In addition to the impending pressures of finals week, students planning on studying abroad in the spring have the additional task of preparing for a new culture.
Although the semester-long process of applications, course selection and gathering official documents can be daunting, the AU Abroad office offers help and guidance to students preparing to go abroad.
"We want to try to make it as easy and seamless as possible," AU Abroad adviser Kari McGriff said, "because in the end, all of the planning, stress and work is worth the life changing experience."
Throughout each semester, McGriff and others from the AU Abroad office take a hands-on approach to guiding each student through the study abroad application process on an individual basis. This can prove especially useful for students applying to a partner program.
Through repeated meeting sessions, they guide each student in identifying the appropriate partner location, assist them in the partner application process, collect the materials, and courier the application to the partner.
This process can be more difficult than applying for an enclave, since AU Abroad does not make the final acceptance decision. According to McGriff, however, AU students applying to partner programs need not worry.
"The term 'partner' means that the institution respects the high quality of AU and our students, and most students are admitted to their selected program," she said.
The process of applying to a partner program itself can prove somewhat complicated, with students needing to select their own courses and housing, and submit their own paperwork.
Jeff Weiser, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, is currently studying abroad in a Paris partner program, found that technology, along with the AU Abroad office, has simplified the process.
"Almost every administrative aspect is done online," Weiser said. "Everything that really needs to be handled is done through the my.American.edu web portal. In addition, I've found that whenever I have an issue to deal with abroad, the advisers respond quickly to help however they can."
AU Abroad can also guide students in preparing for an enclave program by helping them to understand the cultural settings of the various programs and offering biweekly information sessions every Wednesday and Friday.
"The AU Abroad office was very helpful," said Elijah Hartman, a junior in the School of Public Affairs who is studying abroad in Madrid this spring. "They always seemed to be there and were willing to work with the students to get them into the program even if it's past the deadline."
Much of the stress of preparing to go abroad comes from not knowing quite what to expect upon arrival, McGriff said.
"When students go abroad, they only have trust and faith that they are being led in the right direction," McGriff said. "It's like going into a dark room, turning on the light, and finding out that your trust was well placed in all who led you to the room."
Financial constraints and problems with documentation can also provide a challenge for students. In Weiser's case, his passport had to be expedited to him in order to arrive in time.
"There's a small window of time between getting accepting and leaving," Weiser said. "My main concern is thinking about how much money I will need while I'm over there and getting it."
McGriff encourages students preparing to go abroad in the spring to read all of the materials weeks before departure so that the last few weeks can be spent with family and friends.
Contact with former students who have been through the program and can provide encouragement and advice can also be a huge help, as she witnessed in one pre-departure session for future Brussels enclave students.
According to McGriff, a former Brussels enclave student addressed a group of prospective students, saying, "I will buy you lunch when you get back if you do not have a great semester in Brussels, because it is impossible not to have a great semester on this program"
