5 Steps to Studying Abroad

Travelling to another country to go to college or university is a big step. It’s easy to let the initial planning and application process put you off your dreams of travelling abroad, as it can be fairly stressful and complicated. Here’s a guide to help you overcome this hurdle and get started on your educational adventure afar.

Decide why you want to study abroad

There can be lots of positives to studying abroad. You may be able to better learn a language if that’s what you’re studying. You may be able to save costs on tuition fees. It may even be useful to future career plans that look highly upon studying abroad. Make sure that you’re doing it for a valid reason and that it’s not a brash decision. Consider doing some travelling first if you simply want to satisfy your travel bug. You may even be able to find a course with a year abroad if studying abroad is something you want to do but you’re not sure you can commit to a full course.

Research universities

Give yourself lots of research time when looking for a course. Attending open days around the world is unlikely to be possible but there are sites such as You Visit that can offer virtual tours of campuses. Read course reviews and check university rankings across the board. If you can get in touch with someone at the university and have a conversation via email or Skype, it could also be beneficial for getting the answers you need.

Understand the application process

You should be able to find a study abroad advisor with the help of staff at your school or online. You may also be able to find an advisor in the country you’re applying such as a service like UK Uni Admission. Be aware of application deadlines to avoid having to defer a year. Universities may require documentation before you start your application.

Obtain the right documentation

You’ll need a passport in order to apply to a course abroad. You’ll also likely need to fill out a Study Abroad Credit Approval Form which an advisor can supply you with. Student visas may be required, but you don’t need to worry about these until nearer the date – in fact, you may be able to wait until you’ve got your results before you apply.

Meet other students

Your university may offer a service for meeting other fellow students who are about to start. There may also be forums in which you can talk to established students at that university. If you’ve been accepted to a university but haven’t been able to get into their halls of residence, you may need to sign up to a househunting scheme. This can be tricky to do from abroad and you may find it easier to visit your country early and look for accommodation there. You may be able to meet someone already in the country willing to share a property with you who can do all the searching.  

I hope you enjoyed the post! If you could study abroad, where would you go? Let me know 🙂

Thanks so much for reading, as always!

Xoxo, Rae