Research shows students who study abroad are more likely to excel academically, broaden their world views, and prepare for an impactful career. An international education enhances your academic performance by supplementing coursework and textbooks with hands-on experiences.

Study abroad is important if you want to be competitive in a job market that values candidates with international work experience. Global exposure is not only vital to a well-rounded education and successful career, though — it is also an effective step in becoming a better world citizen.

When you study abroad, you are able to:

• Face fears and biases fueled by stereotypes and oppression.
• Embrace diversity and recognize the beauty in our similarities and differences.
• While going overseas to study may be one of the best times of your life, you’ll quickly learn the long-term benefits of study abroad are even better. In a world of globalization, study abroad prepares you with the skills needed to excel beyond borders (and impress future employers).
• International exposure promotes language-learning and cross-cultural immersion, expands your network, and can even offer career opportunities.

The When: Though there is no perfect time to study abroad, you’ll find certain school years and semesters to be most common for students seeking an international academic experience.

While it isn’t unusual to hear of high school graduates going overseas before their freshman year in college, sophomore and junior years are often popular for study abroad. By this time students have realized why everyone should study abroad, and are more likely to have narrowed down the direction of their major.

Once you’ve chosen which school year to spend abroad, it’s time to choose what time of the year to go. Students either study abroad for one semester, the whole school year, or summer break. Though less common, some even elect to spend their school breaks (like Christmas or Spring Break) joining a shorter program.

The Where: With nearly 200 countries in the world, how do you choose where to study abroad?

First: congrats on having the best dilemma, ever!

At Admetion, we continuously research, review, and compile lists of study-abroad opportunities to bring you up-to-date suggestions on the best destinations to visit in the world.

Our recent list of the 10 most popular countries to study abroad includes destinations in Asia, Europe, and even down under — all rated by real students. So whether you’ve been itching to pair your studies with surf in Australia and New Zealand, or master love languages in France, Italy, and Spain, there’s plenty to choose from.

The two most popular ways to study abroad include direct enrollment and using a third-party provider.

Direct Enroll: When you directly enroll in a study abroad program you can either apply through your home university and let their program facilitate the process, or apply for direct enrollment with a university overseas. Just remember that the latter option is more likely to have a language requirement and may not offer transferable credits.

Here’s what students think about the benefits of studying abroad through direct enrollment.

Third Party Programs: These are independent programs that have relationships with international schools. There are program advisors who assist you with the entire process, often charging an all-inclusive price to study abroad — which is less of a headache, but may cost more.

Here’s what students think about the benefits of studying abroad through a third-party provider.

If you are paying for full-time tuition at a large university, you’ll find that the cost to study overseas may be equal to or even less than the cost to study stateside! While this varies by school and destination, rest assured: we have all the resources you need to map out a realistic budget for study abroad.

Despite it often being a more economical decision for university students, study abroad still isn’t cheap:

In addition to a base tuition fee, the cost of an international education includes books and materials, meals and housing, transportation, visas, and other personal expenses while there.

You may also pay additional fees if you study abroad through a third-party provider. (What’s a third-party provider? )

On average, students spend $5,000-$15,000 per semester to study in some of the world’s most popular countries. Review Admetion for international expense breakdown to learn more about what it costs to study abroad.