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Time and budget available kind of go together so let's explore those two topics next.
Time available
Although many students want to study abroad the unfortunate reality is that many majors (the sciences come to mind) do not have the course flexibility to allow students in those majors to commit to a semester abroad. Fortunately, this is changing to a degree. Your best bet is to speak with your advisor to make sure you choose a time to go when you will not be missing classes only offered sporadically and in turn throwing off your graduation deadline. Many students find that junior year is the best time to study abroad. If you are in a major where you can'tget away for an entire semester, try shorter summer study abroad programs. Although they're not as long as a semester, most times these programs include the same types of courses and activities as a semester program. They may not offer as many credits, which may be a good thing if you're on a tight budget. Theoretically, you could participate 2 years in a row in a summer program and earn about the same number of credits as you would in a traditional semester program.
Budget
When I went on my semester study abroad, I was able to do so for the cost of a regular semester at my university plus airfare. This meant that I was able to earn the same number of credits and have room and board included for the same price as if I had stayed on campus. The only difference was the airfare. While this may be helpful for you to know, you may also not realize that you can participate in a semester program for less than the cost of staying on campus for a semester.
Ultimately, the key here is researching what's available for how much and when. To be continued on the next blog...
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