Study Abroad 101: Your Ultimate Guide to Everything BEFORE You Study Abroad . . .
The study abroad process alone can be very daunting and seemingly overwhelming especially knowing that you must be on top of your deadlines and documents on your own, however the rewards are more than worth it and soon you will be in another country!
Let's walk you through everything from which program you may want to decide, what the pros/cons of each program entail, and my general experience.
Resources for studying abroad at UH: Manoa
The University of Hawaii: at Manoa has two main avenues for you to utilize if you're interested in study abroad; the Study Abroad Center and the Manoa International Exchange.
Step #1: Applying for Study Abroad Program(s)
The first step you should take is looking up, " 'country' UH Manoa study abroad". This should allow you to access the available options that the University offers for that country, if any. If you're unsure what country you're interested in, MIX offers a great selection catalog of programs by country.
PRO Tip: once you've decided on the country and potential schools you're interested in, make sure you schedule appointments with BOTH your major advisor and the study abroad advisors to discuss potential coursework and how it will affect your degree.
Once you've gone through the whole research process, you're ready to apply for your program.
The deadlines for MIX Summer Term, Fall Semester, and Academic Year Programs:
Application Opens: August 1st
Application Deadline: December 1st
The deadlines for MIX Spring Semester Programs:
Application Opens: January 1st
Application Deadline: May 1st
Heading #2: The Nomination Process
Congratulations! you've been nominated to a school (hopefully one you've selected), now its time to get through the entire nomination process throughout the semester before you depart for your study abroad program. The very first thing you should do is read through the initial nomination email to see if there are any urgent deadlines or requirements. Usually, the nomination form must be completed a few days after the email, for the MIX program to confirm potential nominees with the partner schools.
Make sure you keep up with these deadlines, and stay in close contact with the point of contact for the University as they are the bridge to getting you to your study abroad program.
My biggest piece of advice for this process is to complete things much earlier than the deadline expects, as there may be hiccups or complications that you may not account for and may need to solve, anything from medical clearance to passport issues.
Step 3: Getting to Your Study Abroad Program
There's a plethora of aspects that you need to account for before you depart for your program / country. The main aspects I will be covering are your finances, and transportation.
In terms of your finances, you must sort those in order as soon as possible to avoid any hiccups while abroad. It's very difficult to get a hold of financial institutions and your finances back home with factors like time zones, security, and miscommunication. With that being said, make sure you first have the right budget and financial capabilities to even study abroad. I was thankful enough to have received the Shidler College of Business: Freeman Scholarship and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Apart from that, you must also make sure you have access to these funds from abroad. The Charles Schwab debit card was a very highly recommended financial tool to access your monies free from fees using ATMs. If you are going to a country with a highly cash based society, I recommend remittances like Remitly if they offer it.