Royal gardens in Thailand

It's not a piece of cake to study abroad -- there are several things to consider before you hear friends saying, "Bon Voyage." There's finding the right program. And then finding the money. Applying for passports. Taking the right classes. And then following up on your experience when you return to UW-Madison. You should start preparing to study abroad about a year before you'd like to leave. The following steps will give you an idea of what is expected during the process.

STEP ONE:

Check out CALS Study Abroad programs. There are many different sites, but there are programs that concentrate on different disciplines and are only available at certain times of the year. Find out which program is best for you.

STEP TWO:

After you have found a couple of programs that interest you, take a look at program costs and see what kind of financial aid or scholarships you may be eligible for.

STEP THREE:

Once you have decided that you want to go overseas, fill out an application.

STEP FOUR:

Get ready to live abroad. Find out how to apply for visas and passports (and what the difference is), purchase required insurance and use CALS' pre-departure checklist.

STEP FIVE:

What you need to do once your program is over and you're back in the U.S. -- we'll tell you a bit about the debriefing process and how to make sure your courses count.