When I was a kid in school, one thing I wanted to do when I was older was travel. From the way I saw it, when I went to college, I'd have the opportunity to study abroad. Study abroad, if you aren't aware, is taking the opportunity to travel to a different school (most often a different country) and continue your education there for an allotted amount of time. I always thought that when I studied abroad (I was very sure I was going to), I'd go for a short amount of time, like two weeks or three weeks. Almost like a vacation. In my freshmen year of college, I talked about studying abroad with several of my friends and we went to seminars and meetings and met with the head of study abroad at my school and talked to her about where we could go, how much it would cost, etc. At that point in time, I was still planning on only going for a short amount of time.

Flash forward to now: I'm a sophomore in college. Another friend of mine has expressed an interest in studying abroad and comes to me directly to see if I would accompany her to the meetings. We went to a couple of meetings, I asked her how she would feel about setting up a meeting and she seemed excited. She ended up not getting back to me for a couple of weeks so I scheduled an appointment for myself. I went in and talked to my liaison for study abroad and she told me that there was an opportunity for me if I wanted to apply right then and there.

So I followed my heart and did what I had always wanted to do: I applied.

Now, I made a hasty decision, but I don't regret it. I simply didn't realize how much work was going to be put into studying abroad. So I'm here to tell you, from someone currently going through the process, about what it's like to apply to study abroad in a foreign country for the first time. Let it be said that I am an American student attempting to travel to England to study there for a full semester. Yeah, back up real quick. My travel plans went from two to three weeks to a FULL SEMESTER.

So, some things to consider:

1. How long will you be staying?

My school's liaison told me straight up to go for a semester. She said that people who only went for two to three weeks regretted not going for longer. They take about a week to acclimate to the time change and being alone in a new country and then they have a week to themselves and then the week after that, they're gone and they have to go through the process all over again. So she suggested I go for a semester. What that means is I will have to figure out a way to get used to a foreign country all by myself and honestly, it's terrifying.

2. What will you take?

Depending on where you go, you'll have to pack selectively. For me, the UK will be around the same temperature as my current location, if not a little bit colder. I prefer cold weather to hot any day of the week, so this is completely fine with me. I know when I pack my clothes, I'll need to get jeans, boots, and lots of sweaters and jackets. But, if you're planning on studying abroad, there's more things to consider than just clothes. You'll have to bring textbooks, toiletries, and anything else you can fit. I know for me, one thing I'll have to pack is my makeup. I'll also need my laptop, my phone, things of that nature, so just remember that you'll have to pack accordingly depending on your new environment.

3. How much will it cost?

Money is a huge roadblock when it comes to study abroad. If you're studying through your school, whoever is in charge of study abroad will go over prices with you, but always be aware that you'll most likely be spending more money than you think. Not only will you have to pay the price for tuition, room and board, you'll also be paying for groceries and anything you need. When I'm over in the UK, I'll have to buy bedding and sheets and pillows and lights and all sorts of stuff for myself. I'm incredibly aware of the amount of money I'm going to have to spend to make myself comfortable, but I'm ready and willing to make the leap.

4. How will you cope?

You'll be alone. You won't have your parents, you won't have your family, you won't have your immediate friends. I mean of course everyone's stories will vary. Sometimes parents are able to visit. Sometimes friends come along with you. But you have to be prepared to be alone: if you get used to the idea of being on your own, you'll be better prepared to deal with the outcome. You'll be eating by yourself (unless you have friends, of course), living by yourself (not including roommates), and everyone you know and love will be well out of your reach.

5. How will you spend your time?

You're going to be in a foreign country... what are you going to do? While the obvious answer to most is probably going to be "EXPLORE", I know that for everyone, that may not be applicable. Depending on where you want to study abroad, you may be able to walk around the city or travel between countries, but you'll have to get directions and hail a cab in order to do so. I know one thing I desperately want to do while in England is visit Scotland while I'm there, but I'll have to take a train up north before I do anything.

Are you sure that this is really what you want to do?

You need to be sure. Before anything is set in stone, sit down and talk about this with your friends and family--the people who know you the best. Are you going to be able to say goodbye to your family at the airport? Are you going to be able to board the plane by yourself? Are you going to be able to sleep on the flight? Are you going to be able to step off of the plane in a foreign country and try and figure out where you're supposed to go? Are you going to make it to your school? Are you going to be able to set up your housing alone? Are you going to be able to get to and from campus by yourself in a foreign city, country, and perhaps even a foreign continent? Are you going to be able to handle the pressure of taking courses, while managing to adjust to new customs and ideals and people, while keeping in contact with friends and family across the ocean? Are you going to be able to do all of that and still have fun? If you answered no to any of those questions, you may need to reconsider.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from studying abroad. I would never. In fact, it's just the opposite. I think everyone would benefit from studying abroad. You'd experience new cultures, new people, new landscapes, new ideas... You're whole perspective on life would change. That being said, study abroad is a huge deal. I just want everyone out there to be aware of what kind of commitment this is. For me especially, this is going to be a massive step in my life. For someone who's never even been off of the east coast, the idea that I'll be flying across the Atlantic Ocean to a foreign country (foreign continent, too) is absolutely insane. Thankfully, I have the love and support of my family behind me, but I know that I'm going to be on my own. I'm ready to take the leap. Are you?