GAB Studio

Today, I got accepted into my schools study abroad program to the University of Economics and Business (Wirtschaftsuniversitat) in Vienna, Austria! I am super excited to say the least. The application process is fairly easy but also can be daunting. Let me walk you through it.

1. Do Your Research – If you are going for school and are on a budget, do research through your university figuring out where you can go and still receive course credit. Since you will likely be paying normal tuition fees, find out if your course credits will transfer over, how many you’re allowed to transfer over (some programs have caps on how many you can do not in residency), and if the courses you need to graduate are actually offered. This took out a lot of opportunities for me. Of course, if it is in your budget, go wherever the heck you want to go, but if you are like me, take these steps into consideration!
2. Evaluate your finances – While it shouldn’t dictate whether or not you go abroad, you should take it into account for how comfortable you will be while studying abroad and you will remain safe. So many expenses pile up that you don’t even expect and that aren’t clearly advertised, so it’s good just to be prepared. Looking up general packing lists, abroad necessities, and abroad living expenses especially in the specific region you are planning on going to is always a good idea, although there will always be emergency expenses as well.
3. The Application – This is undoubtedly the most important step. Without a convincing application, you can’t even be considered for going on these trips but beyond that, you need to sell yourself and your brand to your study abroad office to make you look like the perfect candidate. Be sure to not talk about how all you’re going to do is go on trips, but rather talk about how this trip can change your life. Personal, academic, and professional goals and changes that you want to set for yourself are the most important things to highlight, as this is a reflection of your university and the better you can present yourself, the better they believe you will be representing their university than other applicants.
4. Complete Application – Actually finishing the application might sound obvious, but so many people start an application and never finish it. Bite the bullet and submit it! You can always decline the spot on the trip and they will often give you refund for your application fee if you decide to do so. Make sure to double check that everything is complete, even schedule an appointment with your study abroad office and speak with someone if you want to be even more sure. If you need to, set reminders in your phone or agenda to get it done sooner rather than later.
5. Go ahead and apply for scholarships – There is no harm in going ahead and applying for various scholarships, whether that be inside or outside of your university. Whether you get them or not or get into your program or not, you can do absolutely nothing to reverse the work you’ve done to get there anyways, so why not?
6. Get excited! – Traveling is such a unique experience. Whether you begin with getting into your study abroad program or end up not getting in, you’ve seemingly been bit by the travel bug anyways! The world is such a wide place and you are willing to explore it. Instead of being hesitant, book a flight, make some international friends, and see the world! The more you do it, the more comfortable you become with the idea.

If you can think of anything I missed, let me know and I will add it to the post! Don’t hesitate or second think about studying abroad. Apply and see where it takes you! This should be an extended series, so stay tuned on future developments and I will continue posting about my progress and eventually my trip!