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Studying abroad can be one of the most enriching parts of your academic career! Travelling and seeing the world while nourishing your academic appetite will prove to have lasting impacts not only on your individual growth but also on the way you approach your professional career.
Why Study Abroad?
For starters, this is one of the few times in your life where you’re not tied down to a demanding work schedule, a potential family, and recurring responsibilities. They say if you don’t know where to start, start anywhere. Now is as good a time as any to start your search for the perfect study abroad program for you!
Moving thousands of miles away can be scary, yes, but it can also be transformative! Getting the opportunity to go abroad will give you global exposure, and you will return with the gift of cultural literacy. Immersing yourself in a culture that is vastly different from that of your own can help foster identity and offer you personal metamorphosis.
Being able to say you went abroad will allow you to stand out in the ever-competitive job pool. We all know the state of the job market right now, and experiences like this can be what sets you apart from the rest. Candidates with study abroad experience often show they are likely to bring diverse viewpoints to their role, nuanced perspectives, and a willingness to adapt.
MU Study Abroad
If you haven’t already, go ahead and follow @mizzouabroad on Instagram where you can find all things study abroad for Mizzou students. You should also utilize the MU Study Abroad website where you can find everything from global programs that fit your career interests to answers to any lingering questions you may have about studying abroad. You should also tap in with Mizzou Study Abroad on Engage to stay updated on events and important deadlines.
Here you will find more information about programs ranging across 50+ countries for a variety of majors and disciplines. You are the architect of your experience! You are able to customize your trip abroad down to the length of your stay, your host country and area of focus.
If you are at the beginning of your program search, consider attending a Study Abroad 101 session. During these sessions you will learn all the basics of studying abroad, and you will have the opportunity to get your preliminary questions answered. These sessions are offered Monday’s at 3 p.m. and Thursday’s at 3:30 p.m., room N52 in Memorial Union. If you cannot attend one of these in-person sessions, you can access the 20 minute on-demand session on the study abroad website.
After attending one of the study abroad 101 sessions, you will be ready to set up time with an advisor via MU Connect to discuss your intended program!
Mizzou Career Tools
On the Career Center’s website, under resources you will find Mizzou Career Tools. Career Tools offers an extensive collection of resources that will help you find the program best suited for your trip abroad. In particular, the MUCC Guide to Working Abroad offers a comprehensive guide of all there is to know before you step foot on the jetway. It outlines things like what transferable skills you’ll gain abroad, financial tips and even things about workplace culture abroad.
The “Work Abroad” filter has tons of resources that can assist you in your program selection process!
GoinGlobal
GoinGlobal is a site that offers resources and guides that you can tailor to your desired experience. In these guides you will find detailed information based on your desired country or global city. You can find things like cultural advice, top hiring companies and even individualized interview advice.
GoinGlobal also has its own internal job search engine where you can find full-time jobs or internships. You can filter your search by industry, country of choice and even by specific companies you have in mind.
Go Abroad
Go Abroad hosts a myriad of resources that can help narrow down your program search! You can look at opportunities that range from gap year placements to volunteering opportunities. This site also offers housing accommodation resources, links to discounted flights for students and scholarship opportunities.
MU Global Service Learning
The Office of Community Engaged Learning offers Mizzou students the unique opportunity to go abroad and form a symbiotic relationship between meaningful impact and learning rooted in service. Through this experience, you can earn academic credit while immersing yourself in a community abroad.
For more information about different programs, head to the my study abroad portal.
Explore programs offered through your school
Consider browsing your school’s study abroad page to find more niche offerings tailored to the kind of work you want to do post-grad. This is also a great place to learn more about internship offerings and the pre-requisites you may need to obtain before making your trek!
Here are some of the study abroad pages:
Financial Aid + Scholarships
Do not let money be the reason you don’t study abroad! There are so many options and avenues available to you if you’re looking for some aid to go toward your studies:
- A great first place to start would be scheduling an appointment with an advisor in the Office of Student Financial Aid to see if any of your aid can be allocated to your study abroad programs.
- Another great place to check on campus is the Office of Financial Success. They will be a great resource for creating a financial plan before you start your program.
- Check out scholarship universe! Apply for whatever you meet the requirements for; even a small scholarship can go a long way.
- Visit the study abroad scholarship page for more information about scholarship offerings and their respective deadlines.
See the world, connect, and grow all while curating a viable professional career!
By Raigan Clay