Finishing Your Time At UCSD ABROAD!

Why I HIGHLY recommend finishing your degree abroad!

If studying abroad has been something you've been wanting to do before completing your degree and you've been having trouble fitting it into your graduation plan, you should consider going abroad to finish your degree. You might be thinking, "How will this work exactly?" Well, let me tell you a little bit about my own decision and how I was still able to complete my goal in finishing my degree in the timeframe I established. During my four years at UCSD, I had been wanting to go abroad but after changing my major during the middle of my third year and after redoing my graduation plan, it didn't seem like it would be possible. After doing the math and figuring out how to reorganize my academic quarter schedules, I would still have to complete a summer session after my 4th year to avoid returning to UCSD for a full quarter in the fall to finish my remaining units. By organizing my class schedules in a way that left me with eight units to complete, I decided that maybe doing a program over the summer would still enable me to go abroad. After having done two summer sessions in the past, I decided that the best study abroad option for me would be finding a summer program that fit my remaining major and minor requirements so I could complete them over the summer. 

I had been wanting to go abroad for a very long time and EVERYONE has always told me that studying abroad was something you definitely should try doing during your time in college. So many people I have met over the years have told me that not studying abroad during their undergraduate career was their biggest regret and I did not want to feel the same sentiment. My recommendation especially to those who are approaching their graduation year is to consider researching programs that help you fulfill your remaining requirements abroad. It can be a little challenging depending on your major but talking to your academic advisors and major department can be extremely helpful. Also, consider reaching out to the study abroad office to further explore your options and come up with a plan. If there aren't any programs that seem to be fitting your schedule, the study abroad office can also you find options that can make this possible. I personally did a global seminar program because I felt it still gave me a taste of going abroad and fit into my financial budget. It also was during the summer session period and there is a summer grant available that can give you a good amount of $$$ that can also be used to finance your trip.

Yes, studying abroad is an expensive decision but there are a lot of financial resources to help you do so. In my opinion, your graduation year is your most expensive one so you may be a little wary of wanting to add a trip abroad to the list of expenses you have to worry about your final year of undergrad. Personally, I started researching, saving, and planning my trip over a year in advance to my expected departure so understand that planning this in a timely manner will help make this as affordable as it can get. In another post, I will discuss in detail financial resources I utilized to help me fund over  80% of my trip. Going abroad is an exciting experience and I'm extremely grateful to have been able to be one of the many graduates to "graduate" abroad. Don't let your academics be a restriction to wanting to experience abroad. If you plan accordingly and organize your classes in a way that allow you to fulfill some final requirements abroad, you too may be able to experience graduating abroad. My study abroad experience was not only a way for me to finish my degree but it was also a graduation gift to myself that UCSD helped me fund. Studying abroad in college is the one of the few chances during your lifetime that your school will be able to help fund your trip abroad. It's one of the few opportunities you have to go abroad for an extended period of time and really be able to embed yourself in a new culture and lifestyle. Going abroad has helped me grow so much as an individual and I am excited to return back home with new life lessons and experiences that will shape me forever.