Study-Abroad Programs

Students also must choose what kind of sponsorship their program has. There are four main types of sponsorship, with some additional variants that will not be discussed here:

1. Programs sponsored by the student's own college or university. For example, New York University sponsors a program in Tel Aviv where students take courses specifically offered by NYU that are not open to Tel Aviv University students (http://www.nyu.edu/studyabroad/undergrad...
2. Programs sponsored by a college or university affiliated with the student's. An NYU student in this example could chose to attend a Columbia University program in Beijing (http://www.ce.columbia.edu/beijing/), because NYU and Columbia offer their students some cross-registration options. These programs will be similar to those described above, but may include areas and languages not taught at the home college.
3. A program offered by an accredited but unaffiliated college or university. The NYU student could choose a University of Iowa program in Slovenia (http://www.uiowa.edu/~uiabroad/programs/... Some of these programs may be closed to students from outside, and they are often very competitive.
4. Direct application to a foreign college or university as a special student. The NYU student could chose to apply to The University of South Africa (http://www.unisa.ac.za/). The application process can be tricky and language fluency will be assumed (and often must be demonstrated through testing).

To have the best chance of a successful study abroad experience, begin to plan early. You may need to start language courses as early as your first semester in order to gain the required level of competency. Some knowledge of the culture and customs of the country you intend to study in will also be helpful. You may want to determine if the diet in your country of choice will be acceptable to you and if you will have opportunities to attend religious services. Also, you will want to understand what 'good manners' means in your destination. Be sure to arrange for credit transfer before you leave so that you avoid wasting time and money on courses that do not further your progress towards a degree. Be sure that you understand that coursework in another country may be very different from what you are used to: some countries barely use books, others send you off to do independent reading under the supervision of a tutor. Finally, make sure to choose the right residential option for you: study-abroad students have choices ranging from university-owned apartments that you share with one or two other students to US-style

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