Studying abroad is one of those “one-time” college experiences that you really can’t pass up.

Unless you are a super crazy famous youtube video blogger/model/photographer/hella cool person, when else in your life are you going to have the time, energy, or funds to go almost anywhere in the world, live there for 4 months, and receive an education?

Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Being that this amazing experience is such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you want to make sure that you don’t mess it up. This means finding exactly the right place for you. Here are some tips and tricks to help you through the study abroad decision-making process.

1. Meet with a study abroad advisor.

At most colleges and universities, this is actually a requirement in the study abroad application process. However, even if it is just another box checked off of your list, take full advantage of this resource as a guide to help you with logistics.

These advisors are experts in all of the different programs offered, how you and your credentials would fit into these programs, and also how previous students in the same situation as you enjoyed their experiences.

Trust me, it won't be a waste of your time.

2. Put academics on the back burner.

Now is not the time to time to take that impossible GPA-bombing class that crushes everyone's dreams.

Now is the time to focus on classes that catch your attention, and will keep you excited and engaged! Because there is such a different culture when studying abroad, many classes are held outside of the classroom, at historic sites, or just out in the real world.

Also, Villanova’s study abroad program actually allows students to take a semester off from maintaining their GPA by only requiring student grades in a pass/fail manner. This way, one semester doesn't have the potential to break your hard earned GPA, and will give you room to take a step back from studying, and instead invest that time in new adventures!

3. Don't follow the crowd.

This is one of the most important times in college where you need to do what is best for you! So what if your best friend is going to France and is dying for you to come with her?

If France isn’t the best fit for you, then you won’t get the most out of it! Odds are that you guys will end up visiting each other, or at least meeting up in Germany for Oktoberfest! But until then, you do you.

4. Be nervous.

Applying and choosing where to study abroad is alot like making a college decision. It’s tough! Not only are their worries about making the wrong decision, but a whole other element is the adjustment that comes with actually shipping yourself off to a brand new place.

Yes, you are going to have to relive that first uncomfortable day of freshman year. Nerves aren’t a bad thing! They show how much you really care about this experience, just don’t let them ruin your excitement!

5. Get out of your comfort zone.

I’ll say it again because it is the most important piece of this process: this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You will (most likely) never have an experience similar to this again. So if you’re on the fence about whether or not to do that homestay instead of getting your own apartment, do the homestay!

Odds are if it's causing you enough stress in deciding, then you really do want to do it. It's just nerves holding you back! Push yourself outside of your normal comfort zone and try something you never thought you would, because when will you ever be able to say that you went skydiving with your new Australian sister?

6. Listen to your gut.

So your favorite childhood movie was (and let's be real, still is) The Lizzie McGuire Movie. You have dreamed for years of waiting outside of that gelato shop and having your Paolo come up to you and mistake you for the blonde-version of his superstar partner.

And now, 10+ years later, you are still imagining riding around Rome on a moped. Listen to your 8-year-old self, and give in to that gut feeling. Now is your chance to become Lizzie McGuire and fulfill a lifelong dream you never thought would actually come true!

7. Enjoy your friends.

Remember, they are not going to be living down the hall from you for 4 months. You can call them, but they may be asleep at 2 in the afternoon because for them, its actually 3 in the morning. Although the time is going to fly, you will miss them. So take advantage of those little moments you get to share together before you ship yourself off to a foreign nation.

8. Plan like a vacation.

Get all up in those TripAdvisor comments and reviews sections, learn the truth about what days have the shortest lines to get into the Louvre, and whether or not the weather will still be warm enough in November to hit up that beach in Ibiza. This is going to be your home for the next 4 months, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t still a newbie there.

Go out, be that obnoxious tourist struggling to get that tip of the Eiffel Tower finger prick picture, and buy the cheesy beret. Chances are you may never come back to these “tourist” and also historically sound monuments, so why waste the opportunity when it’s right at your fingertips?

9. Talk to upperclassmen.

What’s the best way to truly get the inside scoop on different programs and locations? Ask the people who have already experienced it! They are not there to “officially advise” you, so trust me, they will give you the cold hard truth of the matter.

Also use it as your opportunity to ask more specific questions you may not feel comfortable asking to your study abroad advisor. Everyone who goes abroad has very different experiences, and everyone is different, but hearing testimony from someone else in your same exact situation will definitely open your eyes to some things you may never have considered.

10. Smile!

You're going abroad! No matter how stressed you may be about the application process, deciding which place is best for you, or leaving your friends behind, you are about to have the experience of a lifetime, so act like it! Hype yourself up with cool study abroad videos, or stalk some artsy Instagrams for photo ideas!

Whatever works for you, get excited, because once you get there you won’t even be thinking about all the stress that went into it.