I had been dreaming about studying abroad well before choosing my study abroad location, and I bet you have been too! These 5 tips will serve as a guide to help lead you to your perfect study abroad location.
1. English or non-english Speaking country?
Some people believe that living in a country with a foreign language is essential to studying abroad, while others do not. There are plenty of location options for studying abroad, but only a few with english as their leading language.
Being in a country with a foreign language can take you out of your comfort zone. On the other hand, it can also feel overwhelming.
Try to recognize your preference on locations with a foreign language before choosing a country for your study abroad experience. It is okay if you would rather be somewhere with English as the leading language!
I believe recognizing this preference is perhaps the first step you can take when choosing where to study abroad. Determining whether or not you want to be in a country with a language foreign to you can rule out multiple study abroad locations right away.
2. Food
If you’re a picky eater like me, then food may be an important factor when choosing your study abroad location. You might be thinking that it’s crazy to base your location choice around food, but the reality is that you’re going to be eating that food multiple times a day for the duration of your stay, so you’ll want to enjoy it!
Food is a great factor to help you narrow down your study abroad location search when you are unsure in the beginning, but it shouldn’t be an all or nothing factor. Narrow it down to the countries who food excites you most. You should never run out of awesome foods to try while studying abroad!
3. Foreign Language Experience
If you are studying a foreign language I would highly recommend studying abroad in its native country. It is a great experience, and gives you the opportunity to practice your language skills every single day.
I had been studying the German language since my freshman year of highschool – aka seven years worth of experience with “Deutsch” as they call it. When I entered college I found out my major required a minor, and since I had completed 3 years of transferable German class credits in high school, I thought “why not?”
When I started inquiring about study abroad in my school’s study abroad office I was immediately recommended to study abroad in a German speaking country. Based solely off my language experience, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany all would’ve made for good study abroad locations for me.
Studying in a German speaking country allowed me to practice my speaking skills in its native setting, as well as earn credits toward my German minor by taking classes taught in German.
In comparison, a student who takes Spanish may want to study in a Spanish speaking country, and a student who speaks French a French speaking country, and etc.
If you haven’t studied a foreign language before, now could be the perfect time to. You will be exposed to the language in new ways every single day, which will help with your learning process.
4. Location within the region
When choosing to study abroad in Europe I knew I wanted to study abroad in one country, while visiting others on my weekends. To maintain cheap flight costs and short flight durations, I wanted to pick a location that was central to the countries I had wanted to visit.
Germany was a great option for this. It sits right in between many of the countries I had wanted to visit including France, Switzerland, and Austria. Where you are looking to travel, outside of your host country, might impact travel costs and practicality, so it is important to keep that in mind when choosing your study abroad location as well.
Germany was also home to multiple of the cities, and events I wanted to visit while abroad. Studying within the country made short day trips to those places a possibility. For example, Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich were all cities I wanted to see, and they were all located within Germany.
If you like to spend your days at the beach, you can find a study abroad location along the coast. Similarly, if you like city life, spend your semester in a city abroad! If you want to travel while you are studying abroad choose a location that allows you easy access to the destinations you plan on visiting
It is completely up to you and your own personal preferences to help you determine the perfect study abroad location.
5. Cost of Living
Your budget may affect where you should and shouldn’t study abroad, due to the cost of living. Some countries are cheaper than others, and the same can be said of cities.
One of the cheapest countries in Western Europe to study abroad in would be the Czech Republic. On the contrary, countries such as Switzerland, London, or Copenhagen would be a much more expensive location choice, as their cities frequently rank most expensive in Europe.
Similarly, New Zealand is known to have cheaper consumer prices than Australia. If you are debating between any two locations, price may help you make the choice.
Choosing to study abroad in a cheaper country, or city, means saving money simply by being in another location. Items that cost two Euros in Germany can easily cost double in Switzerland!
This allows you to save money to put towards other expenses. For example, weekend trips, nights out, or even just more money kept in your bank account! Studying abroad doesn’t have to break the bank.
Overall
The best thing you can do when choosing a location for study abroad is RESEARCH! You can never do enough research to ensure that you will enjoy all aspects of your study abroad location. At the very least, research allows you to be prepared for things you may uncomfortable with when studying abroad in a new location.
Ask your school or university about their study abroad programs, and find an advisor to help you plan for your big trip!
If you want to read more about my own study abroad experience check out my article about The Best Things About My Study Abroad Experience