Planning a study trip to another country is not easy. In fact, many young people give up studying abroad because it seems like an impossible task. In order to make your way easier, we have made a list of the essential steps that you must complete to embark on the adventure.
To organize a study trip, you have to take into account where you want to study, the visa procedures, calculate a budget… and you cannot forget any aspect! Do not be discouraged, there are very good reasons to study abroad and, without a doubt, it is the right decision.
If you are determined enough, there will be no obstacle that can stop you. However, if you follow these steps, fulfilling your dream will be much easier. Let’s go see them.
1. Choose what you want to study
Of course, the first step in planning a study trip is choosing what you want to study. In general, you have three options:
- Language courses: One of the main reasons to study travel to another country is to learn a new language, in particular, to study English abroad. You can choose between an intensive course, a general course or prepare for an international exam.
- Vocational courses: These are professional training studies for students with high levels of English who want to enter a specific job market. They last about a year and there are them in all areas, from marketing to mountaineering guides.
- University studies: These are undergraduate and postgraduate courses offered by the best universities in the world. Obviously, they are the most expensive option, but an experience that will change your life.
Still can’t decide what you want to study? Go to CatEight.com, and search for courses provided by educational institutions across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
- Choose your destination
Of course, once you have defined what you want to study, you will have to choose where. Living abroad will be a very different experience if you decide to do it in Canada or if you choose Australia. It all depends on what you want to do and how you want to live.
If you want to learn French and you like the mountains, you should live in Montreal, Canada. If your intention is to study English and you are passionate about surfing, nothing will be better than living in Byron Bay, Australia.
So take a few days to ask yourself which destination best suits your lifestyle. At the same time, do not forget that your main objective is to train professionally, so the place you choose must offer an excellent level of education in what you want to study.
- Define your budget
In order to plan a trip it is important to have a clear budget. Which is why you should grab a calculator and do some numbers. You can also use an Excel spreadsheet, the perfect ally for this task.
What should you take into account? Let’s see:
- Plane tickets: Have an approximate value and consider waiting for a promotion or discount day.
- Tuition and study costs: Look for the specific value in the place where you want to study, since the price of the courses can vary greatly between different countries or cities.
- Some type of visa: You may not need it, but if you do, it will generally represent a small value in relation to other expenses that you will have to face. But you must keep it in mind.
- Room and board: You should find out what the cost of living is in the city where you want to live. We have several articles where we mention the cost of living in different cities.
- International medical insurance: It is almost always mandatory. And if not, it is still highly recommended that you hire one. Don’t forget some credit cards offer free travel insurance.
- Extra money: It is not convenient to travel with just enough money. Once at the destination you will want to treat yourself, right? Also, you should have some money for an emergency.
Once you have a rough budget, it’s time to learn how to save money.
- Choose the dates of the trip
Very well, now you know what you want to study, where and how much money you need. Now is the time to define the dates on which you will carry out your studies.
If, for example, you will take an intensive English course that lasts two weeks, you simply have to make sure that you save the money you need and, perhaps, that the dates coincide with your vacations from the university and/or work.
However, if your intention is to spend several months abroad, you probably want to work to cover part of your expenses and gain professional experience.
In that case, let’s say you want to study and work in Australia. Well, you should make sure you arrive at the beginning of the peak season, so you will get a job faster.
- Documentation
One of the most cumbersome steps to organize a study trip is to process the necessary documentation. Each country has different visa policies, with their particular requirements.
It is not the same to study in Ireland, Spain or Malta, countries that belong to the European Union, than to study in New Zealand, Canada or Australia. For this reason, it is important that you visit the official pages of the country you have chosen, so you will have reliable information about the procedures you must carry out and the documentation to present.
- Get accommodation
Do you plan to take a two-week or one-year course? In the first case, looking for accommodation is not so difficult. You can simply choose a hostel that is close to the institute and the city center.
On the other hand, if your intention is to stay for several months, you could consider other options, such as living with a roommate. In general, the ideal is that you get accommodation once in the destination. This way you will be able to know the city for yourself and make a more informed choice. Of course, make sure you have a reservation, even for the first few nights.
- Pack your bags
Once the travel date approaches, you will have to pack your bags. At the destination you have chosen, is it hot or cold? are there mountains or beach? You can even consider the prices of the clothes and reserve some money to stock up at the destination.
Oh, and don’t forget to carefully prepare your hand luggage. So you can enjoy the flight 100%.
- Seek professional help
Finally, consider applying for help from a study abroad agency. They will assist you in the visa and registration procedures, but they will also advise you on which city to move to and which institute you should choose.
Well, we are done with the 8 steps to plan a field trip that you must follow. We hope you find them useful and help you to make your dream of living abroad come true.