Studying abroad is a fun opportunity to pursue college courses in a foreign country. The thought of living in another country can also cause genuine curiosity. Most students will wonder things like, where they will live, what they will eat, and all the other things that can be thought of when getting ready for a foreign experience. To give you some insight, I interviewed Adrian Kaus, a Student at Kansas State University who studied abroad in Orvieto, Italy.
[Aidan Little]
How far in advance should students plan to study abroad?
[Adrian Kaus]
I would say you need to start planning for it almost a year in advance because it is a big commitment, and I only went for a month. You need to make sure you have plenty of finances because there are so many cool places out there and you want to experience it all. When I studied abroad, I tried to just let loose and not really think about the money but the experiences I was having.
[Aidan Little]
What support is available to students once they arrive? (Tour Guide, Translator, etc.)
[Adrian Kaus]
When I went to Italy, we did not really need a translator or tour guide for the place we were living. Most of the people there spoke English and when we arrived, they gave us multiple tours around the town throughout the first week experiencing all of the history and cool things. The people in charge are super helpful and if you need anything they will drop everything to help. I had to interview a local for one of my classes and I asked the local in charge of our program if she could be my translator, in which she was happy to help!
[Aidan Little]
Where can students expect to live while studying abroad? Is Food Provided?
[Adrian Kaus]
We were given housing for the month in a little apartment, it was four of us. It had a full kitchen so we could cook food for ourselves which saved a lot of money. Food is mostly on your own, but Italy is a lot less expensive than the U.S. They also had farmers markets every week and you could barter with them to save money. There were a couple of big meals that were provided and other small things as well.
[Aidan Little]
What budgeting advice would you give a student who is planning to study abroad? (Any changes or expenses that they should expect?)
[Adrian Kaus]
I would say have a max amount of money that you want to spend when traveling on the weekends and for when you are there for a couple days. That is where I spent the most money, it is very easy to say yes to excursions because it is all about the experience. I don’t regret anything, but I know some people that went with us spent a lot more than they should have because they did not plan ahead enough.
If you are interested in learning more about studying abroad, and different funding opportunities visit the Kansas State Education Abroad website, and request an appointment to meet with an Education Abroad Advisor. For help with budgeting, and other financial questions you may have for studying abroad, schedule an appointment with us at Powercat Financial!
Upcoming Events:
Financial Well-being Ambassadors – November 6th, 4:00-5:00pm at the Union in the Big 12 Room. Want to be part of Powercat Financial and learn about personal finance? Come join us at our monthly meeting.
Aidan Little
Peer Counselor II
Powercat Financial
www.k-state.edu/powercatfinancial
