Traveling abroad is good — seeing the sights, trying new foods, and having adventures. Studying abroad is better — learning and earning credits while you have said adventures. But between timing, possibly delaying normal classes for a semester, figuring out funding, and committing to such a long time away from home, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of studying abroad!
One of the major benefits of summer study abroad? You can leave the layers at home!
Enter summer study abroad. Studying abroad in the summer solves a lot of the concerns many students have about studying abroad during the academic year. Plus, the benefits of summer study abroad are all-encompassing, and we’ve written them all out for you, plain and simple. (You’ll thank us when it’s negotiation time with Mom and Dad.)
Why does timing matter?
Timing for studying abroad is one of the most important choices you’ll make. Timing affects the weather, program availability, cost, and general experience of studying abroad. You can choose a perfect destination, locate a wonderful program, and still have a less-than-stellar time because of the timing.
Maybe you accidentally go during the rainiest season of the year and are miserable and wet the entire time. Maybe you choose a more expensive time of year to study abroad and end up thousands of dollars in debt. You get the point. (And sorry if we scared you!)
So take a second and a deep breath, settle down, and read about why summer is the absolute perfect time to study abroad!
7 undeniable benefits of summer study abroad
1. You’ll enjoy the sunshine!
Personally, we think ice cream is a top choice all year round.
Summer is peak travel time for a reason — the weather is amazing! Traveling is infinitely harder in poor weather conditions. Autumn is often a rainy period of weather, and no one wants to tour the city in the pouring rain (trust us, we’ve tried). Winter brings snow, which creates heavy AF suitcases thanks to all those winter coats.
As long as you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is often the sunniest and most fair weather available. Great weather opens doors for you, quite literally! Studying abroad during summer means you can sit outside in the city’s center plaza (or the equivalent), with the sun shining and people happily chatting. Add in some ice cream, gelato, or other frozen treat, and you’ve got a perfect day abroad.
But maybe warmer weather isn’t your thing. In that case, your options for summer study abroad programs are even more amazing. You can choose a program in the Southern Hemisphere, such as Australia or New Zealand, and escape your hometown’s summer heat. Weather-wise, summer study abroad has something for everyone.
2. You’ll have more daylight for exploring and adventures
Many cities in the Northern Hemisphere experience longer daylight hours during the summer. There’s a lot of science and Earth tilting involved, but the bottom line is more sun! Cities like London, Paris, and Berlin have up to 17 hours of sunlight during the summer.
Exploring a new city, or even navigating a city you’re familiar with, is way harder and sometimes scarier after the sun goes down. Study abroad for the summer for more daylight time and more safety. Whether you’re taking a day trip or just need some late night snacks, having more sunlight can only improve your study abroad experience. Summer study abroad for the win!
3. It’s less of a commitment
It’s easier to keep your cool when you’ll only be abroad for a few weeks!
Want to travel abroad but unsure about several months of travel? We get it! Being away from home that long can be scary, especially for first-time travelers. You might feel apprehensive that you won’t like the program or country you’ve chosen, and you’ll be stuck not liking it for 4-8 months.
Summer study abroad to the rescue! Summer study abroad programs range from one week to a couple months long, with everything in between. Choose the length of time that’s right for you! Want to study abroad in Korea for just 3 weeks? How about Iceland for two months? Italy for a week? There’s a program for that.
Shorter summer study abroad programs mean that you can even combine programs. You can see Spain for two weeks and then try out China for another week. With summer study abroad programs, the world is your oyster!
4. It’s more budget-friendly
This is perhaps one of the best benefits of summer study abroad. Summer study abroad programs are significantly cheaper, in part because the programs are shorter in length. You’ll still get the same awesome study abroad experience, but for a fraction of the cost. Plus, spending less on the actual program means you might have wiggle room in your budget for weekend trips, souvenirs, and other extras.
5. You’ll earn additional credit (and maybe graduate sooner!)
Trying to graduate faster than normal? Need to retake a class from freshman year? Just want to add some electives? Summer study abroad is the answer.
Everyone wants to go to summer school when study abroad is involved.
We all know that studying in the summer will help earn you extra credits. But school...in the summer?! It’s unthinkable on its own. Studying abroad makes summer school way more palatable! Instead of learning about the ancient Greeks in a boring old classroom, study abroad in Greece for the summer and see the Parthenon for yourself.
Basically, summer study abroad means more credits in a more fun way. Everybody wins.
High schoolers, don’t discount this benefit! Taking extra credits will look amazing on your college applications. If you play it right, you might even earn yourself a free block for your senior year. Summer adventure now and free time during your senior year? It doesn’t get better than that.
6. It’ll look great on your resume
Summer study abroad will look great on resumes or applications for pretty much anything. It’s a prime example that you are willing to go the extra mile, to seek out additional learning and personal growth experiences. Summer study abroad is evidence that you are a go-getter. That’s something that will impress colleges and employers alike!
High school summer study abroad will be super impressive to prospective colleges. College summer study abroad looks great on grad school apps. And it’s something everyone, no matter how old, can list on resumes. It sets you apart from other applicants and will help you for years to come.
7. You’ll meet tons of cool people
With any study abroad program, you’ll meet tons of people. Local people are awesome to befriend; they’ll teach you the language and show you the best coffee shops in the area. People from your program are great buddies for weekend trips and midnight ice cream runs alike. One of the benefits of summer study abroad though, is that it comes with even more opportunities to meet people!
Because summer is peak travel time, there will likely be other foreigners in the area. You’ll meet a diverse crowd of people who will expand your horizons. You might not find true love (or maybe you will), but you’ll definitely make lifelong friendships with the summer travel crowd when you choose to study abroad for the summer.
Ready to go? Get the ball rolling and get matched with 5 summer study abroad programs for FREE!
Summer study abroad is perfect for you
Soak up the sun and reap the benefits of summer study abroad!
It’s easy to feel a tiny bit nervous about choosing the timing for your study abroad experience. There’s a lot riding on just the time of year you choose. We get it. But summer study abroad is a truly great option for tons of reasons. More sunshine, more friends, more credits — summer study abroad is just filled with more! You’ll get more out of your experience with less expense, less fuss, and less worrying. It’s a win-win!
And you’ll come back from your awesome summer study abroad looking tan and cultured and awesome. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and have a great time studying abroad this summer.
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