As much as I do love summer....I have to get to France. The French Consulate in Chicago gave me the scare of my life this week regarding my visa but thankfully it was resolved. It got me thinking, what if I DIDN'T get to go abroad?? What if I HAD to go back to school?? ...Hell naw!! I have to go. How it became resolved made me even MORE grateful that I received all the scholarships and blessings that I did.
So since I have time now, I think I should share them with anyone who happens to run across my page.
Timing:
Okay, I started thinking about studying abroad for the Fall semester of my junior year during the spring semester of my sophomore year. So, I would say around January 2012, is when I knew that I wanted to go abroad during Fall 2012. When planning to study abroad, timing is VERY important. This was something I did not know before hand and I am so grateful that I started the process when I did. Becoming a student in a study abroad program and getting your home institution to be on board with it takes a lot, a lot, a lot of paperwork.
You have to apply to the program = paperwork
Match classes for credit = more paperwork
Sign agreements/get approvals = even more paperwork
...and so on and so forth. In my case, it took FOREVER to finish my application to my study program. The reason that it took so long was because I not only had to apply to my program online, I also had to apply THROUGH my school. What I mean by this is that, I had to give my entire online application to my study abroad director at my school + all the extra things she needed. In the beginning of the process, I have to stay she really wasn't as helpful. There was never any clear cut answer to my question of "What ELSE do I need to bring you?!" Getting my classes approved by the Foreign Language Department Chair was a pain all of its own. Last but not least is the recommendation letter. GO TO A PROFESSOR YOU TRUST. I won't even get into my tormenting experience with that. Overall, during the beginning there was a lot, a lot of running around and trying to get everything settled.
The Wait:
So after I finished applying, I had to wait to be accepted into the program. I feel like this alone took a month, maybe not...but it FELT that way. The anticipation was just too much. I was finally accept in early February. After being accepted into the program I had a whole new list of things that I needed to do.
1) Get a Passport
2) Complete Campus France
3) Get a Visa
This again goes back to timing. Receiving a Passport usually takes about 3-4 weeks. In order to complete Campus France you NEED a Passport. Campus France is a program set up by the French government that students who want to study abroad in France must complete online and be approved. It takes a good amount of time to complete and about a month to be approved. You MUST be approved by Campus France to get a Visa into France. Getting a Visa approved takes about two weeks. Therefore...timing is everything.
If you are fortunate enough to have an abundance of money, then maybe this situation won't be an issue for you but for me it was a fight! Passports aren't cheap and I didn't even apply to get mine until the beginning of March. As I said before, Passports take about 3-4 weeks to complete and you need it for Campus France. Since it was getting close to spring break and I wanted to get my passport ASAP so I could have enough time for Campus France. This means, I spent nearly $200 on an expedited Passport. Usually people wait that 3-4 weeks...mine was available the next day. After that, I moved onto Campus France. Once you finish applying to the program, you have to send in $70 in order for your application to be complete. By the time I was finished with Campus France and received my approval letter it was damn near May. So, Passport + Campus France alone was like a two month process (plus the time I spent saving money). Once again, timing is vital.
I just recently applied for my Visa. This doesn't have to be done until it is close to your departure date because your Visa is only valid for a limited time. This cost me $61 at the Chicago Consulate.
I feel like there is so much more detail I could go into about timing but this is starting to get long. Main advice: plan accordingly!
Programs:
Originally, I wanted to study abroad through CIEE because they are such a great organization. However, after speaking with my study abroad adviser at my school I realized that since this will be my first time abroad - I might just need some hand holding. She recommended AIFS. She explained to me how AIFS is a wonderful program for those who are new to traveling abroad and what they offered. I'm usually stubborn and not one to change my mind but I had to admit that she was right. So, I chose AIFS.
There are many study abroad programs out there to choose from, I think the key is choosing one that will fit YOUR needs. If you're looking for freedom to explore on your own, choose one that will give you that. If you are looking to participate in tours often and like working in groups, choose one that will offer you that. If you want to live in an apartment rather than a dorm, or a host family rather than with other Americans - choose the one that supplies this. At the end of the day, these organizations exist to please YOUR needs, so choose wisely because you will be the one paying them.
Okay...this is running long, I'll do this post in two parts. In the next post I'll discuss scholarships.
Au revoir~
