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Let's skip to the last page: nearly every student, returning to the campus after time spent studying abroad, describes the experience in virtually the same glowing terms. A few examples heard at Syracuse University over the years:" Life-changing…the best semester (or summer, year, etc.) I spent in college…I learned about the world…I met fantastic people…I tested my own capabilities…Now I can actually speak Spanish (or Italian, or French, or Japanese)…I know far more about Europe (or Asia, or Africa, or Latin America) than I did before I went…I understand my own culture so much better now…"

How can this happen? With so many great colleges and universities in the United States, how can so many students say they spent their most fulfilling semester somewhere else?

The answer lies in the nature of the "abroad experience." Nothing else in college life so totally affects your knowledge, your values, your self-concept, or your awareness. Study abroad is a process that takes you out of your usual, comfortable routines to challenge you at every moment. How are buildings designed in Berlin? How do you take the subway across town in Mexico City? What roles are played by women in Kenya?

Students undergo rapid change in how they view things, but they don't just ditch everything they have learned to this point: they blend the old with the new, arriving at new understandings, new habits, more sophisticated attitudes and beliefs. Frequently, they even return home with a better idea of the direction they want to take in life.

The Logistics
Instead of reporting to campus for the semester, students travel, often in groups, to their study abroad site. They may live with local families, in hostels, or on a university campus. They frequently face the challenges of a foreign-language environment as they learn that language: Suddenly, learning to say "hungry" or "allergic" or "no thank you" is no longer just part of a classroom exercise, but of day-to-day life.

Students often deal with homesickness by emailing old friends or by going traveling with new ones. They go to class, though sometimes "class" is a museum, cathedral, palace grounds, or the bus to the next destination. As one Syracuse University student said about her course on Michelangelo, "I will never forget the feeling of staring up at the Sistine Ceiling during a private visit." Depending on the study abroad program, your courseload may resemble one similar to what you'd be taking back at school that semester, or it might stray quite a bit from that. Instructors may teach in English, the national language, or both. A few programs encourage you to take a part-time job (where allowed) during that semester for an added dimension. Most programs allow you plenty of time to explore on your own. Students often take advantage of weekends or a day off to travel locally and see more of the country where they are studying.

The Costs and the Pay-offs
The first question many students (okay, parents!) want to know is, "Is it costly?" While many students spend more than they planned, study abroad can be done on a budget. In many countries, Americans are not allowed to work overseas without a special permit (though these are available), so students who depend on part-time jobs need to plan carefully. But serious student discounts on everything from plane tickets to concert tickets can help to make funds last.

Schools differ in how they charge for study abroad. At most, tuition charges are equivalent to those on-campus. Although you won't have to pay for home campus housing, your room and board options abroad may be included in the program cost or left for you to pay on-site. Either way, housing (not to mention books, local travel, and other personal costs) is a legitimate study expense, coverable by financial aid.

Usually it is not the basic tuition-room-board charge that can drive up the cost of study abroad: it is the very manageable cost of independent weekend entertainment and travel. For an indication of whether studying at your chosen site will be more costly than staying back on campus, investigate the cost of living in that location. If it is significantly higher than back home, you will have to plan carefully to keep costs down. In the many countries where costs are lower, your money will go farther than you ever imagined. It's your choice, since excellent programs exist in locations all over the world.

Students often wonder whether taking the step to study abroad will actually matter in their "real life" that starts after graduation. It definitely matters. For one thing, people take more note of you-and that shouldn't be surprising! Study abroad participants often display a newfound awareness and self-confidence that sets them apart. Employers notice! Is there a business in the 21st Century that is not global? Employers eagerly recruit someone who speaks another language, has traveled extensively, or understands the unwritten rules of operating in another culture. Graduate schools are similarly global in their interests, and they favor students who have familiarity with other parts of the world.

Though it's not all adventure, study abroad is "worth it" in every sense. Students learn to manage linguistic confusion, homesickness, and the awkwardness of sticking out in a crowd. They mature into competent world citizens ready to play important roles in the global society. And yet…who would have thought that a learning experience this powerful could be so much fun?

Finding a Study Abroad Program

• Scope out your schools: Visit the websites and review the materials from your selected schools. On the Web, search for "study abroad" or sometimes for "study away" or "international." Ask admissions representatives about study abroad opportunities.
  
  
• Hear it from the students: Often some of the student-ambassadors who work for Admissions Offices are study-abroad returnees. Ask to speak with one! Ask the student to describe a couple of his or her most important accomplishments abroad.
  
  
• Start a student-and-parent dialogue: Parents can be among the strongest supporters of student interest in studying abroad, since they frequently can see the value in this kind of learning experience. But they often have valid concerns, as well: Do programs address health and safety concerns? How will family members deal with extended separation? Will students receive help in learning how to juggle academic responsibilities and opportunities to experience local cultures? You'll need some parental support as you make your plans.
  
  
• Plan early: Once you have selected a school, be open about plans to study abroad. Advisors who are brought into the picture early on can help incorporate your plans into your overall degree program, keeping you on target for an on-time graduation.
  
  
• Find help: If you need financial aid, start looking for it now. Check in financial aid or study abroad offices, and on the Web.