Getting Started

My adventure in Germany doesn’t officially begin until March 1st 2013, but I’ve been preparing for the trip for months. If you’re curious about the process of setting up for a study abroad trip, wonder no longer! Here is what you need to study abroad.

First, go to an information session at the International Programs Office! It doesn’t matter if you already know where you want to go, if you are just toying with the idea, if you enjoyed a friends stories, if you are a freshman or senior, or even if you have no desire to spend a semester abroad at all. No matter who you are, this meeting will help get you started and give you more information than you know what to do with, and even if, and I stress if, you are still not interested, you will have lost nothing and gained a bit of illumination. If possible, do this semesters before you plan on leaving. I cannot speak to how things will work in the future, this semester (Spring 3013) the sessions are offered  Monday 1:10-2:00pm and Thursday 2:10-3:00pm every week in room 129 on the main floor of the Cheney International Center. By the time I went to this meeting, I knew exactly where I wanted to go; I  was ready to get started.

My next step was contact the international studies office and request a meeting with a study abroad adviser to discuss the wheres, whens, whys, and hows of my hypothetical time abroad. If you’re reading this blog in an attempt to prepare for their own journey, I recommend that you first spend several hours learning the ins and outs of of the Study Abroad webpage before arranging a meeting. Even if you are like me and would have difficulty web-surfing your way out of an electronically constructed paper bag, this is a very important site with lots of good information and is well worth the effort, and here, for no reason whatsoever, is a picture of a puppy. Yay!

There are some particular points of interest on UW’s Study Abroad page. The first and most important place to go is the Where Can I Go link. This is where I learned the difference between a Study Abroad, an Exchange, and a Faculty Lead Program and this is also where I decided I wanted to go to the Technical University of Braunschweig Germany. The next link you should click on is the Application Process link. This page outlines the broad strokes of what you will need to do and gives great information on getting a passport and eligibility for international studies. If you take the time to go through these links and glimpse through the rest of the site, it will make things easier once your meeting rolls around!

Now for a little bit more about me. I obviously like dogs, but I also love cats, rabbits, and rats. I just love animals. Living out in the country I am a little biased towards bigger dogs like the one seen below. His name is Crockett and he has been the family puppy for over ten years now. He is a pure Yellow Lab and weighs over 120 lbs.