Studying abroad is something that is very common across colleges around the world, and it's even more common for people who are studying a language. There's a process that everyone goes through in order to study abroad, with some of the steps being official and others more personal. Whether the steps are official or not, they all add to the experience.
1. Choosing to study abroad
You first have to decide to go abroad. Whether or not you know where you want to go, you first make the decision to leave the country. Normally people come to college, and this is one of the things that they're most sure that they want to do in some way or another. Choosing to study abroad is an easy choice to make, the planning is the hard part.
2. Choosing a program
Once you know that you want to leave the country, then you have to figure out exactly where you want to go. There are certain programs that you'll be eligible for depending on what your major is or what classes you are planning to take when out of the country. After looking at all of your options, you get to pick what country and city that you want to study in.
3. Applying
While most programs admit everyone, there are still a lot of steps that you have to go through to apply to a study abroad program. You have to make sure that you have the necessary documents in order to be ready to apply. If you don't do everything on your application right, then it is hard to be accepted and go abroad.
4. Buying tickets
This stage is when it started to feel real for me. In addition to being one of the most stressful steps, it was one of the most exciting. I was finally able to say that I was for sure going to Spain, but at the same time, I knew when my deadlines were for packing and anything else that I needed to get done before studying abroad.
5. Packing
Packing in one of the most important parts of any travel, and my least favorite stage. You have to get everything together before you leave, especially if it's going to be something as long as a study abroad. While you can buy things while you're in another country, it's also important that nothing important is forgotten. It's a balance between bringing too much and bringing so little that you can't survive for a few days if you can't go shopping.
6. Traveling
Traveling to another country is hard. It's a long plane ride, and odds are you don't have a direct flight. Travel days are excited and exhausting. It's wonderful to be going someplace new, but your body will feel like it has been up for over a day especially since you don't really get a full night's sleep on the plane. Getting to where you're going after a day of travel is rewarding, but daunting when you think about it from the start.
7. Starting classes
Even though you're in another country, you're still technically taking classes. While some places give you a few days to adjust, you still start classes within the first week of being there. Starting classes is super interesting because it's a way that makes the program official. You're in a country studying things that you want to study about in a new place, which is a feeling that means a lot when starting your study abroad.
8. Halfway through the program
At this point in the program, you've adjusted to your new schedule, but you still feel like there are a ton of things to do and time to do them. Halfway through the program is the point where you're comfortable in the city that you're living, but you're also still excited to explore the city and country more.
9. The last full day in the country
The day before flying back is bittersweet. It's exciting to go back home and see people that you've missed, but it's also hard to leave a country that you've spent so much time in. You're not only saying goodbye to the experience but also people and places that you've come to love.
10. The trip back
The trip back is even longer than the trip there, mostly because you have less excitement surrounding this trip. Not only are there no new experiences to look forward to, and you also know that responsibilities are waiting for you when you get back. When I came back from Spain I had two weeks before I knew I had to go back to college, so I knew that a lot of last-minute tasks that needed to get done once I came back.
11. Reflecting on your experience
When you come back, everyone asks about your trip. Not only do you want to share all of your pictures and talk about every adventure you had; it's also important to think about what the experience meant to you. After all, it is your experience, and everyone's study abroad is different. You're going to have different goals and expectations than other people, and it's important to think about those things in order to adjust back to normal life after the study abroad.
