Your guide to the year abroad application timeline (from someone who did it)

The year abroad application deadline just passed, and as many of you are probably wondering, what happens now?

It can be nerve-wracking waiting to find out whether your dream destination will become your new home for the 26/27 academic year, but rest assured, it will all work out in the end.

I’m currently on my exchange in Lyon as part of my English literature and French degree programme.

This time last year I was completely stressed and had no idea of what my future would look like – and that’s completely normal.

So, let me talk you through what happens after you hit submit.

Phase one: I’ve applied – what now?

It’s late autumn. The trees are glowing orange, the ground permanently splattered with wet leaves.

You’ve just submitted your year abroad application.

Yes, it might trigger flashbacks to UCAS and every other application you’ve ever written, but now all you can do is wait.

Use this time to research your top-ranked destinations — find out what the city and university have to offer, and allow yourself to get a bit excited.

Don’t think of your bottom choice as a “worst-case scenario”; think of it as a chance to step outside your comfort zone.

Spend winter enjoying the calm before the storm of visas, learning agreements, and risk assessments.

Phase two: New year, results are in

The sun sets early, and until that fated email arrives, life feels like being on the 30 bus at 5pm in January – completely in the dark and moving in slow motion.

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If the year abroad isn’t a mandatory part of your degree, you might not be accepted straight away.

While that’s disappointing, it can be a blessing in disguise (take it from a girl who still yearns for an Uplands Roast, even after spending a year with french chocolate chaud).

Stay patient. Some offers go out later as people make their final decisions.

If it is mandatory for your degree, once you get your placement, take a deep breath. Your future’s looking clearer – it’s officially time to get excited.

Phase three: Spring is for admin, admin and more admin

The sun’s out, the grass is wet, and it’s just a bit too windy to sit down.

You’re still months away from leaving, and the admin pile feels endless.

You’ll have countless talks, meetings, and calls about the year abroad.

My best advice? Go to everything you can.

Ask questions. Use the SWAY website – it’ll become your main point of contact.

If your school offers any kind of peer-support event, go. You might meet students who’ve already been where you’re heading.

If not, you’ll soon find out who else is going to your location.

Even if you don’t know them, or have zero mutuals, message them.

Go for a pint at the Pear Tree and you never know – they might end up being your lifeline abroad.

Phase four: Soak up the last glimpses of Edinburgh

The final phase: Blossoms on the Meadows, exams looming, flatmates house-hunting.

You’re tired, confused, and maybe a bit emotional to be leaving so soon.

You’re trying to juggle coursework, accommodation panic, and a learning agreement (good luck with that one).

It’s completely normal to feel lost. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, and this time next year, you’ll be getting ready to come back with a year’s worth of stories and memories.

And who knows – maybe by then, Teviot House might finally be open.

Finally: Good luck

If you’ve made it through all four phases, congratulations, you’ve reached the end of another year in Edinburgh.

Once you’ve finished reading, make your own timeline.

Check official university and government sites for when to start visa applications and other admin.

And one final piece of advice: Don’t book that pals’ holiday until your passport and visa are sorted. That £20 Ryanair flight might not be refundable.