Tower Room Talk

The official blog of the Fulbright College Honors Program

Studying Abroad During a Pandemic

by | May 5, 2021 | Advice, Physics, Study Abroad

Chloë Benton

With all the chaos that is the pandemic, studying abroad can seem especially scary and impossible right now. There are a lot of misconceptions and even miscommunication floating around that is making the process of studying abroad appear more intense than it truly is.

Granted, when I started looking into studying abroad, I was very overwhelmed. Many questions were buzzing around my head like: “Where do I start?” “Can I even study abroad?” “Will it get canceled?” “Is it even worth it?” “What about COVID-19?” If you are asking similar questions, they are very valid concerns. We are living in a time where nothing is certain, and we need to be prepared. I know many people whose programs were canceled due to the pandemic and/or had to file a petition just to get permission from the university to travel abroad. Sometimes I even have the feeling of “is all this work worth it” when I see other programs getting canceled. Despite this, I know that this will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is worth all of the stress and uncertainty. So, if you are even considering the thought of studying abroad, do not be discouraged by all the mayhem, it will be an experience that truly is not worth giving up because of the “what ifs”.

Screenshot of the Study Abroad Website

Screenshot of the Office of Study Abroad & International Exchange Website

Visit the Study Abroad Website

The first piece of advice I would give is to visit the UARK Study Abroad website. When you first come across the opening page, there are a plethora of links that take you to extremely important portals you will use frequently as you prepare to study abroad.

From there, you can explore all the available programs through the university (i.e faculty-led) and external programs such as USAC, ISAbroad, CIS Abroad, etc. In addition to traditional study abroad programs, the university has also established several Virtual International Programs that you can take advantage of! Even if you have no idea where to start, there are parameters you can choose to narrow down the search. For myself, I knew I wanted to study abroad in Thailand and could only be there for a limited time, but I had no clue what program to choose. So, I put in the location and duration parameter and the USAC Thailand program popped up. This resource is especially important because location, cost, availability, courses, possible internships, duration, etc. are all factors that drive the decision to pick one program over another.

Work with a Study Abroad Advisor

Another resource to use is utilizing the study abroad advisors. They are there to answer any questions or concerns you will have, so do not hesitate to reach out to them at studyabr@uark.edu! Once you apply for a study abroad program, from there you will be assigned an advisor that will run through the whole process with you. I know this is where most of my stress and anxieties disappeared because I sat down with my advisor and we went over the ENTIRE timeline of studying abroad. This ranged from things as simple as filling out the UARK application to major deadlines such as program payments. Granted, this is a lot of work, but it is extremely beneficial to have a professional in your corner who knows what they are doing. If you are short on time and just have a quick question, you can always use their online chat option. Taking the initiative to reach out to the study abroad office will help you so much more in the long run and you will be glad that you made that step.

Find Scholarships to Help Fund Your Trip

Once a program has been selected and the application process has begun, the next thing to think about is scholarships. During my initial meeting with my study abroad advisor, my advisor also gave me a huge list of scholarships I am eligible for. This, especially, relieved more stress because figuring out what scholarships to apply for is one of the most time-consuming things to do. If funding and cost are important to you, it is never too early to start looking at scholarships. There are truly so many available whether through the university or external. There are also scholarships that you can apply to through your programs of study, including the Honors College, so I highly suggest reaching out to your program advisor to ask them which scholarships you are eligible for! Another great scholarship resource to utilize is on the HogsAbroad Portal is the “Scholarships and Aid” tab. On that webpage, they have all the available UARK study abroad scholarships you can apply for and their requirements.

Keep Track of COVID-19 Protocols

Finally, the COVID-19 part…the best way to know what safety protocols you need to take before and after you study abroad is to ask your program advisor. They will be super transparent on the steps you need to take to get to your destination. These protocols could be as easy as providing a vaccination card upon arrival or more involved such as quarantining for two weeks before you travel and quarantining again once you reach your destination. For my study abroad in Thailand, I need to provide a negative COVID test upon arrival and I need to quarantine for two weeks in a designated hotel after I arrive. This is a mandatory rule instated in Thailand as of now, but the information is always changing so the best way to keep up is to follow the CDC’s travel website. They have up-to-date information regarding COVID regulations in most countries.

I also suggest signing up for the “Smart Traveler Enrollment Program” (STEP). Once enrolled, the program will send out important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country as well as help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency. And these are just the resources I am using—there are many other resources out on the web to find, you just have to look.

Studying abroad is not just a “spur of the moment” type decision, it is a seemingly never-ending journey of applications, scholarships, documents, etc. I, personally, know this because I have been preparing for the trip for the past two years of my life. It seemed like it was never the right time, but I made a pact to myself that I will travel to Thailand before I graduate, and I did everything I could to make this plan a reality. Having the realization that I will study abroad this summer makes it all worth it. Take that leap into the unknown because who knows, you might just embark on a journey that will change the rest of your life!

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