Top Five Tips for Study Abroad as a Junior
About a third of all study abroad students are juniors. It isn’t difficult to imagine why: these are students who feel they are established enough on their home campuses, socially and academically, to step into the unfamiliar and explore overseas. It’s a smart way to see the world, learn in new ways and experience new cultures while staying on-track for graduation.
So, here are our Top Five Tips to consider if you’re planning to study abroad in your Junior Year. Please email us if you have any other tips to add or questions! educationabroad@arcadia.edu
1. Plan your course choices to get the credit you need for graduation
As a Junior, you will need to fulfill particular academic credits to ensure you stay on track for graduation. So make sure you factor this in when planning your study abroad – take courses that fill out your requirements, whether it’s covering off some General Education credits or you take specific course requirements abroad. Your program manager can help you sketch this out.
2. Consider how your experience might support your graduate school and career
Think about this when choosing programs, courses, destinations as well as the co-curricular elements of the program – what excursions will you take part in? Is there an internship? How will it look on your resume? Is this institution special for your field of study? Does this involve much learning outside the classroom? In other words - where’s the stuff that’s not in the books?
3. Apply your research skills to your destination
By now, you are pretty good at researching academic papers so apply those skills to researching your study abroad destination. Read up on the country and the culture, and learn a bit of the language. If you know the Arcadia program you’re going on, check out our Center blogs to see what students on your program are up to right now. Or talk to an alumnus and read Student blogs – from what to pack to what excursions are the best, it’s all there.
4. Plan to document your experience
Whether it’s keeping a private journal, starting a blog, creating a video(s), or just captioning photos you should plan to keep a journal of your time studying abroad. This experience will change you in different ways and open up new worlds – figuratively and literally – so you’ll want to record those memories and this transition.
5. Say No to FOMO!
The ‘Fear of Missing Out’ is really something every study abroad student has to deal with, no matter their age. It’s true; life will go on at home without you and you will miss some cool events and family gatherings. But look what you get in return! You are instead going on an experience that will help inform and shape your entire life – and it will be over before you know it. You need to embrace the challenge and allow yourself the invaluable gift of adventure and exploration in all forms.