The Basics

We started our study abroad process at Kenyon a little over a month ago.  At the time, I was actually considering not going abroad because of several personal and academic issues.  Fortunately, my inner child would have none of that and kept poking at me until I agreed to work through or around everything that was troubling me and start the process.  As usual, my inner child was right and it took no time at all for those issues to resolve, get tucked safely away, and/or disappear completely.  Moral of the story: Listen to your inner child and If you have (or have had) even the faintest desire to study abroad, start the process.  I cannot stress this enough.  It is so much easier at any point in the process to decide  that you don't want to go after all and drop out than to realize too late that you wish you had applied.  John Greenleaf Whittier said, "For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'"  True for life, true for study abroad.  Even if you have reservations, if you've never thought about studying abroad, or don't think you can afford it I encourage you to at least get through the very basics of the process.
   
At Kenyon, the basics start with an informational meeting.  it's a pretty standard part of the process at a lot of schools and it's really very simple.  You go, you sit, they hand you an info sheet, and then give a brief overview of your school's programs and resources.  Quick, easy, and painless.  If it's offered, go to it.
   
For us, this meeting was followed a week later by a programs fair.  If your school offers a fair, the best way to approach it is to keep an open mind.  While it's good to have done a little research and have a general idea of what you're looking for, use that information as a guideline only.  Although I've known for a long time that I want to study Classics in the United Kingdom, I tried not to pigeonhole myself. At the fair, I picked up brochures from programs offering experiences in places I hadn't originally considered and collected information on Internship programs and programs for Arts Management as well as Classics.  While I've ended up sticking with my original plan, getting information on programs I hadn't considered before allowed me to think outside the box and reassured me that I was choosing to study Classics in the UK because I really wanted to and not because it was my only option.

Since the fair, I've been narrowing down program providers from that huge pile pictured above.  Hopefully, when I return to campus after Thanksgiving Break I'll have my first and second choice programs selected and be able to do my interview with the Off Campus Studies Center.
 
In the meantime, expect more updates here and have a Happy Thanksgiving!