With the exception of universities that do not follow a semester schedule, most study abroad programs offer you the option to study away during the fall, spring, or entire academic year.
The most obvious difference between studying away for one or two semesters is the length of time. Studying abroad for two semesters offers more options and flexibility than studying away for just one semester, but that does not mean that studying abroad for a year is inherently better than studying in just one semester. Doing so only gives you more time.
Traveling abroad for an entire year also has its drawbacks, including being away from the comforts of home and knowing your home university. You can also go back and discover that you need to hurry to finish your courses in the time you have left on campus. Or maybe you were the only one in the group of friends who left for an entire year and came back to find that you didn’t fit in with the friends you had before you left.
Perhaps for you, going away for one semester is enough time outside. On the other hand, you may want to spend as much time away as possible and therefore, a perfect year for you. In addition, some universities, notably the traditional universities in the United Kingdom and Ireland, operate on a semester system. So if you study abroad at one of these universities in the fall, your fall ‘semester’ abroad could be up to nine weeks.
Deciding whether to travel abroad for one or two semesters is a personal choice, and you need to make that decision based on your academic plans. Studying away from home for two semesters each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Weigh them carefully and make the best decision for you. To help you choose, here’s the lowdown on both options.
Singles swings: one semester
Reasons to study away from one semester include any of the following:
The number of prerequisites you must meet or the amount of coursework required for your major allows you to travel abroad for only one semester.
You are a double major, and find it more difficult to walk away for an entire year and still meet the requirements for two majors.
You declared your major late and have a large amount of coursework to complete.
Financially, you can only afford one semester abroad.
You get homesick easily.
You play a sport or wish to run for student government, and therefore, you must be on your local university campus during a given semester.
Never be afraid! If you choose to study abroad for one semester, you can still do so
Take advantage of studying abroad
Improve your language skills
Get to know a new culture
Find time to travel
However, be aware that in one semester your time abroad is limited. Take advantage of any and all opportunities available to you. Try new foods and force yourself to speak the language of the host country. You need to make an extra effort to be open and make friends with the natives as soon as possible. join clubs and attend social events as often as possible; You don’t have time to sit at home and watch TV.
If you only have one semester to study abroad, research your country and region carefully and make a list of things you would like to achieve, places you would like to visit, or experiences you would like to have during the semester before you arrive abroad. destination. This small amount of planning prevents you from wasting even a second of your time outside.
Double your happiness: two semesters
If studying abroad has been part of your college plan for a while, you may be able to travel abroad for two semesters, which means you have fulfilled or know exactly how you plan to meet all of your academic responsibilities for graduation.
Usually spending more time in the host country ensures that you will do so
Make friends with local students, get to know your classmates (especially if you’re on year-long courses), join sports teams, clubs, societies, etc. Although you may feel like a stranger at first, after a few weeks, you’ll be just like everyone else.
Fluent or semi-fluent proficiency in a foreign language. Practice makes perfect and a year gives you plenty of practice to perform in another language.
You have plenty of time and opportunity to travel. Most likely, your host university will be interrupted between semesters for a week or more. Being away from you for a year guarantees you at least two long periods of travel comfort. You don’t have to stress about long travel itineraries on long weekends or skip lessons to travel.
Become an expert in the host university’s town or city. Knowing your way around the city will become second nature. You’ll develop favorite places to have a cup of coffee, buy books, and meet up with friends for a pint – just as you would at home.
Enjoy the culture experience for a year. Two semesters means you are abroad for nine or ten months. Thus, you will witness the festive celebrations and traditions that take place throughout the year.
culture adoption. More time away means more time to develop the habits and patterns of speech or the habits of the host country. You’ll get used to things like taking a nap every afternoon, drinking tea instead of coffee, not going to the library on weekends, or calling soccer “soccer.” The longer you stay in a country, the more you will be able to integrate the culture into your daily life, without even realizing it in some cases. You may never be able to go through an afternoon without a cup of tea or a nap again!
An added bonus of studying abroad for two semesters is that you can often spend two semesters in two different locations, if that’s what you want. Of course, doing this means submitting two sets of study abroad study papers (including applications), filling out, relocating, and then re-establishing yourself in a new city. But if you want to go two places, improve your language skills in multiple languages, and are ready to take another adventure, then this option might be right for you.