Getting prepared the semester before you study abroad can be a little bit of a stressful process. Unfortunately, I am caught in the middle of the massive stress attack that comes from the amount of paperwork and stuff you must get done by certain deadlines.

I have been trying my best to stay organized this entire time. That is why I applied early. I tried to stay on top of things. However, it is easy to forget that you have a million other things to do besides study abroad paperwork and trying to find free time to complete it can be a nightmare.

Between classes, my job, my internship and clubs and activities, I have not had a lot of free time since the semester began. Getting used to a new schedule and routine is difficult enough, let alone dealing with living situations, working and trying to fit sleeping and eating somewhere in between it all.

Among all this chaos, I set all my study abroad paperwork, important stuff such as the visa application process, financial aid paperwork, the course selection sheet and scholarship applications to the side.

To my credit, some of the paperwork I did not get until the middle of September. I was accepted in May and my paperwork was not available until just recently because I was accepted so early. In the back of my mind, I knew I needed to get all this paperwork done relatively soon. Now it is a matter of trying to fill everything out and send it in by the deadlines.

All of this paperwork needs to be filled out accurately and many need to be filled in the presence of a notary public. Some of it will need to be received in Austin, Texas, where API headquarters is located, by Oct. 20. Thinking about all of the things I need to send out and get done in the next few weeks could give me an anxiety attack.

My advice to people in my situation and others wanting to study abroad is to schedule in a blocks of free time that are devoted to study abroad work. That way, you can make sure and get your paperwork done in a timely manner. Schedule it as early and as soon as you get paperwork mailed or emailed to you. The sooner you get things done, the less of a chance you will be caught in deadline frenzy. Do not procrastinate on any of it.

Some of the anxiety for me comes from fear of filling out the paperwork incorrectly, not knowing what to do, and the fact I have to have multiple copies of certain papers and passport pictures for many forms.

There are so many forms for every single aspect of study abroad, and it is easy to get lost in the amount of stuff you have to fill out. It is also easy to be confused by what you are filling out and trying to understand just exactly what your insurance needs to cover, or how to fill out the financial aid forms.

My next advice would be: do not be afraid to ask for help when filling out all your forms. Not all of them are straightforward, and you want to make sure to fill it out correctly the first time. I am going to go to the Office of International Programs and the Office of Student Financial Aid, so I can ask my questions and get the help I need filling out my forms.

I cannot wait till Nov. 1, the day where everything is officially turned in. No more paperwork, deadlines, and an extremely heavy load will be lifted off my shoulders. It may be a pain right now, but it will be worth the trouble when I am soaking up the sun in Seville, Spain.