Study Abroad – Everything You Need to Know

A Guide to All Your Questions

A study abroad semester can be an incredibly enriching experience. I’ve personally studied abroad twice and loved it every time. But I also know there are a bunch of questions you ask yourself before you’re ready to go abroad. Here are some of the most common questions and answers, covering everything you need to know about studying abroad.

You can start reading or just jump directly to a question:

• What Is Study Abroad?
• How Can You Study Abroad?
• Who Should Study Abroad?
• Who Should Not Study Abroad?
• When Should You Study Abroad?
• Are Study Abroad Programs Expensive?
• Are Study Abroad Programs Safe?
• Is Study Abroad Worth It?
• Can Study Abroad Students Work?
• What Should I Prepare Before Going Abroad?
• What to Pack to Study Abroad?
• How to Make Friends While Studying Abroad?
• I Just Arrived Abroad. What Are The First Things To Do?
• How Does Study Abroad Change You?

What Is Study Abroad?

If you’ve ever wondered what study abroad means, here’s the answer. Depending on where you’re from, it can have different names: study abroad, Erasmus or exchange semester. But they all describe the same thing: the act of pursuing an educational opportunity in a country different to your own or different to the country you’re attending university. So basically you are leaving the country you are originally studying in, to attend school in a different country, while still earning academic credits.

Study abroad is offered by many universities and colleges and allows you to spend a semester or even a year abroad. There are a few different programs when it comes to study abroad. Whatever option is available often depends on your home university and its regulations.

Direct Enrollment

Students can enrol directly at a foreign university as international students for a semester or more. In this case, students directly apply to a foreign university. Once accepted, students can select their desired courses provided that these courses align with their academic plan, and have been approved by the home university. Credits earned abroad can be transferred to the student’s home university at the end of the study abroad.

Exchange Programs

In this case, students typically swap places with a student from another university for a semester or a year. Universities often have partner programs with other universities to organize this swap. Opposed to the direct enrollment, exchange programs students will apply through their home institution for the exchange program. Sometimes they need to be nominated by their home university, so they can proceed with the host university application process. Students can select the courses they are taking during their exchange semester or exchange year. The courses need to be approved by their home university to ensure the credits can be counted towards their degree. Depending on the agreement between the universities, exchange students remain enrolled at their home institution and pay tuition at their home university.

Internship or Work-Study Programs

These programs combine academic study and work or internship experiences in a foreign country. It’s a way for students to gain professional skills and practical work experience while immersing themselves in a new culture. Often these programs can last from a few weeks up to a year and students can work for a small business, a multinational corporation, a non-profit organization or a government agency, while still attending some classes. Application to these programs can vary. Some universities require an internship and students apply to these programs through their universities. In other cases, students apply directly to the programs or organisations. Typically students will receive academic credits for the internship and the courses taken during these times.

Erasmus

If you’re European, you probably have heard the term “Erasmus”. Many people use “Erasmus” when they talk about studying abroad. The term originally referred to the Eramus+ program, but nowadays is used as a more general term if a student attends a university outside their home institution’s country. The Eramus+ program is a European Union (EU) initiative that aims to promote student mobility within Europe. The program offers many opportunities for students to study, volunteer, train or gain work experience abroad. Originally introduced in 1987, the Erasmus+ program has expanded to also include non-EU countries. Many European universities have agreements and partnerships through the Erasmus program, which ensures that all credits earned during the study abroad can be recognized by the home institution.

How Can You Study Abroad?

To study abroad, you typically need to be enrolled at a university (if you want to live abroad for a while but are not enrolled in a university, here are some other options). Then it depends on what kind of programs your home institution offers. If you are looking at different options make sure that the academic credits you earn abroad are recognized in your home institution.

Once you have selected your destination and or program you can start to apply for it. This also depends a little on if you’re doing an exchange program, a direct enrollment or if you decide to go for an internship or work program.

Theslowtravelista’s experience:

My first time living abroad was in 2018 when I did an exchange semester in California. I went through my Swiss university’s exchange program and applied for everything through them. As far as I know, they nominated me and I then applied to the school in California.

Since I knew even before I started my degree that I wanted to go abroad, I informed myself already in my first year what my options were. I really recommend doing this, so you don’t miss any important deadlines.

Who Should Study Abroad?

Although I think everyone could benefit from living in a different culture for a while, I know realistically it’s not for everyone. But there are a few types of students who definitely should consider studying abroad.

Students Looking For Academic Enrichment

Studying abroad can be especially beneficial if you want to explore specialized courses or academic opportunities which are not available in your home institution. It’s also a great opportunity for those who want to improve their language skills since language immersion can help improve their language skills.

Students With Cultural Interest

Students with an interest in cultures can benefit greatly from studying abroad. If you are open-minded, adaptable and eager to learn about different traditions, and cultures studying abroad can give you a great opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture. It can also challenge your worldview and teach you about global issues, politics, and cultures. Studying abroad will help you increase your understanding and appreciation of diversity. If you are thinking of working with people, for example as a manager, or you want to go into politics, studying abroad can be incredibly beneficial.

Students Seeking Personal Growth

Studying abroad will 100% change and challenge you. The time you are living abroad will continuously push you out of your comfort zone and show you how incredibly capable you are. Students who are seeking personal growth and want to become more open-minded and adaptable should consider some type of study abroad. Living in a different culture is also a great way to question your prejudices and how you view other cultures.

Since your family and friends are all far away, you will have to depend more on yourself, which will make you more mature and independent.

and capable of handling the challenges of living and studying in a foreign country can benefit from the personal growth that comes with overcoming these challenges.

Who Should Not Study Abroad?

Although everyone could benefit from a study abroad experience that challenges your worldview and pushes you out of your comfort zone, there are some people I wouldn’t recommend going abroad (or not yet). Then although studying abroad is amazing, there will be challenges that come with it and you have to make sure you’re ready to deal with them. But if now is not the time to go, there is more than one way to go abroad for a while.

Students With Financial Constraints

It might not yet be the right time if you don’t have the financial means to cover the cost of studying abroad (as much as that sucks to hear). Studying abroad comes with a lot of expenses (tuition, accommodation, flights, visas, health insurance, food, etc.) and it’s possible you won’t be able to cover them. But there are options like scholarships or I even know someone who took out a small loan to be able to go abroad.

And while studying abroad is a big investment into yourself and your future, it can also make sense to wait and instead go and work abroad or do your postgraduate in a school abroad.

Students With a Lack of Independence

Studying abroad will for sure force you to mature a bit and become more independent. But that requires that you at least know how to take care of yourself to a certain degree before you go abroad. This includes things like knowing how to do your laundry and how to cook for yourself (even if it’s just something really basic like a cheese toasty). Basically, you should know how not to starve.

Don’t get me wrong though, it’s normal to have ups and downs when you’re abroad, especially in the beginning. You can’t prepare for everything and there will be moments where you might just want to pack up and go home. But you can figure everything out.

And yes technically you can always fly back home, but depending on your home institution’s regulations it might be really difficult to cancel your study abroad early. And since you’ve paid already a lot of money to be there and you don’t wanna miss out on the academic credits, it makes sense to ensure you’re ready before you study abroad.

Students With Academic Concerns or Commitments

If you are someone who is struggling academically, going abroad could make it more difficult to maintain your academic performance. Also if you have certain academic obligations it might not be the right time to study abroad. Depending on your degree, going abroad also might not be ideal (for example if you’re studying something like law where laws are country-specific). You could still benefit from the overall experience of living in a different culture, but your credits might not all be recognized by your home university.

When Should You Study Abroad?

There are a few considerations you have to make when it comes to the timing of studying abroad. For exchange programs or direct enrollment, most institutions allow you to go abroad during the second or last year of your degree (Junior or Senior Year if you’re American). At that point, you will already have gotten some experience with what university is like, you have earned a certain amount of credits and decided on your major/specialization (although that can always depend on your course and university).

Some universities might even allow you to take more elective courses than necessary in the semester before you go abroad, so you don’t have to attend as many courses when you’re abroad.

If you decide to do short-term programs it might make more sense to go during your summer or winter break. Especially, if you can’t commit to a full semester or year abroad. Short-term programs such as internships, language courses (which depending on your course and university could also give you some academic credits) or volunteering bring still a lot of benefits, even if you only do them for a few weeks.

No matter which program you decide to go with, make sure to inform yourself early on. Depending on where you go you might need to request a visa. If that’s the case you have to take the visa processing time into account. If you need financial help covering your study abroad there might also be some deadlines involved with that.

Theslowtravelista’s experience:

It’s possible that your home university has specific regulations when you can go abroad. At my university in Switzerland, we were only able to do an exchange semester during the 5th semester of our 3-year degree.

The semesters before I went abroad I made sure to take one or two extra elective courses which meant I had to do fewer courses when I was abroad.

During my exchange semester, I already had to start working on my bachelor’s thesis/dissertation. Since it was one of my school’s requirements that we write a practical piece of work (so for a real-life client) I had to look for client to write my dissertation for a little before most of my peers.

Are Study Abroad Programs Expensive?

The short answer to this is they can be. How expensive study abroad is depends on the type of program you chose, the destination country and costs like accommodation and food. But there are ways to manage costs and to make it more affordable. Also, there are often options like financial aid or scholarships which can help to afford a study abroad program. Here are some of the main cost points when it comes to studying abroad:

Are Study Abroad Programs Safe?

Safety is a valid concern for students thinking of going abroad. Generally, it is safe to study abroad. Especially if you go with programs approved by your university. But it’s still important to follow the rules of your host country and to be aware of certain things. If you are worried about how safe a study abroad program is here are some considerations you can make.

When you are studying abroad you are immersing yourself in a different culture. Hence, it’s important to do some research on your host country before you go there. You can also choose where you want to study abroad based on what countries are safe. Usually, there is a bunch of information online or your home university might also have some information on this. You can search for crime rates or look up the political stability online. (I usually just googled “Is XY a safe place to study?”

But even if the country generally is safe, don’t forget that there might be areas which are more dangerous than others. This is super important if you are thinking of living off-campus. If locals or your study advisor tells you to avoid certain areas it’s best to just listen to them. Be mindful that you are in a different country and a different culture where the rules are not like they are in you’re home country. If you get advised to do things a certain way, it probably is best to follow these instructions, even if “at home, it’s totally safe to do that”.

When applying to a program or internship directly, make sure to do your research to know if it’s legit. If you can, try to speak to someone who has already done the program or went to the same place.

Make sure to build up a little support network once you get there. If you’re struggling with something it’s important to have friends you can reach out to. Usually, there are also a ton of resources being provided by your host university. Often there is a team or a person dedicated to exchange or international students.

If you don’t speak the language of your host country it can also make sense to at least learn some sentences like “help”, “I need help”, “call the police”, and “call an ambulance”.

In conversation with complete strangers, it’s also smart to not mention that you came to the country on your own. Who knows maybe you have relatives living in this country and thought it would be nice to see them?

Is Study Abroad Worth It?

You are probably wondering if going abroad is worth it. As someone who has lived in a few countries, I can only say yes it is!

Studying abroad will give students a unique cultural experience since they get the chance to fully immerse themselves in another culture. Daily, students are confronted with different habits and customs and get to experience languages and a different way of life. It’s an incredibly transformative and enriching experience through which students not only experience academic development but also experience a lot of personal growth.

Living in a different culture increases a student’s adaptability and flexibility. They have to learn how to deal with uncertainty and unexpected challenges. During a study abroad you have to learn how to adapt to your new environment and truly have to become a problem solver.

Further, studying abroad exposes students to different educational systems and teaching methods. And could even give access to courses and methods which are not available in a student’s home institution. It’s also a great way to network and expand one’s personal and professional network internationally.

Students can also benefit from improving their language skills during their time abroad. Speaking a second or third language can make you more competitive in the global job market.

In summary, studying abroad has a lot of benefits:

• Cultural Immersion
• Personal Growth
• Increased Flexibility & Adaptability
• Academic Enrichment
• Improving Language Skills

Can Study Abroad Students Work?

Yes, some exchange students are allowed to work. But it depends on the visa regulations and the host country. Certain study abroad programs consist of an internship or a work placement. There it’s generally a requirement that you have the right visa and work permit.

If you are doing an exchange semester or are enrolled full-time in a university course, you might be able to work part-time next to studying. Good part-time jobs are tutoring, babysitting or working in hospitality.

Some universities also offer on-campus employment. Such as library assistants, research assistants, and administrative positions. Depending on the school they might also hire students as staff for open days or events.

After your study abroad semester or year ends you might be eligible to apply for a post-study work visa. This allows you to stay in the country for a while after you finish a course and work full-time.

What Should I Prepare Before Going Abroad?

There are a lot of things you need to prepare and plan before you go abroad. I know that it can be super stressful but once you’ve organized everything the fun can begin. Here’s a short checklist of all the documentation and things you need to have sorted out before you can go and study abroad.

Documentation & Visa

• Passport (usually should be valid for at least 6 months beyond your return date).
• Student or work visa (if applicable).
• Confirmation or acceptance letter of your host university.
• Health insurance (your health insurance in your home country might cover you for a few months abroad).

Academic Planning

• Selected courses (Make sure your selected courses are approved by your home institution. Also, ensure you are signed up to take them at your host institution).
• Orientation for international students (Inform yourself of your first few days and get in touch with the international student office if you haven’t already.)

Transportation & Accommodation

• Flights to and from the host country (In some countries you have to provide a flight back home to be able to enter).
• Accommodation (Including how you get from the airport to the accommodation).
• Transportation to school if necessary (At least get familiar with your options. Ideally, go and check out how to get to the university or workplace before your first official day).
• Grocery stores nearby (Make yourself familiar online with the area so you know where to go during your first days).

What to Pack to Study Abroad?

Packing for a study abroad semester or year can be incredibly difficult. Especially if you’re somewhere a little longer and the seasons change. (I’ve sat a few times on my bedroom floor overwhelmed with what I should pack and what not). But here are some recommendations of things you definitely should pack.

Hand Luggage

Okay, one thing I realized is that when you move abroad make sure to have all your essential documents in your hand luggage. So you can show the immigration officers all the visa documents and health insurance information in case they ask for it.

• Passport.

• Student visa or residence permit.
• Acceptance letter and admission documents.
• Health insurance with proof of international health coverage.
• Emergency contacts (including program staff, local authorities, and your home country’s embassy or consulate).
• Prescription medications with copies of prescriptions.
• Laptop or Tablet (don’t forget the charger and the correct travel adapter).
• Portable Power Bank (especially if you have a long flight).
• Headphones or Earbuds.

Checked Luggage

One thing you will for sure do when you live abroad is accumulate a lot of things. So don’t bring too much, because you will have to get rid of some things at the end of your stay. And there are stores in your host country, most things can be bought there. Overall with clothes make sure to bring enough for a week or two (you will have access to a washing machine so don’t worry), ideally items you can combine in many different ways to get the most out of your clothes.

• Weather-appropriate clothing (Pack mainly for the first weeks or months, if the seasons change you can always go buy different clothes).
• Comfortable Shoes & Sandals (depending on the weather).
• Workout clothes & swimwear (if applicable).
• Undergarments and Sleepwear (bring enough for at least one or two weeks).
• Bath towel (ideally a travel towel, which doesn’t take up too much space).

Depending on if you’re working during your study abroad, also make sure to have appropriate clothing.

• Work-appropriate attire.

When it comes to toiletries make sure to bring enough for the first week(s) and to bring any products you are unsure you will find in your host country. Everything else can be bought once you’ve arrived.

• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
• Shampoo, conditioner, body wash
• Hairbrush or comb
• Deodorant
• Skincare products
• Makeup and cosmetics
• Menstrual products
• Contraceptives
• First Aid Kit (you can bring a small kid with band-aids, antiseptic wipes)
• Pain medication (e.g., ibuprofen)

Ensure before you get there, what kind of material you need for your courses. Most books and materials can be bought once you’ve arrived. Don’t waste your precious suitcase space on notebooks and a bunch of pens. Just make sure to bring a few so you are set for the first days.

• Pens, Pencils, Highlighters (only a few, most things can be bought once you’ve arrived).
• Calculator (If you need one bring yours from home, since they are quite expensive).
• Backpack or Tote Bag (To attend courses and to carry your books and laptop).

How to Make Friends While Studying Abroad?

Some students are nervous about going abroad because they are unsure if they will make friends. But let me tell you: you will make friends, many, from all over the place.

Two things are important when you’re in a new place trying to make friends: Proximity and Effort. If you are spending time with the same people over and over (for example classmates or people in societies or clubs) it is easier to make friends. But just spending time next to each other doesn’t just guarantee you a friend, that’s where effort is important. When you’re abroad and you have to start fresh and make new friends it’s very important to be active and to ask people to hang out or to at least show up if you’re invited somewhere.

As an international student, it’s always quite easy to make friends with other international students, since you all are in the same boat. Often international students are also a bit more open to connections because they also don’t have friends yet. Most universities organize orientation days for all new international students. I know attending these events can seem scary, I guarantee you though, the other students are nervous and scared too, but these are some of the best places to make friends.

In case you need more suggestions on how to make friends when you just moved to a new city or country, you can find some more tips here.

I Just Arrived Abroad. What Are The First Things To Do?

When you’ve just arrived in your new home for the next months or year, it’s completely natural to be a bit overwhelmed. I always recommend to first take care of your physical health. This is important especially if you’re stressed, feeling scared or you’re homesick.

Make yourself familiar with your new accommodation. Check out the kitchen or say hi to your roommates. But then drop off your luggage and get yourself some food, it’s also a great way to discover your new neighbourhood. In case you had a long flight, make sure to go to bed early. Even if a few things don’t go as planned on your first day, give yourself time to acclimate to the new environment and never make big decisions when you’re tired or hungry. Make sure to take care of your physical needs and you’re mood will automatically improve.

Ideally, you would arrive a few days before your courses begin, but also make sure not to arrive too many days before. If you don’t know anyone yet and you’re just hanging around waiting for your course to start it can make you homesick quite quickly. It’s best to stay busy during your first few days in a new place.

How Does Study Abroad Change You?

Most people say their study abroad has changed and impacted them immensely. (I’m definitely one of these people). As an international student, you go through personal growth and gain a lot of cultural awareness. You will meet people from different backgrounds and countries. And in some way, these people are more similar to you than some of the people you know in your home country. Because your international friends and you all share the same desire to leave your home country and to see the world.

During your time abroad, far far away from everything familiar, you will learn how to rely on yourself and get a completely different understanding of what you’re capable of. You have to build a new support network, make friends and learn how to adapt and overcome anything and everything. Studying abroad will make you more confident and open-minded. Outside your home country, there is suddenly not just one correct way of doing things. And maybe some prejudices you had when you arrived turned out to be completely false.

Studying abroad is a way to become more open-minded and question the status quo. It’s incredibly enriching, challenging but most of all a lot of fun.