What To Ask Before You Study Abroad

By Lorena Roberts on December 23, 2015

One of the best ways to make your resume stand out against those you’re competing against is to study abroad at some point in your college career. It sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it? Getting accepted to your “dream program” feels great, but you shouldn’t forget to ask all the right questions before packing your bags. If you go to UTK, a good website to visit is the UTK Programs Abroad Office site.

To begin with, it’s important to get an estimated receipt of where your money is going. This will ensure you don’t get to the end of your program and wonder what exactly those few thousand dollars really paid for (like I did). Instead of willy-nilly writing a check to your university for your program, make sure to check on what it is exactly that you’re paying for.

Housing is a good place to start. You should know exactly where you’ll be staying before you get there. Don’t let your program give you a vague answer as to where you’ll be staying, or else you’ll end up cramped in an international housing apartment building sharing a (dirty) bathroom and kitchen with 12 other people after having dropped a few thousand bucks on your housing.

Food tends to be another vague area of studying abroad. Will your fees cover some kind of meal plan, or will they point you in the direction of a grocery store when you get there and you’ll just have to pray that someone speaks English? (Ask me how that worked out.)

Rigor of classes is important to know before you get there. You’ll want to travel and have a great time, but my guess is that you don’t want to drain your bank account and come back with the same amount of credits you had when you left. Make sure you know you’re ready for the rigor of studying abroad. I sure didn’t and missed out on a lot because of how much I was studying to ensure I made the grades that would benefit me the most upon my return.

Transportation. Period. Because if you get there and you’re lost in a train station for six hours … that’s not very fun. (Ask me about that one too!) This includes whether or not you’ll be travelling abroad alone or in a group. (Travel with someone. Hands down.)

Extensions. Whether or not you’re going to stay longer than the program is something you need to think about BEFORE you buy your plane ticket. Don’t make the mistake of getting there and wanting to stay but not budgeting for it, or being able to change the dates of your plane tickets.

Past student experiences. Do not ever EVER attend a pilot program. You’ll end up experiencing all of the kinks that haven’t been worked out. You want to attend a program with a good reputation, so do your research, and ask around!

Budget. How much money will you really need? How much money do you need for extras? Make sure you know how much you’ll need for what … so that your parents don’t have to wire you money at the last minute.

Some good places to start your journey to studying abroad is the study abroad office at your school. Their resources will allow you to ask all the questions you may have, and they’re a good place to start looking for scholarships.

More websites to look at: goabroad.com and studyabroad.com.

Good luck in all of your endeavors, and best of luck on studying abroad. I hope your experience is better than mine.

education.blurtit.com

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