I know I haven't posted for a very long time, but life has been keeping me rather busy (and, unfortunately, not travelwise).
In my second post I mentioned that I studied abroad in 2004 in Lille, France. This post will be entirely devoted to study abroad. All the information I will give pertains to studying in France, as that is the experience that I have. If you have questions on the process for any other county, feel free to ask, and I can find out for you!
When I was in high school I decided that as soon as I could, I would study abroad in college. Well, I started my sophomore year in college and decided that I was ready to take the plunge! Thatkfully my school has a sister school in France, so that made the process a whole lot easier! I highly recommend checking with your school's study abroad department to see if they have a list of sister schools, and then check those schools out online before deciding which one to go to (if they have more than one per country, of course).
Once you've decided where you want to go the hard part begins. If your university doesn't have a sister school you will have to contact the foreign university yourself, and then present your proposal to your university. If your university has a sister school program they will normally already have the paperwork you need to fill out to attend the foreign university, or they will easily obtain it for you.
Now that you've filled out all of this paperwork, if you don't already have one you will need to apply for a passport. This needs to be done at least 6 weeks in advance, and can be longer depending on when you apply. You can find the average wait times on the travel.state.gov website, as well as pricing info, forms, and rush order information.
In order to receive your student visa you will need to have an acceptance letter from the university you will be studying at. If you are going to a sister school, they will send this to your advisor, who will then give you the letter. You will then take this and all of the necessary paperwork to your local consulate. (More information on what is needed for the paperwork can be found here: http://www.consulfrance-atlanta.org/spip.php?article605#2-Temporary-long-stay-visa-3-to-6)
Now the wait begins! When I got my visa in 2003 it was issued the same day. Now they make you wait 2 weeks to a couple months before they issue it. Normally, if all of your paperwork is in order, you shouldn't have any worries.
As for housing, this is always taken care of before you leave. You have the option to either stay in student housing, or with a host family. I highly recommend saying in student housing. Don't worry about not being involved in the local culture, because you will be! This way you don't have to worry about clashing with the host family, and you can enjoy your time more.
Once you have your visa in hand, you're ready to go! The university will have an orientation for all the new international students, usually followed by a dinner or an event of somekind. Then the next day or so you will complete your registration for classes.
In my next post I'll tell how it is to be an international student, and the student culture in France.
Happy travels!
