If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably interested in studying abroad. I know this is where I went when I first became interested. I heard people talking about how it was the best decision of their lives, and had it recommended to me so many times I had basically prerecorded a response:
“Yeah I’d love to, but it seems like a lot of (money, work, distractions from my degree).”
For my freshman year I was content to repeat that line over and over again. Then, I started applying for scholarships and paid programs. I figured it was worth a shot, especially if I could do it for free or a reduced rate. Spoiler Alert: they didn’t work out.
I probably took a month off of applying to programs. I cleared my head, and rededicated myself to the task at hand. I began spending every moment looking for new opportunities. I combed through brochures, internship postings, and websites. Nothing was clicking, none of the programs felt right.
Then my professor emailed me about a program in Moscow. It was late March – everyone was preparing themselves for finals that were set to begin in a month, but I was spending my night furiously researching what it would take to get to Russia. Another Spoiler Alert: a lot more than I expected.
What started out as a four-page application turned into (collectively) over a hundred pages of paperwork for the Education Abroad Office, Temple University, the Russian government, and all of the little stops along the way. My list of the things that stressed me out until this week (but were totally worth getting through):
- Applying to an external program – I had only heard of people doing Temple programs, so dealing with another university directly (language barriers, time differences, and other obstacles included) was daunting.
- Russian Travel Advisory – The State Department issues travel advisories from 1 (the least dangerous) to 4 (the most) to different countries. Temple has a policy of allowing students to study in 1-2’s without much trouble, 3’s with a petition, and not allowing 4’s (at all). Russia, unfortunately, has a level 3 travel advisory (for the Crimean conflict, conflict in the Caucuses, and other likely political reasons), which meant I had to write a petition for Temple to even clear my plan.
- Russian Visa – For expert travelers, there are a few well-traveled nations that pose significant visa trouble for Americans; Russia typically places among the worst. I highly recommend getting the help of a visa agency, unless you know you’re studying abroad several months in advance (I did not). Among the bizarre things you’ll need: a formal letter of invitation from your host university (must also be filed with the Russian government) and blood test results within the 3 months prior to applying that prove that you are HIV negative.
- Travelling (generally) – I have never left the country. I’ve never even been out West. Not only that, but no one in my immediate family has left North America (ever). I can’t even remember distinctly what my last flight was like. I got a lot of winces when I told people I had a 9-hour flight taking off at 2:30 AM from JFK. I still don’t really know if that’s good or bad, but I guess we’ll see.
If you are interested in studying abroad, I want to make clear that my intention isn’t to scare you. My experience is not every Temple student’s experience. I made a lot of decisions in my location and timing that added a couple hoops to jump through, and because of my unique situation, I was honestly a little unprepared for what it takes to study abroad. My hope is that you see (well, read) my success, and let it inspire you to try it too. You might even surprise yourself with what you’re capable of doing. And if you ever need help, I’m here to talk, and so is the Education Abroad Office.
For the next eight weeks, I get to prove that all of that hustle was worth it. I can’t wait to share every step of it with you.
Yay!! You go Sammy!