Choosing whether or not to go abroad is a huge decision. It’s easy to initially say yes because you can picture yourself with friends on a beach or in the mountains for a semester, not having a care in the world. However, there are many deciding factors that go into your decision. Of course I’m a little biased towards going abroad as I am thoroughly enjoying my experience, but let me try to give you the truth about several deciding factors I think are most important.
Ready for the move?
Leaving everything you know for a semester is hard. I left my family, friends, and school for the unknown. I’ve been away for long periods of time before for a volunteer trip in Mongolia and a backpacking trip in Europe, but I had gone with close friends on both trips.
I knew that I would miss my loved ones, but with modern day technology, keeping up isn’t that hard. It’s inevitable that I think about them often but I am not one to get super homesick, especially when I have a lot going on at the place I’m in. I also predicted that coming to New Zealand I wouldn’t have too hard a time adjusting because that’s who I am, but definitely know your limits and if you know you’d be happier to stay in Boston there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Have you found a country that matches your vibe?
As cool as it would be to go to Europe, South America, or Asia for study abroad, I know that none of them would have been the right choice for me. I don’t speak other languages, I don’t love big cities, and I don’t love such a fast paced way of life.
Contrastingly, I knew that New Zealand would be the perfect fit for me. I crave time at the beach and in the mountains, both of which New Zealand has plenty of. Thus far I’ve been able to spend hours in the sun tanning and playing in the waves and have summited a few great mountains on my weekend excursions. I was confident that New Zealand would attract people who were pretty down to earth and would like to tramp as much, if not more than I do. I’ve made some good friends that share similar interests and even convinced them to get up and hike with me at 3am to see the sunrise from the summit of Roy’s peak!
Before committing I also researched the atmosphere because I wanted to be comfortable during my time. I learned that it was pretty laid back and decently liberal, both which I support. Boston is great, but sometimes the elitism is a bit much and I am happy to have escaped the fast paced city life.
What would your class load look like?
Before you start fantasizing about abroad, make sure you have space in your schedule. Depending on your major, graduation year, co-op cycle, and/or sport schedule, you may not have room in your plan of study for a whole semester abroad.
If you’re lucky enough to have room, you also need to consider what classes you would take. No matter what school you’re at, classes are hard. So, don’t overload and think that taking your hardest semester of classes is a wise choice. I am very happy taking electives because the material is very interesting but they are 100 level which leaves me extra time to travel and explore. If you have to mostly take difficult classes that you know you will need a lot of time to study for, you may reconsider because it won’t be as much fun being trapped in a library at a different school.
Lastly, when thinking about classes, find a university that offers what you need. When looking for bioengineering classes, I was pretty limited on the schools that I could choose from. There’s a dropdown menu on GEO’s website to see what classes have been evaluated at different schools. It’s important to know if the credits will transfer back to your degree audit. If you don’t see the class you want to take listed, just submit it to be evaluated but make sure you do this way before you arrive at your new school to avoid a panic like I had.
Are you financially stable enough?
This one is probably the most obvious, but consider studying abroad from a financial point of view. Tuition for the semester is the same as it is on the Boston campus. Accommodation varies depending on school but mine was a little cheaper than what I pay for my off-campus apartment at Northeastern. I am in a self-catered flat so I have to cook for myself which means I buy groceries every week. Another big expense was the plane ticket which was well over a grand.
Besides the necessities, account for all of the activities and traveling you may do. Setting a budget will help you achieve this, but remember to leave a little wiggle room. There will definitely be activities or trips that come up that you will want to spontaneously commit to. You want to be money conscious but not have a budget so tight that you feel like you can’t properly experience the abroad part.
Trust your gut
If you’re still wavering about going abroad, trust your gut. You know yourself best and will be able to feel if you should go or if you aren’t ready.
If you’re like me and are over the moon excited about going abroad, what are you waiting for? Fill out the application asap! You will be destined to find a great school, nice friends, cool classes, and an amazing country to call home for a semester.
On the other hand, if thinking about going abroad is causing you more stress than excitement, maybe reconsider. Everyone is different and abroad isn’t always the right choice for everyone. GEO has a lot of other programs and maybe one of those is right for you.
Best of luck with your decision and thanks for reading!
