Here are some things we learned that can make deciding whether you want to study abroad easier. Some people enter university knowing they want to study abroad or spend their young years traveling, but for many people, making that commitment can be difficult.
It’s always easier to do things with more information. We’ll talk about how you can cover the costs of studying abroad, writing application essays for your program(s) of choice and scholarships, finding a program, traveling alone, and highlight some benefits of studying abroad.
In our cover photo, we have Phohanh (on the front right) and Tag (on the left) with three other UWB Ambassadors (Luke, Kyle, and Jacob) in front of the León Cathedral.
- Finances:
One of the largest factors (anecdotally) that stops people from applying is finances. Studying abroad is an experience worth more than just credits, so it’s worth looking for resources to fund it.
Talking to the financial aid office at UWB, the Connected Learning office, and other school resources is a great way to get support. The search can be overwhelming, but advisors offer great support and can point you toward specific scholarships and grants that fit you.
One of the most popular scholarships is the Gilman Scholarship, but even if you don’t qualify, there are plenty of others. A lot of scholarships open much earlier in the year than program application due dates, so start Googling for scholarships as soon as possible. If you’re a person with high financial need (Student Aid Index or SAI), you can also be eligible for a scholarship of up to $2500 for your first study abroad. Don’t forget to apply for the UWB Ambassador Program as well!
Budgeting is also a difficult topic. It can be difficult to estimate how much money you’ll spend abroad, especially with conversion rates, differing prices, etc. It always helps to track your finances while you’re abroad. Even in countries where food and other things are very cheap, small purchases can accumulate, especially over longer programs. Logging your expenses regularly can help you keep expenses under control.
It is a good idea to get an idea of the conversion rate of your program location and to figure out how expensive things are when you get there. You can practice while at home to gauge your spending habits or to help save money before your program starts. Countries like Switzerland are incredibly expensive, but Portugal can be relatively cheap. Keep in mind grocery prices and cost of living vary across cities as well. Paris for example is very expensive.
Planning specific activities you want to save up for during a trip can also motivate you to save money. In general, exploring is much cheaper than paying to see certain tourist attractions. In León, we found a beautiful trail along the Río Torío and Bernesga River while riding a rented bike.
- Application Essays:
If you’re looking at programs or scholarships you’re interested in and you have no idea how to write about yourself in your applications, the WACC can assist in all steps of the process. They can help in any part of the writing process, including brainstorming (honestly one of the hardest parts) and reviewing your writing. Looking at previous applications you have written may help a lot as well, especially if the questions are similar.
Unlike the WACC, the Global Scholars advisors Natalia and Ludmilla have a good idea of what scholarships want to see in personal statements. Their office is in the Truly house, which has many events to get support. Attend a workshop or schedule a one-on-one meeting.
PT: Even if you don’t have many extracurriculars to talk about or don’t necessarily feel like you’re an impressive student, many of us aren’t. Experiences you take for granted can be very impactful in a personal statement-type essay. I also can’t emphasize more how helpful it was to have Natalia’s and Ludmilla’s guidance while I wrote my Gilman application.
If you’re scared to book an appointment, do not be, dropping by is super easy. Take lots of notes when you talk with advisors so that you can collect all your thoughts.
- Finding a Program:
Don’t just look at UWB programs, there is a broad variety of different program types offered by other organizations, including our sister campuses UW Seattle and UW Tacoma. In Hacking The Future (HTF), we met a few students from the UW Seattle and Tacoma campuses. Meeting students from our sister campuses brought insights because of our differing experiences and knowledge. Don’t be afraid to apply to programs offered by other campuses or ones that aren’t directly offered by UW.
Scheduling an appointment with a program director to ask questions is a great way to show interest and can make you stand out as an applicant for the program. You can ask questions to learn about the program outside of what is written in the program description and see how a program can fit your specific academic needs and future goals. Questions don’t necessarily have to be academic. A meeting with a program director can also be a good time to ask about expected cultural/lifestyle changes in the location of your program of choice and help you decide whether you want to apply for that program. Write down things you want to ask.
For many CS majors, gaining technical experiences that can be brought up in resumes or internship interviews is important. This is just an example, but if you are looking for something specific, ask the program director questions to ensure you can get that in your experience.
Either way, studying abroad is rich with opportunities to find new activities, people, and experiences. Just be open to actively seeking out these things.
You don’t have to be interested in a program’s specific learning topics to gain something from it. Go to a location even if you might not be interested in it. Any excuse is a great excuse to go somewhere new. You will learn so much during your time abroad not only about program topics in class but about culture and history. You may become interested in something completely new.
Tag went to Paris over a four-day weekend with Luke (another UWB Ambassador), and another friend and saw the Olympic Rings.
- Traveling Alone for the First Time:
Ambassadors can be a good resource to combat solo traveling anxiety. You can use their first-hand experiences to help gauge how traveling will be for you. If you do travel alone, research is incredibly useful. You can find cheaper transportation tickets the sooner you look into things and find activities that suit you without worrying about what to do while you’re abroad.
When it comes to research, social media can be a great, quick way to get ideas. A quick Google search can also get you pretty far, but by far asking locals is the most helpful. This was a big benefit of living with host families because they gave us many suggestions for places to travel, transport, and different activities.
Phohanh saw the sunset from Antiguo Deposito de Agua Alto Puente Castro, recommended by one of our host families.
Being prepared and knowing you have a solid plan is important, but a plan isn’t necessary to learn or have a good time. Last-minute tickets are more expensive, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying ourselves.
PT: I traveled eight days completely alone in Spain before the program started and I had a good experience. Traveling in a small group can be easier, but traveling alone is a great option too.
Be open to asking people in your cohort to travel together. Many students are in a similar position where studying abroad or traveling in general is new to them and many people are looking for a travel partner too. Before our trip to Spain, there were several meetings where all of the students from the program collected and were advised by our professors.
TV: This is where I found a buddy to travel with and began planning possible weekend trips during the program.
- During the Program:
At least with our cohort, we liked that we were in a relatively small group and we didn’t have many extracurricular commitments. This meant we could spend a lot of time with our classmates. Especially in a diverse cohort, you can learn a lot from new friends in the program. Our cohort consisted of different class standings, majors, and students from different campuses, so everyone had different experiences to share.
Our professors also gave us a lot of individual attention during class. Study abroad programs will always have their differences, but having a small and relatively close-knit cohort with accessible professors creates a great environment to motivate new thinking and learn about new topics.
Outside of program friendships, spend time with your host family if you have one. If you’re concerned about living with a host family, don’t be. Living with new, welcoming people allows you to make new friendships that can greatly improve your time abroad. Knowing locals allows you to learn the local language much easier by having easy access to fluent speakers to practice with. They also gave us a lot of helpful information for planning our trips to Porto (Portugal), and Madrid, and recommendations for local places to visit.
Tag visited the León police station, where his host-dad works.
PT: I got close with my host family too. It’s hard to put into words how amazing it was to connect with them and sit at the same table with them for our meals. My host family asked me lots of questions about life in the U.S. On the last night of my program, my host-mom’s sister and neighbor took their kids to my host-house to meet me. For some study-abroad students, especially those who are a racial minority abroad, attention can be off-putting. However, in many situations, people are just curious. Many people only see the U.S. in movies, so some people might enjoy hearing about your experiences living there.
I know a couple of people now who want to return to León just to visit their old host families. Living with such welcoming and lovely people is also a great motivation to sharpen your language skills.
Many study abroad programs include guest lectures from local academics and professionals. We don’t talk much about them because of how much variety there can be in guest lectures between programs, however, these experiences are valuable as opportunities to learn things from experts from entirely different regions and contexts. These lectures can be some of the most interesting parts of a study-abroad program because of how different guest lecturer perspectives can be compared to professors at UWB.
To conclude, as much as studying abroad is an exciting and new experience, as another Gilman recipient said in a mandatory Zoom meeting, “Don’t expect study abroad to be exciting every day”. It is an exciting experience, but set realistic expectations beforehand and know that exciting experiences come when you look for them and put yourself out there.
