When I was a sophomore in high school, my high school chamber choir went on a concert tour of Ireland and we visited Dublin to sing in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I remember going on a walking tour of Dublin and seeing signs for University College Dublin and thinking that it would be so amazing to go to college in Ireland. Although I am not going to school there full time, I will likely be studying abroad there in the fall of 2017, which is equally as exciting. Thanks the study abroad office at Scripps, I will (hopefully) be in Ireland at this time next fall.

Most people ask sophomores if they are going abroad for their junior year, and often, the answer is “Yes!” or “Of course!” What is sometimes forgotten in this exchange is that, even though most students from the 5Cs are approved for their requested programs, students still have to apply to go abroad. Once that becomes clear, you might wonder:

First, you attend an information session with the head of the study abroad office, Neva Barker, where she will lay everything out for you: when applications are due, how to get credits to transfer back to Scripps, and your options for countries to study in.

Then comes the fun part where you can start researching the different programs that are offered and the ones that are pre-approved by Scripps. You have the option to petition if you want to study through a program that isn’t pre-approved, and the petitions are always due before the applications for pre-approved programs are. Much of the application covers the classes that you will be getting credit for while abroad and getting signatures from a professor in that specific department, which tells the registrar and the SAGE office that a specific class will satisfy either a requirement or will count towards graduation credits.

This was definitely my favorite part and I loved looking up the classes that I could take in other countries. To narrow down where you might want to study, students often look for a program that has classes in their major, or a place that they know they have always wanted to visit. Everyone has different reasons for studying abroad, but I know that I want the experience of not only living in a different country, but going to school there and experiencing science classes in a completely new environment.

Although it can be very exciting, thinking about studying abroad can seem like an obligation, and especially if you are on financial aid, it may seem impossible to make the finances work. You might feel like this:

but there are so many options and ways for Scripps to help you pay for a study abroad experience. Neva Barker is amazing and can help you figure out what would work best for you and your financial situation. If you feel obligated to go abroad, or you feel like this when people ask you,

maybe you shouldn’t, or you should really give it some serious thought, and it’s totally okay if you decide it’s not right for you. Many students choose to stay because of sports or other prior obligations, and all reasons are totally valid. If you feel you cannot go because of major requirements, I will tell you that it is 100% possible to go abroad, even if you’re a science major, I’m doing it and I know many others who have as well. If you are interested in learning more, you can contact Neva in the SAGE office, or contact me! Good luck to those who are applying to programs and good luck to everyone in this final (I can’t believe I’m saying this) stretch of the semester!