I really want to study abroad for my senior year, and was just wondering if anybodys ever done this? I am loooking for program suggestions, personal experiances or thoughts? I don't want to spend a ton and am looking at a academic year in Belgium.

Thanks in advance!

I actually feel so bad for posting without prior experience because I am not truly helping, and most of this is my opinion so you dont have to follow it, but from what I have seen while exploring my own colleges and such with various programs they offer, it does seem very interesting. They just dont offer many chances with my desired major/future field (Or else I would totally consider it). Depending on what you do, I would say go for it. It honestly is probably a great way to not only travel and experience various other cultures, but is a great to build future business and personal relationships. However, I would sit down and truly think about if you are not only financially (In terms of various miscellaneous or emergency costs) able to but also emotionally/mentally open to the idea. Being somewhere completely foreign and new can not only drain, but stress as well, especially if you are not familiar with certain customs or laws (And the sudden change in certain ways of doing things or just the sudden overall environmental change/excitement). Not to mention, as some sources say, research! Such as how difficult it would be to obtain a job as a foreign student or things such as currency exchange/banking in general. But, if you feel your are up to the task and can have a solid plan, definitely look at some programs! Certain colleges offer amazing scholarships/programs that allow you to, or just browse for trusted sources. If you are in/going to a certain college, be sure to ask around about what they offer. Researching various scholarships could also help fund your trip/stay (Some even use your gap year as a chance to start early I think)! Try to find the school you'll be studying at and see if there are any specific necesseties for students that do study abroad, or if there is a list to choose from find which works best for your lifestyle and schedule! And, being mostly opinions or hurried research, be sure to do your own before jumping into it. Try to find people from the area you want to study in to see how the environment is, both as a community and as a student.

I didn't study abroad for an entire semester or anything, but I went on a two-week school trip through Italy and Spain. One of the best times I've ever had. 10/10 would definitely study abroad for real if I could go back in time

Thank you both! I think I am going to apply and apply for several scholorships that should bring the price down, to a reasonable amount.

I have wanted to do something like this for awhile and have been looking in, talking to my counslers and therapist. They have thought this would be a good thing for me to do, while getting out in a new culture.

Thank you for your opinion Caaldir! You made some very good points and I will continue my research!

I would highly recommend studying abroad! I spent 6 months in London (I'm US based) and it was a fantastic experience. It sounds like you're already speaking to school counselors, which is a great way to make sure you're on the right track. I would also recommend that you thoroughly vet what sort of classes would be available to you and what your schedule will be like. Will the classes you take count towards your major requirements? How many classes should you take so that you can balance meeting your degree requirements without spending all your time in a foreign country studying? Depending on your school, they may or may not offer more structure study abroad programs. Some schools will send you with a group of other students from your own university who will all live together and take mostly the same classes. Other programs will have you live completely independently. You'll have to decide how much support you want or need from your home institution. And of course like Caaldir said, you need to consider the financial viability of the venture. If you're applying for scholarships then that should help you out. Is your family able to support you? Are you comfortable taking out more student loans? If you are from the US and go to Europe on a student visa, you will not be able to work in the country you travel to per the requirements of the visa. I'm not sure if this is the case for all countries however. If you have any other questions feel free to message me!

Not exactly true, most countries in Europe will allow foreign students to work on a student visa but it is often restricted and you need to confirm with your scholarship how much you are allowed to earn without risking loosing your scholarship. I live in Iceland and it is for foreigners from outside Europe by far the easiest way to relocate here to escape the everlasting proces (can be up to 12 weeks to process) of getting permits to work that apply if you come here with a regular visa because you want to experience life here (you need a boss willing to wait 12 weeks before you can start and you wont find those other than by pure luck). Students get permits and necessary ID by default and extra fast within 5 days to make it possible to open a bank account, a job, get phone subscription, insurance etc. Europeans can work right away without permit and ID (still need to apply but its European law of free movement between countries). This ID is restricted and temporary though, but my country wants students to take a job as well as they consider it important that people can supply themselves without needing benefits and there are lots of jobs. I also have students from Africa and Brasil as collegues. Since most of Europe works with same rules, I think a student visa allows a small job in most European countries. Best way to go is check with the school/university you want to enroll in. They most likely have a student employment office on hand that can arrange a studentjob and know exactly if and how much you are allowed to work. You will need to make sure to get the right visa. If you end up with one not allowing to work, a year abroad can be a horrible experience if you dont have financial means to sustain yourself. Living in a foreign country is not the same as holidays and if things dont go as you hoped for, it can be a long year. Having the option for a small job really enriches it. Being abroad is always a good experience, I moved abroad some years ago, but its not for everybody, you leave a life behind thats no longer a touchable part of you. You are mostly on your own rebuilding a new life. It takes some guts. You plan it temporary, but your mind doesnt know the difference as it only functions in now setting. Dont take it too lightly but if you have the chance, just go for it!

Hey - if you're going for an entire academic school year as opposed to one semester, you could be in a different class of student visa that allows you to work. I'm from the US and did a year at Oxford and it was a different tier of visa that allowed me to work part time. (Tbh the workload was so nuts that I didn't but it was an option!) Not at all sure if that would be different in Belgium, but at the time the UK was still in the EU so at minimum that wouldn't be an issue.

Although I didn't study abroad myself, I have a cousin currently in London for the semester. She was able to get an internship there that counts for credits and pays her a little bit on the side. Definitely something to look into! She's been taking weekend trips and has gone to Scotland, Ireland and Greece and several other areas in England itself. The hardest thing she's seemed to encounter was just being able to fit her souvenirs into her suitcases for the trip back.

Sorry I'm so late too reply but definitely take the opportunity and study abroad. I'm from Ireland but I'm studying abroad in Poland for 5.5 years (Vet med!) And I love it! Being homesick is temporary and you make amazing friend sand experiences and really get to experience the culture of different countries. Some of my friends are studying in Amsterdam, Lyon, Brussels & Ghent and they all love it too. If you have any question at all feel free to ask :)

I'm finishing up my semester abroad right now! I'm from the US and I've been in Estonia for the past few months. If you're in the US, ISEP and ISA are both great organizations to go through (I'm ISEP and I have friends doing ISA). Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! I love talking about it :)