The Before

When it comes to studying abroad, preparation is key. In addition to the program application process, it is important to try to figure out as much as you can before you go so that your departure and return go as smoothly as possible. But it is also vital to remember that the beauty of study abroad is this: it is never the same for everyone, and if it teaches you anything it is to learn to go with the flow. Even the most prepared and organized person cannot account for every possible problem he or she could encounter during their time abroad.

For example, a close friend of mine spent her first semester of this year in Spain. About two weeks into her trip, she slipped and fractured her nose. Because of this, some of the money she had budgeted for other things had to be used on doctor’s appointments instead. Obviously, she could not have accounted for an accident like this before going abroad, and luckily it didn’t change her plans too much, but it just goes to show that anything that can happen to you at home can happen to you while you are abroad, so be prepared changes in plans.

But, there are some things that you can get ready before you go. Here are my Top 4 most important things to do before you leave:

1. Credit transfers – Depending on the program you are traveling through, this will either be fairly easy or incredibly difficult. Basically what you have to do (at Carthage) is get a special form from the Registrar’s office, get the course catalog from the school you are studying abroad at, fill it out, and have the department heads at Carthage ok the classes that apply to their departments. For example, I want to take my Principles of Public Relations course while I am in Costa Rica, so I had the Communication Department head (at the time Paul Chilsen) look at a few different course descriptions and sign off on the one that best fit the Carthage Principles of PR course. After obtaining all of your signatures, you return the forms to the Registrar’s Office and then the credits transfer pretty easily.

Why would this be difficult? Some programs don’t give you course options before you leave and you can’t figure this out before you go. If this is the case with your program, you should contact your advisor at Carthage and the necessary department heads as soon as possible after finding out what classes you are taking to try to work out getting the credits transferred.

2. Living situation – Whether you go in the fall or the spring, your return to school can be a lot easier and less stressful if you know where you are going to live when you return before you depart. First, you have to decide whether you are going to be living on- or off-campus when you come back from being abroad. No matter which you decide, you have to inform the head of Housing in the Dean of Students office. And of course, you have to figure out whom you will be living with. Since you will be gone for an extended amount of time, it is always best to choose someone you know won’t mess you up when you get back by deciding to live with someone else.

3. Finances – Always a stressful topic. Before you even choose a program, you should be thinking about how you’re going to pay for being abroad. At Carthage, you have the option to stay enrolled as a student and pay an academic oversight fee to the School so that they will take care of your bills. Usually, students pay for a full year at Carthage, not a single semester, so what Carthage does when you stay enrolled is use the tuition you paid for the semester you will be gone (in my case, the spring semester) to pay for your program, plus the oversight fee. If you have student loans that require you be enrolled in an American college or university or other financial aid that can be applied to your study abroad, this can be a very good option; however, if you don’t have student loans or applicable financial aid, it may be best to use the brand new Temporary Leave of Absence for Study Abroad Students form that Vatistas in the Financial Aid Office and Erik Kulke, the Carthage Study Abroad Coordinator, have just come up with. I’m using the Temporary Leave of Absence form, which really isn’t very complicated and is the better choice for me since I don’t have any student loans or applicable aid.

4. Returning semester – I recommend that before you leave you should at least beginning the conversation with your advisor about what classes you are going to take the semester that you come back to Carthage. Students who are abroad usually register while they are gone. I’m a person who loves to have a plan, so for my own personal sanity it was important to me to have some sort of idea of what my first semester back at Carthage will look like next fall, especially since it will be the first semester of my senior year.


All of these things can be a bit time consuming, but believe me, getting them done before you got can relieve a lot of stress. In GRN 351, the study abroad preparation course, Erik had us fill out check off sheets to make sure we were on track with getting everything done that we could before we left. For me, it was helpful to have a list in front of me of things I had to get done.

Like I said earlier, it’s impossible to really prepare for your trip 100%, but you there is always something that you can do to take some stress off of yourself when you return. And remember, study abroad is supposed to be exciting and challenging, so don’t let the process scare you away. Everything worth doing takes a little effort, so just take this part of the process in with the rest of your experience.

Hasta luego

Pura Vida.