How did I prepare to study abroad?
Studying abroad is obviously not as easy as living at home and studying there. I chose not to be part of an organizational program to find my study abroad destination, as I knew where I wanted to go for college and therefore had to do a lot of research and complete all of the following steps on my own. Nevertheless, I completed the exchange year during high school with a study abroad organization. If you to take part in a program offered by a study abroad organization, the institution will assist you with getting a visa and more. At first, it may seem like a lot of work, but it is worth it!
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| Exploring Knapp's Castle |
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| Beautiful palm trees in Santa Barbara |
First of all, you have to know where you want to go. For me, the choice was obvious but if you are a little adventurous, you may choose a country that you have never visited before, don’t know the language, or never even heard of. Taking into consideration that I mainly wanted to improve my English, my options were limited (U.K, Australia, and U.S). Since I am definitely a warm-weather person and cannot stand the cold, I short-handedly decided to go to California when deciding where to do my exchange year. In addition, I wanted to live near the beach and have sunny days all year round, so Santa Barbara was the perfect choice for me (BTW, SB got voted the city with the best weather in the U.S!!!). Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t handle much rain and coldness. Furthermore, if you already have your mind set on a specific major, you may want to select a university by looking for the best program in your major. Not all universities offer all majors. Therefore, you could start your google quest by researching (i.e. the best business universities in the U.S). If you don’t have a specific major, but you know that you want to attend a prestigious college or university, just look for the best universities in the U.S. SBCC got voted the #1 Community College in the Nation so this would FOR SURE be a great place to start!
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| Hiking to Lizard's Mouth |
Great websites include www.internationalstudent.com, www.usnews.com, www.topuniversities.com, www.niche.com, www.businessinsider.com, www.forbes.com, and many more. In addition, I conducted some research about Santa Barbara and about California in general... what to do, what to see, demographics, and more. Nevertheless, don’t worry about having to do extensive research because it is important to take things as they come and form your own opinion about the destination, the sights, and citizens.
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| View from the Humanities Building at SBCC |
Once I decided what college to attend, I had to apply to SBCC. (See application checklist and procedures). Then, I had to wait for the acceptance letter before I could apply for my F-1 visa at the American embassy in Austria. In the meantime, I prepared all documents needed for the visa application process. Getting a visa took about one to two months including the time to get all the documents in order. The documents include, but are not limited to an application form, passport pictures, a financial statement, and the acceptance letter from SBCC. Eventually I had to go to the American embassy for a quick interview and that was about it. Two weeks later, I received my passport with an American F1 visa in the mail and I was ready to move to the other side of the world!
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| Santa Barbara Waterfront Pier |
For a girl, I was always a light-packer and I only brought one big suitcase and one carry-on handbag with me. The only things you basically need are clothes, shoes, electronics, documents and other personal things. I bought all personal hygiene and household stuff as well as furniture in the U.S, which is definitely the easiest thing to do. Since I am living with my boyfriend now, I did not have to worry about getting an apartment, but there are always great options for international students no matter where you go! In Santa Barbara, there are many apartment buildings close by SBCC, there is Coral Group (specifically for international students), the Orchid House, and many more organizations, which you can all find online. On the day of my departure, the goodbye from my family was the hardest. However, I always keep in mind that I will see them again (I always go home for the winter holidays and for summer break). Also, thanks to our advanced technologies, I am able to FaceTime with them almost every day to keep up. Naturally, it is difficult to leave family and friends behind, but wherever you go, you’re gonna meet new people and make great friends soon! The relationships you build while studying abroad are simply the best because you will have been through so much together and have shared so many amazing experiences with one another. Whether you’re thinking about studying abroad for one month, half a year, or for your complete studies, it will be the greatest time of your life!
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| Making new friends! |
