Advising

Information sessions and events

Study Away Coffee Hour is held (almost) every Tuesday from 1-2 pm in Arctic Java.

Attend to learn more about Study Away in an informal setting and meet other past, present, future, and prospective participants. All are welcome, from students just starting to think about studying away to faculty who studied away years ago. Attendees receive free drink vouchers too! Studying away enables you to spend a semester or two at another US or international university as part of your UAF journey.

Weekly topics:

9/10: Welcome (Back): Let’s Talk about (Reverse) Culture Shock

Calling all recently returned Study Away students and recently arrived exchange students! Come share your stories and talk through how the culture shock is going.

9/17: Japan Exchange Mixer

Calling all students who have studied in or are on exchange from Japan, and students interested in going on exchange there! Come meet each other and talk about the experience at each of UAF’s partner schools.

9/24: Application Workshop: Last Chance for Spring

Are you working on getting your spring 2025 Study Away application in by the Oct. 1 deadline? Come work on it together with other students in the same boat and get tips from the Study Away advisor.

10/1: Global Destinations Mixer: With Visiting Partners!

Calling all students interested in studying abroad! This is a unique chance to learn about programs around the world directly from representatives from UAF’s partner organizations, Worldstrides, USAC, and API.

10/8 & 10/15: No Coffee Hour

10/22: European Exchange Mixer

Calling all students who have studied in or are on exchange from Europe, and students interested in going on exchange there! Come meet each other and talk about the experience at each of UAF’s partner schools.

10/29: National Student Exchange Mixer

Calling all past and present National Student Exchange participants, and students interested in going on exchange within the US! Come meet each other and talk about the NSE experience.

 11/5: Study Abroad Scholarships Workshop

Wondering what special scholarships are available to fund study abroad? Come talk through the options with representatives from the Study Away and financial aid offices and get tips on applying.

placeholder

 

11/12: Let’s Talk Finances: Budgeting and Program Costs

Wondering how much Study Away costs, or starting to work on an application and struggling to understand your budget? Join us to talk about program costs and work together on budget building.

11/19: Let’s Talk Classes: Academic Planning and Credit Transfer

Wondering how to fit study away into your degree plan, or how courses will transfer back? Join us to go over the process for making an academic plan for Study Away and getting courses approved.

11/26: Beyond Study Abroad: Internships, Volunteering, and Budget Travel

Wanting to get out and explore the world, in addition to or without studying abroad? Or already have and want to share your story? Come chat about other ways to see the world outside of school.

12/3: End-of-Term Send-off: Last Chance for Free Coffee!

Come have one last coffee (or your drink of choice) to send off our departing study abroad and exchange students and celebrate the journeys they’re completing and embarking on!

 

Interested in National Student Exchange? You can also attend a virtual National Student Exchange info session to learn more.

 

Schedule an appointment

Schedule an in-person, video conference or phone appointment with the Study Away advisor to discuss program selection and next steps. If this is your first Study Away appointment, please schedule an "Intake Appointment", and review below how to prepare.

Drop-in advising times are Wednesdays 1 - 3 pm in the Student Success Center (top floor of the library) and Thursdays 1-3 pm at the Study Away office.

Schedule an appointment

 

Preparing for your appointment

Before your appointment, please log in to the UAF Study Away Portal and complete your “Intake” and "Program Match" quizzes, which you'll be prompted to take after logging in. This will help the advisor tailor the conversation to your situation and needs.

Please also consider and come prepared to discuss the questions below. You don’t need to have a definite answer for every question (it can help to have some flexibility too!), but it will help you get the most out of the appointment if you give these some thought beforehand.

  • Why are you interested in studying away?
  • What are your academic goals? Are there specific topics you want to study? Do you hope to take general education requirement courses, major/minor courses or a mix?
  • What are your personal goals? What do you want to accomplish, experience or learn outside the classroom?
  • Are there particular regions, countries or cities you are interested in? 
  • Do you prefer a larger or smaller city or university?
  • Do you know or want to learn another language? Is using or learning that language a priority? Can you already use it well enough to take normal courses in that language?
  • What is your comfort level with travel and new environments? How far do you want to stretch your comfort zone?
  • What financial aid or scholarships are you currently receiving? Are you interested in applying for other scholarships specifically for study abroad?
  • Do you have a passport already? Is it valid for six months past your planned return?
  • Do you meet all minimum requirements to study away, or are there any requirements you still need to work toward?
  • Do you have any concerns, special circumstances or particular needs you would like to discuss?
  • When do you want to study away? Do you want to go for a semester, a year or just a few weeks?
  • How would you rank academics, location, cost and other factors in your priorities for choosing a program?
  • What questions do you have?