The option to study abroad might be one of the best decisions you ever make in your life. Studying abroad provides a unique experience and enhanced perspective on the world.
Studying abroad has grown in popularity in recent years, and it’s not something that all students can fit into their already hectic college schedule. However, while you might have some concerns about taking a semester out to study abroad, and how it’ll affect your other classes, or be concerned about missing out on campus life while overseas, there’s good news.
There are plenty of options when it comes to immersing yourself in an interesting and challenging overseas study experience. You can consider a wide range of study abroad programs run by various universities as well as undertaking an internship or volunteer position in a foreign country.
Many such options still allow you to ear academic credits despite being overseas. The following four options are worth considering:
Programs allowing you to earn credit for school
Are you hard pressed for time? Afraid that studying overseas will affect your academic progress? Here are some ideas which will allow you to earn those much-needed academic credits during the summer while still allowing you to travel abroad. You might even get ahead of your fellow students in terms of credits. One option is the Forum-Nexus undergraduate (and graduate) summer program which allows you to travel abroad to nine different cities in Europe and still earn a maximum of eight academic credits while doing so.
If the study abroad options offers by your own school don’t seem that interesting to you – consider traveling abroad through a program associated with another university. Not all schools allow this, but here are a few option worth considering: the JYF in Paris program, in conjunction with Sweet Briar College, allows you to travel to France, and it’s available to any undergraduates enrolled at an American or Canadian university; although you will need to meet the minimum academic requirements and demonstrate sufficient French language ability. There are various courses available at universities in Paris and the program provides initial orientation to ensure that your time abroad is both productive and enjoyable.
The Institute for Study Abroad and Butler University run a program which is available to all students in North America, offering you the chance to travel to a range of countries while earning transferrable academic credit. The program provides plenty of information regarding traveling to, and living in, the country of your choice, and help with your visa application and arranging accommodation for the time you’ll be there. The program provides you with help at every step of the study abroad experience.
Internship Programs
Are you interested in obtaining an internship but worry about missing out on opportunities if you travel overseas for the summer? Don’t worry! You can find many internship opportunities abroad which will provide you with that much valued experience while still experiencing a different country and culture. AIFS provides a placement service for interns and you can select from some of the most interesting cities around the world in countries such as Spain, the UK, and Brazil. Typical GPA requirements range from 2.6 to 3.2 depending on the exact program you wish to follow. The majority of options provided by AIFS cover internship opportunities in popular areas of interest like Education, Communications and Economics and Business.
Alternatively,IES provide overseas internship opportunities on a full-time or part-time basis as well as the possibility to undertake additional courses for academic credits. You can, for example, select an internship in the filed you are interested in to gain experience, and enroll in language classes to improve your foreign language proficiency while you are there working, earning college credits.