This guide is for college students deciding whether to study abroad, and parents helping them think it through. Study abroad makes the most sense when you can name what you want from it, the credits will count toward your degree, and the cost and timing work with your major. Start planning about a year ahead with your study abroad office, advisor and financial aid office.
Start with your reasons
Students go abroad for very different reasons, and each one points toward a different program. Write down which of these matter to you:
- Learning or improving a language
- Studying a subject that is better taught in another place, such as regional history, architecture or international business
- Living independently in an unfamiliar setting
- Building experience for a career with an international side
- Travel and new friendships
- A reset after a hard year
All are fair reasons. The last one deserves an honest look: a new place can help, but it does not fix problems that come along with you.
Five questions to decide
- Purpose: can I say in one sentence what I want from this? If not, keep exploring before applying.
- Academics: will the courses count toward my major, minor or general requirements without delaying graduation?
- Money: do I understand the full cost, and what my aid and scholarships will and will not cover?
- Timing: which term fits around my major sequence, sports, a job or an internship?
- Readiness: am I prepared to handle distance from home, a new system and ongoing needs such as medication or accommodations?
Timing: semester, year or summer
- Many students go in the second or third year, after they have settled into a major and before senior year requirements and job searches.
- Majors with tight course sequences, such as engineering, nursing or some sciences, may have only one workable window. Ask your advisor early.
- Summer and short-term programs can suit students who cannot leave for a full term, or who want to test the experience first.
- A full year gives more time for language and deeper connections, but has a bigger effect on campus commitments.
- Watch the overlap with fall internship recruiting if you plan to apply while abroad.
Credits: how to avoid losing time
- Meet with the study abroad office to see which programs your college approves.
- Ask your academic advisor which requirements you can meet abroad.
- Get course approvals in writing before you leave, including which requirement each course fills.
- Ask how grades transfer, since some schools count them in your GPA and others count only the credit.
- Save every syllabus and major assignment, in case a course needs review after you return.
- Have a backup course in mind in case a class is canceled.
Cost and financial aid
Costs vary widely by program and location. Some colleges let aid travel with you for approved programs, and others have different rules. Ask the financial aid office how your package applies, look for study abroad scholarships through your college and outside organizations, and budget for flights, travel during the term, housing deposits and day-to-day costs. The aid office has the final word on your situation; for building a basic budget, see budgeting for young adults.
Career value: what it does and does not do
Study abroad on its own does not impress employers automatically. What helps is what you can show and explain: language ability, a project or internship completed abroad, and specific examples of adapting, solving problems and working across differences. Before you go, decide one or two things you want to come back with, and keep notes while you are there so you can turn them into interview stories. Add the experience to your LinkedIn profile when you return.
If you decide not to go
Plenty of students build similar skills without leaving the country: language courses, domestic exchange programs, internships in a new city, international student organizations or a later chance to work or travel abroad. Not going is a reasonable choice if the timing, cost or fit is wrong. A strong summer plan can deliver much of the same growth.
Where a mentor helps
A mentor helps the student think through the decision, keep the paperwork and approvals on schedule, plan for career value and stay steady while abroad through video sessions scheduled in their time zone. Mentors are not academic advisors or financial professionals, so credit and aid decisions come from the college. With the student’s permission, parents receive progress updates. See mentoring for college students and career and education.
Related
- Mentoring for college students
- How to choose a major
- Making your college summer count
- Working while in college
Common questions
When should I start planning to study abroad?
Many students start about a year before they want to go, since applications, course approvals and aid arrangements take time. Check your college’s deadlines.
Will studying abroad delay my graduation?
It does not have to. Getting courses approved in writing in advance and choosing the right term with your advisor are the best ways to stay on track.
Is study abroad worth it for my career?
It can be, especially when you come back with language skills, a project or internship and clear examples of what you learned. The experience matters most when you can explain it.
Can I use financial aid to study abroad?
Sometimes. Rules vary by college and program, so ask your financial aid office how your package applies before committing.
Get started
Want help thinking through a big college decision? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.