Finding a Program

Hello again!

It's been a bit, but I've been very busy finishing up the semester at my home institution, along with applying for scholarships to fund my program and collecting all the required documents to complete my study abroad application. This post is going to focus on finding a study abroad program that you're interested in and that fits your needs, because it can be a bit daunting if you've never had to do it before.

To begin, I'll talk about finding a program that interests you. I knew when I started my search for a program that I wanted something that was either math or physics related, and that turned out to be a lot more difficult that anticipated. STEM fields don't seem to have a lot of options for studying abroad, but I don't want anyone to be discouraged just because it might take a bit more work to find a relevant program. I'd suggest starting the search for a program early on if possible, because not only is there the possibility that it will take a while to find one that suits you, but then you have to apply to it, collect documents, and have the time to apply for scholarships if needed.

I started my search by going to my university's education abroad web page, but you could also go directly to the education abroad office and speak with an advisor. My university's web page had A LOT of information; there were programs organized by term (short-term, fall, summer, spring), by major, and by program sponsor. My university also has exchange programs with institutional partners, so those program often have a lower price to participate than a non-partner program. But, remember how I said STEM fields don't have a wide range of programs? That's the main issue I ran in to. None of the partner programs had a math or physics offering, so I decided to look at the non-partner institutions, and after looking at what seemed like a hundred of those websites I finally came across a single program that had exactly what I was looking for: a choice of a physics or mathematics track at the University of Glasgow offered through International Studies Abroad. It was absolutely perfect. They were offering classes that I needed for my major to be on track with graduation, and it was in a place I was excited to travel to.

I wanted to share my personal experience so that others could have insight in to what it takes to find a program that's right for you. It honestly took me awhile to find one that was perfect, but I knew I wanted to travel abroad and I was determined to find something that worked for me. Don't be discouraged if it takes a bit to find something that interests you and fits with what you need, because it'll be worth it in the end. I'll leave this post with a few tips to help you find a program:

-Write down or have an idea in your mind of what you want to accomplish by studying abroad. Do you want to take classes relevant to your major, or do you want to branch out to something new? Do you want to practice a new language, or do you want someplace that you'll be able to easily speak your native language? There's a lot of choices that go in to finding a program.

-Figure out where you'd be comfortable (or at least okay with) traveling to. Are you fine with going alone, or would you rather do a program where others at your home institution will be there?

-Explore your university's education abroad website and look at the programs they have available, or talk to an advisor if you need help getting started because they're there to assist and guide you.

-Take your time and be open to new experiences!

That's what I have for now, but be on the lookout for my next post about applying to your program.

Cheers!

-Kendra