Are you gearing up for your high school graduation and unsure of your desire to want to study at a local college or university campus? You're not alone in that regard as most high school graduates would rather learn about Biology or political science in a foreign locale rather than spending their early adult years stuck in the same place for the next few years and possibly more.

It's easy to be tempted into wanting to study abroad but it can also be pricey, which is why most people that end up with jobs in a field that was not their first choice by studying at a nearby institute of higher education. However, there are options out there that you can look to that won't cost you your life savings and still allow you to study somewhere international or exotic.

One such way is to sign up for a foreign student exchange program, that will place you in a school in a different country in exchange for a student to come study at your school in your place. Foreign student exchange programs are quite common in secondary schools and universities. If studying somewhere else for six months or one year excites you then ask your guidance counselor or student services rep if your school takes part in a foreign student exchange program with other partner schools that will help you with your career goal.

If they do then it's up to you to decide if you want to partake in some international traveling and study abroad or stay within the country and for how long. Would you rather be away from home for a short-term exchange that could last anywhere from a week to three months or a long-term exchange that would see you studying abroad for a period of six months to one year? A longer stay might make you home sick and constantly using mobile spy software to stay in touch with your friends and family members back home so make sure you can handle a long-term stay before you commit to doing so.

Each length of stay have their advantages and both are going to provide you practical training and possible employment in your field, language skills, as well as a chance to immerse yourself in the culture, traditions and history of your host country. Once everything has been set up it's time to find a host family you can stay with and to come up with a way to fund your trip such as applying for scholarships, bursaries or loans.