The Beginning of a Memorable Summer

    It's probably the most fabulous thing that has happened to me all week, my acceptance letter. For the past couple of weeks, I have been waiting to hear back from CEA, a third-party provider for Study Abroad programs. Little did I know, while waiting for my next class to begin today, my e-mail would be filled by two acceptance letters, and a phone call about my acceptance for Summer 2012. Anyone want to guess where I will be traveling to for two months? I'll go ahead and tell you: Prague, Czech Republic!

    Currently, I am in the process of getting courses approved, making flight arrangements, filling out any last minute paperwork, and waiting for my friend's approval (no offense to her, but I'm still going either way, but we won't tell her that just yet!). Upon receiving my acceptance, I called my mom and filled her in and she seemed excited, even though she was very hesitant at first. Between my parents, family, and friends, here are some tips on how to get started if you anticipate on studying abroad in the future. 

Courtesy of Google

Tips for Starting Your Study Abroad Trip

• Meet with your study abroad director
• Research both your school and third-party providers
• Ask friends if they would like to tag along 
• Research the schools abroad affiliated with
• Make sure courses available will be accepted by your home university
• Make a "To-Do" list
• Apply early (or when applications for the semester you plan to go are available)
• Research scholarships and financial aid
• Apply/renew passports
• Make sure you're in good academic standing (some programs require at least a 2.5 GPA, while others require at least a 3.0)
• Keep in contact with your school contact, as well as the program's contact
• Have fun :)