During my college days I never took the opportunity to do a semester abroad and I always wished I had. Not so much to learn about how the world operates outside of my own backyard, I was a military brat so I’d been a good handful of places, but I know studying abroad probably could have helped me pick up a foreign language ten times faster than being here in the States. Boo-hoo for me though. Those days have come and past and opportunities to do it the way it should have, could have and would have been done are gone.
Anyhow, enough with my boring sob stories. CNN has a piece from Budget Travel Online about some things to consider before taking off for your first semester abroad. It’s very basic, but I imagine it could come in super handy for the college student who has never been outside of say, Walla Walla, Washington. Questions on whether credits will be transferred, what the living conditions will be like and if you’ll need a visa or not are included along with others. Like always you’ll probably have to seek counsel from someone at your university for the specifics, but this is should get you off and running at least half-way. Just be sure you do your research!
As always, good luck!