A Complete Guide on How to Study Abroad More than Once in 2024

How to Study Abroad More than Once: you’ve gone overseas to study before, but now you’re up for a fresh experience. How would one go about doing that? worry no more, we’ve got you covered.

It’s a great privilege to share with you the essential actions, protocols, and directives you’ll need to effectively study overseas several times. Continue reading if you’re prepared to pack your bags and see the world once more!

How to Study Abroad More than Once

Here are the necessary steps, procedures, and guidelines you will need to successfully study abroad more than once:

1. Create a Plan With Your University

Study abroad opportunities can differ depending on your university. While my university did not have a limit on the number of semesters I could spend abroad, some universities do not allow students to spend more than two semesters abroad.

Some universities have restrictions on whether students can study abroad more than once. You may get a direct yes/no answer, but often it’s not so simple.

Since there are many different types of study abroad programs, there is often some flexibility – some programs may be limited while others are not.

Right off the bat, I met with my academic advisor, study abroad advisor, and financial aid advisor to make sure that I was planning everything correctly.

By doing this, I was able to plan my course schedule, learn about study abroad opportunities, and understand how my financial aid would transfer to study abroad programs.

2. Employ the Services of Your Academic Adviser

Ask your academic advisor. How often you can go abroad depends a lot on your major, but all majors require that students take a certain percentage of their courses at their home university. The amount can vary greatly, even within a single institution.

For example, the International Relations department may be very flexible and allow students to spend a lot of time abroad since it is logical and beneficial for the area of study.

On the other hand, a Nursing program at Gwynedd Mercy University may be much more restrictive, because students need to be educated mostly at home to make sure they have a complete body of knowledge on their subject.

In all cases, there will be rules around which major and which “core” (non-major, but required by the university) courses can transfer.

When you consult with your advisor, make sure to get everything in writing. If your adviser says anything specific about what classes will be accepted, what you are required to take during each semester, or what your graduation requirements are, write it down.

Advisors may advise hundreds of students. This makes them too busy to take proper notes, and extremely forgetful of things they have said.

3. Figure Out Your Courses & Academic Requirements

Check your university requirements. All universities require that a certain percentage of credits be taken at the home university.

Read all of the graduation requirements written in whatever official rule list governs your class year: it may be called a course catalog, a yearbook, a rule book, a prospectus, or something else. Keep a copy of this document, and make sure that you know the rules in and out.

While courses can be tricky to figure out, there are endless programs to choose from and you are almost guaranteed to find several programs that fit your academic needs! I recommend saving your general requirement/core classes to take abroad.

General education requirements are often 1 or 2 semesters worth of credits, and I completed almost all of them abroad instead of taking them at my home university.

I also added a language minor after realizing I could take an entire year’s worth of language classes in only one semester.

Another way to ensure you are taking valuable classes is to choose a program with a specific focus. Some programs may offer class options for those majoring in Business or Biology, for example, allowing students in those majors to earn necessary credits while abroad.

4. Choose Your Programs Wisely

After you’ve decided you want to study abroad again and cleared it with your academic advisor, my most important tip is to choose your program wisely.

I was able to study abroad four times solely because I chose more affordable programs and countries over expensive options. This helped me balance the cost of studying abroad against the tuition I was going to be paying anyway

When preparing to study abroad for the first time, I researched the costs of many programs. I ended up studying through USAC’s Florianópolis, Brazil program which was around half the price that other organizations were offering.

Choosing a more affordable country will enable you to save money as well, thus being able to use your savings to study abroad again! When I studied in Thailand, for example, my program fees were only about $5,500.

Had I chosen a more expensive country, such as Australia, I could have spent upwards of $20,000. Speaking of finances, you’ll need to get them figured out once you choose your next study abroad program.

5. Sort Out Your Finances

Consider the cost. By talking to your study abroad office, you should have a good idea of what programs your university offers, how much they cost, whether or not financial aid can apply, and if scholarships are available.

Study abroad has somehow acquired the reputation of being an expensive affair, which does not have to be true. Often you will find it is not much more expensive than regular studies.

In my case, all of my scholarships could be applied, and going abroad had nearly identical costs in terms of tuition, food, and housing. I could spend a semester overseas for what I was already paying plus a few hundred dollars in random expenses and a plane ticket.

In schools with higher tuition fees, sometimes studying abroad through private-run programs is cheaper than spending a semester at home.

Financial concerns often deter students from studying abroad the first time, so it may seem daunting to afford to study abroad multiple times. However, it is not as difficult as it may seem.

An obvious way to earn money to study abroad is by applying for study scholarships and grants. It is also important to figure out which of your scholarships and financial aid will transfer to study abroad programs.

My merit scholarships from my home university all transferred and my university awarded me a study abroad grant every semester, which greatly aided in my ability to afford the programs.

Additionally, some study abroad programs may offer ways that students can earn money while abroad. Some programs may offer a small stipend to students by tutoring locals in English.

There may also be opportunities to create multimedia content that study abroad providers can use to market the program. I recommend sending an email to your study abroad program to inquire about these types of opportunities!

You can make your next study abroad adventure even more meaningful and memorable. So don’t be afraid to travel the world more than once – the sky is your starting point, no limit.