Taking a semester abroad or participating in a short study abroad program while an international student at a U.S. college or university can give you another perspective on the world and help you gain cross-cultural experience.
If you are an international student in the U.S. who is considering studying abroad, take the steps below to figure out the preparation process for this “double-abroad” journey.
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1. Meet with the study abroad office at your college or university: During your meeting with the study abroad office staff, you can get advice on how to choose a country in which to study, learn about the foreign universities that partner with your college, find out about any available scholarships to help you cover your expenses while overseas and a lot of other important information.
Your application and paperwork process might be a little different from that of your domestic classmates. Constantly check in with the study abroad office representative to ensure that you won’t miss any steps during the process.
The study abroad office may have other resources that can help you. By keeping an eye on the study abroad office’s newsletter, one of my friends learned about a variety of study abroad programs in France and was able to choose the one that matched most closely with her major and study plan.
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2. Plan your study abroad courses with your academic adviser: Your academic adviser can give you a good idea about the areas in your degree’s requirements where you will still need more credits.
Based on this information, you can then choose an appropriate study abroad program that fits your major or minor to help narrow down the list of program you’re interested in. Your academic adviser can also help you check whether the credits you earn in the classes you plan to take abroad will transfer to your school’s degree.
My academic adviser gave me a lot of good advice about how to stay current with my study plan while still being able to take interesting classes abroad. During the preparation process, frequently communicating with your academic adviser and study abroad office representative is a great way to choose the best and most appropriate program as well as tackle any problems that come up.
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3. Talk to the international student services office: Remember that you are still an international student at your American school. You are applying to study abroad in another country for a possibly a short time, a semester or for a yearlong exchange program while you have international student status at your home college.
It’s important to schedule a meeting with your international student services office to inform them about your study abroad plan and learn about the paperwork and process you need to go through to avoid unpredictable situations during the application process.
Both you and your current university know that this double-abroad experience will enrich your education and self-development. I still think that the time I spent in Paris on my double-abroad experience is a treasured part of my undergraduate studies and preparing for it felt like the start of a great adventure.
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3 Steps for International Students Weighing a Study Abroad Program originally appeared on usnews.com