How to Go Abroad

Even though Carleton’s campus is one of its most fantastic qualities, students often choose Carleton because of how easy it is to get off campus. Since this was one of the reasons that I chose Carleton to go abroad, I had decided to go on an off-campus studies program this past fall in Aix-en-Provence, France. 

Students at Carleton have access to a wide range of options, including programs led by Carleton professors, programs run by other colleges and universities, or programs run by institutes for study abroad. Not to mention that Carleton’s trimester system makes it extra easy to go abroad multiple times while still being on track to graduate in time. With all of these options, it might seem impossible to know what to do. Luckily for us, Carleton has built in support systems that guide students through the study abroad process. While the experience is different for every Carl, here are the steps that brought me to France!

Step One: Set Your Goals

Before deciding which study abroad might be the best for you, it’s important to reflect on what it is that you want out of not only studying abroad, but your whole Carleton experience. Of course, goals shift as time goes on, but having a general sense of what you must do before graduation is key.

Since before I decided on Carleton, I knew that I wanted to go abroad. I had never left the country, but had heard stories of the ways that international experiences can change your perspective. Once I got to Carleton, I took my first class in the Art History department and knew I was interested in the department, but wasn’t sure if the major was right for me. I decided that I wanted to take more classes and explore it as an option. I also had always wanted to learn French, and although Carleton’s French department is great, I wouldn’t have had time to take the entire language sequence because I had already started taking Spanish classes.

Now that I had my goals in mind: go abroad, take art history classes, and learn French, I moved on to step two of the process…

Step Two: Meet with Your Advisor and Off-Campus Studies

All Carleton freshmen are set up with a Liberal Arts Advisor when they’re enrolled in the school. This professor is your guide through the chaos of your first two years, and will be with you until you declare your major. Student’s advisors are also often their A&I prof, so advisors can really get to know their advisees as students, and the time spent together establishes a personal connection.

I met with my advisor before I registered for my third term of classes. My advisor was the wonderful Dr. Laura Goering, who teaches in the Russian department and taught my A&I. I had the pleasure of taking several of her classes, including seminars on The Brothers Karamazov and War and Peace, so we got to know each other pretty well. The two of us were discussing our upcoming plans and the books we had been reading before we finally got around to my academic goals. When I told her I was interested in learning French, she spoke the most magical words I had ever heard: “You know, you could just go to France.”

Acting on her advice, I made an appointment with the team at Off-Campus Studies. The office has multiple staff members who are devoted to counseling students through their off-campus journeys. I went into my meeting with one request: I want to go to France, but I don’t speak French. Even though my lack of French knowledge meant that I wasn’t eligible for Carleton’s Paris program, they immediately came back with a program that would be a match for me: ACM-IAU’s campus in Aix-en-Provence.

The next step was to actually get in!

Step Three: Apply and Prepare

After finding a program that works for you, the next step is to apply. Carleton’s OCS office was a big help in this part of the process as well. They read over my application essays and made sure that I would be set to get into the program. The other office that it might be important to meet with is Financial Aid. At Carleton, your financial aid package will go towards one non-Carleton program and as many Carleton programs as you can go on. I met with them to make sure I was giving them the correct information and that my aid would transfer successfully.

Then I got accepted into my program! My advisor reached out and congratulated me and I started preparations. Because my program in France was a semester long, part of the process included getting a student visa. Carleton helped here too– the OCS office helped me fill out the required forms and Financial Aid factored the cost of the visa into my financial aid package. The process was stressful, but their support made it much easier. The OCS team also held informational sessions that helped me mentally prepare, like Travel 101 and How My Identities Translate Abroad. 

Step Four: Enjoy Your Time Abroad!!!

And just like that, and with a little help from Carleton, I was off! My time in France was truly transformative. I met students from across the U.S., took field trips to the Louvre, lived with a French host mom, indulged in copious amounts of cheese, swam in both the Mediterranean and the English Channel, had time to travel, and immersed myself in the local culture. I even learned French! 

Overall, I’m unbelievably grateful for the opportunity to go abroad. It helped me grow so much, and it truly wouldn’t have been possible without the support and help of so many fantastic Carleton staff and faculty. 

So, what are you waiting for? The world is one OCS Office appointment away!

Emma (she/her/hers) is a sophomore prospective Art History major/European Studies minor from Attleboro, Massachusetts. When she’s not in class, you can probably find Emma engrossed in a terribly long conversation in Burton Dining Hall, knitting at a Bald Spot picnic table, or perusing the museum studies stacks on third libe. Beyond blogging, she works for the Registrar’s Office, teaches adult tap dance classes downtown, and loves submitting to student publications like babyteeth and No Fidelity. She loves Carleton for the number of opportunities it offers and the close connections she’s formed with professors, not to mention proximity to coffee from Goodbye Blue Monday and early morning walks through the neighborhoods.