by Jane Rutherford

Created on: May 02, 2010   Last Updated: May 03, 2010

Once you decide you want to study abroad it's always a good idea to take some time to choose between various study abroad programs. This will ensure your experience is as pleasant as possible and you won't end up with a horror story, but with a bunch of good memories.

Degree abroad vs Summer School vs Exchange Programs

While choosing the best study abroad program, the first question you need to ask yourself is what do you want to achieve and how long do you want to stay in the foreign country.

If you want to complete your entire degree abroad that usually means from two years to even four years abroad (depending whether you want to complete your Bachelor degree or your Masters). And even though in most cases the tuition fees are much lower than in the US, it's still a big expense, if you count in the travel costs (especially if you want to visit your family more than once during your entire stay) and the living costs.

Summer Schools are extremely popular, mostly because they are organized, cheap and still offer some great experiences. Most of them offer transfer of credits, which is always a plus. They ensure you have a room to stay in and at least breakfast. Some even include excursions in the price, allowing you to sight-see and visit all the most important places in the surrounding area. The entire program takes usually up to six weeks, and some students treat it as a test run before embarking a longer study abroad challenge.

Unlike the previous two options, International Student Exchange usually requires a lot of planning and research. Mostly because of the variety of options available for students. There are many different Student Exchange programs. Some offer scholarships, some don't allow for credit transfer, and some require you to pay tuition at the host university. They usually last from three months up to an entire year, depending on a type of the program you're participating in. There's a lot of things to take care of with that kind of programs.

Where to go?

Once you decide what kind of study abroad program you prefer, you need to choose your destination, and courses you'd like to study.

There are two ways of going around it. You can either start by choosing the field of studies or by choosing where you'd like to go. And while I can't tell you what area is most appealing to you, I have some tips on how to choose the best country for your study abroad adventure.

If there's a country you'd really like to get to know better, study abroad programs are

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