First Year Planning

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1. Tell your faculty advisor that you are interested in off-campus study so the advisor can help you integrate study abroad into you academic plan.
2. Start fulfilling study-abroad eligibility requirements, for instance the writing-intensive, physical education, and qualitative- and symbolic-reasoning requirements.
3. Premed/Pre-health professions students: Work with the pre-health professions advisor to plot your course plan so there will be space in your schedule for study abroad.
4. To keep your study-abroad options open, consider taking a language course to meet the language requirement.
5. Inform yourself about program prerequisites, some of which are specific.
6. Consider applying for the Critical Language Scholarship, a national scholarship competition that pays for summer language-immersion study.
7. Meet with the student fellowships coordinator to get help in applying for national study-abroad scholarships, such as the Gilman Scholarship.
8. Maintain good academic standing with a GPA of at least 2.7. Many destinations require a higher GPA.
9. Attend information sessions about different programs. Announcements about the sessions are sent by email at the beginning of the semester and posted on our website.
10. Attend an event hosted by the Office of Global Learning. Each semester, we offer a Study Abroad 101 workshop. At most events you will be able to talk to returning students.
11. Start looking into Hamilton programs and at Hamilton's preferred programs list to familiarize yourself with your options.
12. Talk with students who have studied abroad.
13. Talk with a study-abroad advisor and Hamilton faculty about your study-abroad plans.
14. Stay in touch with the Office of Global Learning and read your emails.
15. Familiarize yourself with the study-abroad guidelines so that you understand the process.