As I write this, I am a senior at the University of Minnesota, and unquestioningly the most defining experiences of my college career have been my two study abroad trips.
In the summer of 2014, I traveled to Ecuador, where I spend seven weeks living in Quito and traveling to the surrounding areas to learn about public health conditions in this small developing country. I was exposed to so many issues and experiences that I never would have had at my university—I participated in a shamanic healing ceremony, visited rural communities with serious economic inequality and saw what different organization were doing to help out, and I received a limipa del cuy, or a Quechua medicinal diagnostic treatment using a guinea pig… that requires it’s own separate post to explain.
It was an incredible experience, and I studied with several other girls who are still great friends of mine today. I ended up changing my major and adding a minor, and if my love for travel wasn’t already burning, this trip set a wildfire.
Several months later, I departed again to study abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for a full academic semester. This time the focus would be less on public health (which I learned wasn’t really my thing after the Ecuador trip) and more on the language and culture of South America, which I had fallen in love with.
And the best part? All of the classes that I took in Buenos Aires counted towards my degree requirements, so it helped me stay on track for graduation while having the time of my life.
Academics were one of the biggest reasons I chose the program, but there are a lot of factors to consider when deciding where to study abroad, all of which I’ll go over in depth in this post.
#1 Location, Location, Location.
This should be the most concerning factor, and either the easiest or the hardest choice to make. Where have you always wanted to go? Where do you have no desire to go? Where have you always wondered about, but aren’t really sure what there is to offer?
Will you be living in a city, in a rural area, or is it a traveling program?
Research all your potential locations, and take advantage of all the resources you have to find out about them. I personally like to watch YouTube videos, movies, and documentaries about the places I’m interested in. When researching Argentina, I watched almost every video on Dustin Luke’s channel, an American living in Argentina, and his humor and love for the culture really influenced my decision to give it a try.
Don’t let things like distance from home deter you—no matter where you go, the difference in culture will make you feel like you are a million miles away, whether you study in Mexico or in Mongolia.
#2 Language
Have you always wanted to learn a foreign language? Do you speak a foreign language? Or are you more than alright with just speaking English?
These are all important questions to consider. If you are interested in learning or practicing a foreign language, study abroad is the best place to do it. There is no setting in your hometown where you receive the same kind of immersion that will help you reach fluency. It may seem scary at first, but after a few weeks it will begin to come naturally to order all of your food in the foreign language and chat with the locals every chance you get.
Also, keep in mind that if you are traveling to a big city, you will most often be able to get around not knowing the language at all. In many European countries, for example, most people will also speak English as a first or second language, and in Asian countries English is being heavily taught as a global language and many people will want to practice with you.
#3 Academics
This may be news, but you do actually have to study when you study abroad, but based on the program you choose, this may come in many different forms.
The big question to ask is whether you will be studying at a local university or with other American students, which can have a huge impact on what you bring away from the experience. Both of my trips were with other University of Minnesota students, which was great because I have friends from my trips that I still run into on campus, but I also didn’t get the most authentic experience that I could have had from studying with other students from that country. I also would have gotten more language practice, and that would have been so valuable.
However, by going with a group from my University, that ensured that all of my credits would successfully transfer and that the classes I would be taking would be similar in rigor and structure to classes that I would take in the U.S.
#4 Outside Travel
This may go hand-in-hand with location, but where have you always wanted to travel? If you’ve dreamed of backpacking Europe, studying abroad will be a great chance for you to do that. If you have weekends off, you can easily hop on a cheap flight from Barcelona to Istanbul or take a train to Paris.
If you are more into exploring nature, then consider somewhere more untouched. I cannot recommend enough how incredible it was to hike through Patagonia and see some incredible natural wonders before they are gone, such as the Perito Moreno glacier. I recently read in Nat Geo Travel about how rapidly the ice sheets of Patagonia are melting, and I know that had I not visited Argentina when I did, I may never have seen some of these grand forces of nature.
#5 Cost
I know, this one is no fun to talk about. Of course, studying abroad does come with some hefty costs. My University of Minnesota programs were pretty affordable compared to my regular tuition, but that is not the case for everyone, and that also has a lot to do with location.
For example, a trip to Sydney, Australia with excursions every weekend and an apartment in the middle of the city is going to be very expensive. In contrast, a trip to rural Nicaragua staying with a host family and volunteering is going to be very affordable. Don’t write off studying abroad because you think you can’t afford it, but rather readjust your options and be open to new experiences.
There are also a number of scholarships available to students studying or doing research abroad, and if you still can’t bridge the gap, you could follow my unpopular example and contribute to the student loan crisis that is plaguing our nation, and take out a small loan to help cover a few costs.
As I said earlier, studying abroad has been the best thing I’ve done during college, and I hope that everyone reading this either has dreams to study abroad or I’ve changed your mind, because I promise it will change your life.
Feel free to email me with any questions you might have, because study abroad is one of my favorite topics, and not only have I participated in two study abroad trips but I’ve interned at my University’s Learning Abroad Center. So ask away, there are no questions that I haven’t heard before!