Orientations

Each Fall and Spring semester, the Study Abroad Office conducts pre-departure orientation meetings for students traveling abroad. Two different types of orientation meetings are offered:

General Orientations: These are offered to all Texas A&M students covering various general topics. They are conducted by Study Abroad staff and key people in other campus offices. Example: Financial Aid & Scholarships for Study Abroad – conducted by Scholarships & Financial Aid Office and Study Abroad Programs. General orientations are not typically required for students going on faculty-led or reciprocal exchange programs. Check with your program liaison on pre-departure orientation requirements.

Program-Specific Orientations: These are offered to those students studying on Texas A&M Faculty-Led or Reciprocal Exchange Programs, and they cover program-specific information. NOTE: Some faculty-led programs require a weekly meeting throughout the semester prior to studying abroad, while other programs may meet only a few times throughout the semester prior to studying abroad.

The schedule for the Fall 2008 General Pre-Departure Orientation Workshops is listed below. The schedule for the Fall 2008 Travel Wise meetings will not be released until September.

These will be offered to all Texas A&M students traveling internationally during the Spring and Winter Break. For Spring Break, Summer, Fall and Academic Year 2009 study abroad students, orientation will be offered during the Spring 2009 semester and will be announced December 2008. These workshops will cover various general topics and will be conducted by Study Abroad staff and key people in other offices on campus and in the community.

NOTE: Workshop titles are listed in italics. Should any dates/times change, you will be notified.

Please contact the TAMU Study Abroad Office (845-0544; studyabroad@tamu.edu) with any questions.

"Show Me the Money!" Financial Aid & Scholarships for Study Abroad

Dates	Time*	Location
September 29, Monday	4 PM	302 Rudder
October 8, Wednesday	4 PM	302 Rudder
October 23, Thursday	4 PM	302 Rudder
November 11,  Tuesday	5 PM	302 Rudder

Remaining General Orientation Workshops to be held in November - for students traveling abroad Winter Break or Spring 2009 ONLY.
-Note: Students will choose ONE to attend and MUST sign up by clicking on the "Sign Up for an Orientation Meeting" link located on the welcome page of the study abroad application portal .  Please note that you must have a program application on file before you can access the meeting sign up, so please follow the instructions via the above link to first complete a program application.
- Due to limited seating, students will NOT be admitted unless they have signed up in advance and present a ticket for the chosen workshop date.

Dates	Time*	Location
November TBA	TBA	TBA
November TBA	TBA	TBA

*Orientation schedule:

"Travel Wise!: Travel Tips for Study Abroad (required for all students)

Covers general info on traveling abroad including health and safety, practical tips, cultural issues and language immersion – includes a Q&A with panel made up of study abroad alumni.  *Please note that breakout sessions will be as follows for each Travel Wise meeting:

•  TBA

 NOTE:If your region and/or country is not represented or the only session you can attend does not match your destination, please still plan to attend as general and valuable information will be handed out that is relevant to all study abroad destinations.