Don't Be Fooled… 10 Study Abroad Myths
True or False: I should anticipate paying more to study abroad than studying in the USA.
False: While you can certainly find programs more expensive than taking classes on campus, there are many programs with a lower cost of attendance. In fact, the vast majority of our students applying for a semester or year will have the same net cost as taking classes here on campus.
True or False: Study Abroad will make it harder to graduate on time.
False: Your graduation timeline depends on your planning, the flexibility of your degree requirements, and the program you choose. Study after study across the USA have shown that, on average, students who study abroad graduate at a faster rate than their peers who stay in the USA.
True or False: Other than seeing the world, there are limited benefits to studying abroad.
False: Just like the dreaded conversation introduction "This one time at bandcamp…," "When I studied abroad…" can make the listener's eyes glaze over, but if you put the lessons you learned into context and draw analogies to your environment when you return, study abroad can tip the scales in your favor when you apply for a job or help you focus on your academic goals. Studies have shown that study abroad returnees have higher starting salaries, they get into one of their top two grad program choices 90% of the time, and have higher job satisfaction and job promotion potential.
True or False: I have to learn a foreign language in order to study abroad in non-English-speaking countries.
False: Some of the most popular study abroad destinations where English is not an official national language include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, and Thailand.
True or False: Study Abroad might not be safe.
False: Use any metric to measure safety and you can find a safer country. Less violent crime? Yep! Better healthcare? Definitely! Less risk from natural disaster? Check! Lower risk of contracting Covid? Aye! There are some countries you might consider safer than others for common study abroad destinations. You might be more confident of your safety in certain regions, and a study abroad advisor should be able to guide you to a program that meets your needs.
True or False: Summer is probably the best time to study abroad.
False: For most financial aid recipients, summer is likely to be the most expensive time to study abroad, whether you consider the total net cost or out-of-pocket cost or on a cost-per-unit basis. Some students might only be able to study abroad in the summer for academic reasons, but 4 out of 5 of our students choose to go for a semester or longer.
True or False: I can travel just as easily after I graduate and pass on studying abroad.
False: Unless you land the most flexible WFH job or you have a truckload of money, you will likely find that there is no better time to spend 4 or 9 months abroad than now. Most jobs won't be flexible enough, most countries won't issue visas for that long, and you won't get financial aid once you're no longer a student. Trust us—we've tried.
True or False: Some majors just can't or shouldn't study abroad.
False: Every major can study abroad. While SSHA students have the most flexibility, our campus has sent students in every major to study abroad. Some take classes in their major, some take GE courses, some take courses for personal enrichment, but most will take a combination.
True or False: It's hard to get into a program.
False: If you meet the minimum eligibility requirements and complete the enrollment requirements, your odds of getting into a program have historically been >99%. Some of the common reasons why students don't get in: a program fills all of it's spaces, it's not a good fit for your academic goals.
True or False: You can pretty much only study abroad junior year.
False: While junior year study abroad is most common, more students have studied abroad as seniors than at any other level from UC Merced. But almost 1 in 6 students abroad are sophomores, and occasionally freshmen and grad students study abroad.
