Students wanting to study abroad in the fall should start their applications before the March 15 deadline approaches.

First, they need to decide where they want to travel.

Europe is a popular study abroad destination, but TCU students are also branching out to locales such as Australia, New Zealand and various countries in Asia.

TCU study abroad offers a range of destinations, said Tracy Williams, the program’s associate director. The study abroad experience offers summer sessions, which allow students to live abroad for up to 11 weeks. Summer has become an important option for students who want to go abroad but face falling behind in their studies if they leave for a semester. 

“There is no right time to study abroad, because every person is unique,” Williams said.

She also said that students need to consider their maturity, openness and flexibility before making the decision to study abroad.

“Students who want an extra layer of security that comes with being with a group, two TCU program leaders, and a lot of structured time,” will gain the most from a summer abroad experience, Williams said.

Jenna Wisler, a junior nursing major, said studying in Rome last summer was “a life changing experience.”

Wisler said while she was in Rome for five weeks, there was less stress about academics, and it was exciting for her to have many new experiences during the condensed period. As a nursing major, she said the timing was perfect and fulfilled her expectations without having to leave for an entire semester. 

Wisler said she gained global competencies, understood their role in the world and the interconnectedness of people all around the globe.

A student’s major is a factor to consider when contemplating studying abroad, Wisler said. Certain majors, such as nursing, might only allow students to go abroad before their junior year when coursework becomes heavy.

Business majors may need to complete all courses required to be accepted to the Neeley School of Business before they consider studying abroad, Williams said.

Lili Nunez, a junior business major, is currently studying in Madrid.

“The best time to go abroad is a student’s spring semester of their junior year because of the ability to fully embrace the city they chose,” said Nunez. Her advice to anyone considering abroad is to not worry about going with friends but rather choose to go to a place they truly want to.

Mafe Guzman, a junior communications major, said going abroad was the best decision she ever made. The different people she met and the various perspectives she gained from being outside of America were not only eye-opening but also made her appreciate TCU more. She also explained how she realized to not hyper-focus on aspects of her life that were once a big deal.

Wisler, Nunez and Guzman all gave the same advice to students who are planning to study abroad: meet and talk with all the people there, because students grow close during their time abroad, they said. They said that while all the students studying in the location might not know each other before, they will come back with a new group of people to call some of their closest friends.