fall semester at the university I chose. However, I worked closely with my advisors and determined four classes that I could take that had the highest chance of transferring back. In some instances, if you have the name of the professor teaching the course you are considering taking, you can email them and ask for a course syllabus. This can be given to your academic advisor who can pass it on to those who will be able to evaluate the course and let you know what credit requirement it could fulfill. Once this is done, it’s time to apply to your top universities. Each university will have different requirements and paperwork needed before applying, and these details will be provided to you online or through your study abroad advisor.
While you’re waiting to hear back from the programs you’ve applied to, it’s time to start applying for scholarships. Iowa State offers a range of study abroad scholarships, some university wide, and some through your specific college. Your study abroad advisor will also have a list of websites available that have offered students study abroad scholarships before, and you can do some research on your own to find a few.
Throughout this process, it’s important to keep a budget in mind. Work with your parents, or whoever may help fund your college education, and determine what a reasonable amount is for you to spend. I spent 6 months on my own saving up for my study abroad adventure, you may or may not need more time. The best thing I can say is the earlier you start researching and budgeting, the more smoothly this entire experience will go. Take advantage of the resources provided to you, and don’t be afraid to make the decision to study abroad, you won’t regret it!