The world is your classroom, so study abroad.
*UGA Study Abroad is as of right now unavailable until 2021 due to the global pandemic, but the application process for Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2021 is now open for some programs.
Wow! Just the thought of my daughter being able to study abroad is so exciting to me! Nowadays it seems like it is the thing that most college students are doing, at UGA especially, since a Study Abroad will fulfill your experiential learning requirement. There is no time table as to when you have to study abroad, and UGA has tons of different options that are different lengths of time, different times of the year, and occur in different places.
The latest national report on Study Abroad showed that more than 238,332 students from colleges and universities across the United States went overseas to earn credit during their academic years. There are so many factors involved in making the decision, and we recommend you consider everything so that you can perfectly cater to your experience to yourself.
UGA has seven different types of “study away” programs. Each one is designed to meet the different needs and desires of students who wish to partake in this experience. The Exchange Program allows UGA students to become foreign exchange students to different Universities across the globe. There are schools from all over-represented in this program and students are allowed to become an Exchange Student to South American, European, Asian, Central American, and Oceanian colleges and universities.
UGA also has its International Centers located in Cortona, Italy, and Oxford, England. These two programs are UGA mandated and have classes taught by UGA professors. The third program is the Faculty-Led study abroad. These are school and program-specific and are set to enrich your knowledge within your chosen vocation, whether it be your major, your minor, or your certificate. UGA also classifies Domestic Field Study as study away programs and these are US-based programs that are very specific to your program of study.
The next program is Independent Experience Programs, these are Internships, Research, Service Learning, Volunteer Abroad, Work Abroad, and Conferences that you, the student, find on your own and do on your own. They are not group trips and are aimed more at students who want a very individualized experience. There are also Non-UGA Programs that are for-profit or non-profit organizations that provide study opportunities in conjunction with universities around the world, including UGA. These are not mandated and planned by UGA, so there is a lot of work with outside organizations that go into this experience.
Lastly, there are Global Education Consortium Programs which are usually groups of universities and other organizations operating together on a joint project. This means that you could have lots of students from different places on your trip, and are very different from typical “Study Away” programs at UGA.
Every student at UGA has the opportunity to participate in a Study Away program, regardless of the degree program. UGA is the #13 college in the United States for sending students abroad, and they intend to continue to create new opportunities for students as rapidly as possible. To figure out which study away program is best for you, we recommend making an appointment with one of UGA’s Study Away Advisors. In this meeting, they will outline what options are best for you in regards to your major or minor, the period in which you want to go abroad, and the funds needed to make it happen. There are tons of different Funding and Scholarship opportunities to help students offset the cost of their Study Away experience.
Here are some helpful tips and guidelines for parents for your student’s study experience.
Make sure your student’s passport as well as yours has a minimum of six months before expiration. You will not be allowed to leave if your passport expires in three months. Currently, the processing time for both is 6 weeks with expedited services in 3 weeks, however, the processing time is subject to change. Passports can be obtained from the Post Office or Courthouse. In the event that you need to expedite a passport or visa renewal, try Fastport Passport. They are registered with the U.S. Department of State.
Register and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). It is free to U.S. citizens and will give them important safety information from our Embassy and help them to contact you in the event of an emergency.
If they are traveling to a country that is more metropolitan with access to shops and stores, have them purchase their toiletries over there. It may be worth it to purchase and share the expense with their roommates for items such as bath soap, toothpaste, shampoo, laundry detergent…
Consider purchasing an unlocked phone that works on international networks. By purchasing in advance, your students can add their contacts and download their apps ahead of time. Speaking of phones, it is one of the more commonly stolen items in many cities so make sure they are diligent with their phones. That means not putting them in their back pockets or on tables where anyone can walk by and grab them.
Make your child an authorized user on your credit card since it does not have any foreign transaction fees. Have them write down the international phone number for the credit card and put it in a safe place (with a copy of their passport). If their credit card is stolen, at least they can report it immediately.
Pack light. There are plenty of places they can wash their clothes and if they are traveling through Europe a backpack will make their travel experience much easier. Try the ultralight packing cubes from eBags.
When booking your student’s travel, keep in mind the best time to book an international flight is typically 2-4 months before their travel date. Another tip is to check one-way tickets each way as sometimes you may actually get a better fare than the round trip price.
Consider purchasing student travel insurance for emergencies. HaveUHeard recommends Allianz Travel Insurance.
Will they be traveling around and staying at hotels, students can find access to special rates through StudentUniverse. Or, they can consider staying at a hostel. Hostels are not all so shabby anymore. Check out HostelWorld to see how nice (and inexpensive) some of them are.
You may want to consider having your student get Global Entry which runs approximately $100 for five years but makes getting through security so much easier. Or, have them download the Mobile Passport App which is free and helps to speed you through U.S. Customs. (officially authorized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection). They will still need their passport but it saves them time.
Download What’s App. It is an app that is available to use whenever and wherever they are at any time. They can also call you from Facebook Messenger (make sure they have wifi) or even FaceTime with you.
Students love to travel to different destinations while abroad. GetYourGuide gives them guides to unique and unmissable things to do in their destination.
Study Abroad can be very pricey. In addition to the cost of the program which includes room and board, a prepaid metro card (may not last their entire abroad program), health insurance, and some excursions, it does not include airfare, meals, additional travel (many use this opportunity to visit other countries). And, of course, any purchases they make for themselves. For suggestions on what they should bring with them, read our Study Abroad Gift Guide.
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