How do you study abroad?

Well, maybe the question I should answer first, is "Why should I study abroad?" Sure, the process can be difficult, complicated, and expensive, but I've never personally met anyone who has studied abroad and doesn't recommend it. One time, I went to a presentation where students talked about their study abroad experiences. One student said he hated a bunch of individual aspects of living in Japan (my personal favorite was his complaint about being forced to wear a "man-purse" (messenger bag/satchel) in order to fit in). Even so, you could tell that these were half-hearted complaints; he didn't have anything really seriously bad to say about the country. Another reason to study abroad, if you've been studying the language, is that it offers an invaluable opportunity to immerse yourself in it and become more fluent. You have the chance to experience a culture different from your own and see other people's perspectives on life. Plus, studying abroad makes you develop skills that can help you with your career later on. In addition, with the world becoming more global, having foreign contacts can be an investment in your future.

Despite all these wonderful reasons, when I was in high school, I never really considered studying abroad. I didn't think it was a possibility. Studying abroad was a thing you maybe did in college, I thought. But when I began researching study abroad in college, I became aware that there are programs available to take students of high school level or higher to other countries.

You may worry that you don't know the language of the country you're going to well enough. That is a valid concern, but shouldn't stop you if you're really determined. Many programs require little to no language proficiency, depending on the country. There are plenty of options, depending on your age, school affiliation and/or level, language proficiency, and financial ability.

The first step, if you're thinking about studying abroad, is to talk to an advisor at your school. If you're in college, your school should have a study abroad office. The study abroad office will let you know what programs are available through your school and guide you through the process. For the University of Pittsburgh, the website for the Study Abroad Office is abroad.pitt.edu . If you're in high school, you'll probably have to do research on your own. I don't know much about it since it isn't something I have experience with.

It's late, so I'll wrap up here for now,  but in my next post, I'll elaborate more on what to look for in a program and how to choose. I'll also post about scholarships eventually.