The Study Abroad Series: Part One
Planning towards study abroad during these unique times is an undeniably daunting task to put oneself through, given the unscraped images of national border closures and government shutdowns that bathe your recollection of the formidable year of 2020. Hence, to the courageous ones that have made it abroad despite these uncertainties, congratulations; and to the ones that are still doubtful of what the study abroad experience might look like now, you have come to the right place. My colleague, Defne and I, are currently studying abroad in Berlin and Scotland for the Spring semester, and have decided to launch a Study Abroad Series on the Bold. Beautiful. Barnard. Blog, hoping to bring you along on our journey away from home and soothe any qualms that you may have. This Study Abroad Series will be divided into three main parts: Pre-Departure Preparation, Arriving & Settling and Final Reflections. To begin, I will open with Academic preparations to consider before going abroad. Ready, set, go…
As a college student, a duty that remains constant amidst your ever-changing experiences is your commitment to fulfilling your undergraduate requirements. If you choose to enroll in a study abroad program while at Barnard, it is imperative that you:
a) decide early on the semester in which you will go away
b) plan how you will fulfill your requirements in time for your departure
c) start preparing at least a year in advance
You do not need to have fulfilled all your credits, but it is advised that you draft a timeline of how you plan to fulfill them given your decision to study abroad. Notably, drafting a seamless plan will lead you to decide whether you will pursue a program either based on your major or a language that you might be studying. In my case, I decided to do both. Since I am an Economics major and a French Language enthusiast, I initially decided to apply to Wellesley College’s WIA program in Aix-en-Provence, where I would have had the opportunity to take both Economics and French classes in Science-Po. Although I was certain that this would be my path to take, I ended up not being able to do so. Why? Because the Economics classes offered in Aix would not have been transferable to Barnard. This leads me into my next point.
Whilst preparing to go abroad, you must consult both your major advisor and if possible, your major Department Chair. When I had settled on my study abroad semester, I had a discussion with my major advisor where we performed a degree audit and ensured that there were Economics courses available abroad that would fulfill my Barnard major requirements. After completing discussions with my major advisor, I submitted a list of courses that I planned on pursuing while abroad to my Department Chair. Arranging a meeting with my department chair was critical as these courses were to be taken as Upper Level electives within my major. Additionally, since my goal was to take upper level economics courses, I was able to filter through study abroad programs much easier. Evidently, a major takeaway from my experience is this: decide on the type of study abroad experience you wish to have. If you are like me and are intellectually curious about how your Barnard major is instructed in a varied educational system, speak to the relevant professionals mentioned. You should know, in the case that you take major courses abroad, your grades can count towards your final GPA. If you are more interested in a language-immersion program, arrange discussions with the department Chair of your language of choice, and verify the courses that would earn you credits at Barnard.
After completing these preliminary steps, the next thing to do is to log onto Barnard Passport, Barnard’s Study Abroad Office’s application portal and complete your pre-decision requirements. On Barnard Passport, you will be asked to submit a preliminary coursework sheet, a statement of purpose, an unofficial transcript amongst other documentation. If your chosen study abroad program is not on Barnard’s list of approved programs, you will also be asked to submit a Petition for Non-Approved Program. Once you have completed each requirement on the website, you may apply to your chosen program. Due to certain delays, I applied to my program two weeks before its deadline- do not do this! It is necessary that you submit your application well in advance in order no to get bogged down in college assignments, which I have come to know is an easy reality to slip into.
For most study abroad programs, you will be asked to write a personal statement: this is not like the Common App essay, so try to keep it simple. Within a few paragraphs, describe your aim, why your chosen program would help you achieve this aim, and what you hope to ultimately gain from the experience. After you have written your first draft, give it to a trusted person to read through, and then keep editing it until you are satisfied with your product. Instinctively, when you are able to sense the growth in your writing and perspective, submit your personal statement along with other application materials. Now that you have responded to everything within your control, there is nothing left to do than to wait.
To soothe your anxiety, the wait for a study abroad decision isn’t as painful as that of a college application decision. As a student of Barnard, you are reliant on its formidable reputation and more often than not, Barnard students are successful in their study abroad applications. While you wait, however, try to mentallly prepare yourself for the new terrain you are about to cross into. Research the country, be conscious of its COVID restrictions and read about other students’ study abroad experiences on Barnard’s Study Abroad website. Once your decision is in and it is an undoubtedly positive one, pat yourself on the back for all your hard work. You’ve made it! Study abroad, here you come…
Although I have tried to retell as much as I know about the study abroad application process, please reach out to Barnard’s Study Abroad Office for any official questions that you may have on studyabroad@barnard.edu . Until then, warm up for the next blog post on Financial Aid during study abroad.
Greetings from a snowy morning in Scotland,
Nicole