{"id":7938,"date":"2015-06-30T15:14:20","date_gmt":"2015-06-30T15:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.studyabroad101.com\/?p=7938"},"modified":"2022-07-15T14:35:12","modified_gmt":"2022-07-15T18:35:12","slug":"5-things-to-do-before-studying-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.studyabroad101.com\/blog\/2015\/06\/5-things-to-do-before-studying-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"5 things to do before studying abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Anyone who has ever studied abroad will tell you that it was one of the best experiences of their life. What\u2019s not to like about seeing a new part of the world, making new friends, exploring independently, and making memories that will last a lifetime? But before you head off, there\u2019s a few things you need to do. To make it easy for you, here\u2019s five simple tips to make your year abroad go smoothly.<\/p>\n

Choose the right program<\/strong>. Do you want to study abroad for a full year or just six months? Most universities tend to offer half-year courses for exchange students, but there are longer courses on offer. Read as many reviews<\/a> as you can, speak to former students who took the course, and ask for advice from your university\u2019s study abroad adviser. Honestly, you will have an amazing time regardless of the program, but it\u2019s still important to choose the right program for you!<\/p>\n

Pack light<\/strong>. Some students who study abroad choose to ship a few boxes over to their new destination, but some take the bare minimum and buy what they need when they arrive. From my experience, I\u2019d suggest travelling as lightly as possible, especially if you\u2019re only there for six months. You can buy all your essentials in your destination country, and it\u2019s a great way of getting out and exploring your new town or city at the same time.<\/p>\n

Want to work while you\u2019re abroad?<\/strong> This is a great idea to earn some extra money in your spare time and blend in with the locals. Of course, you\u2019ll want to travel around your destination country, so you\u2019ll definitely need the money! That said, you\u2019ll need to make sure you\u2019re up to speed with employment legislation and find out if you\u2019re eligible to work or if there\u2019s any documentation you\u2019ll need to arrange before you go.<\/p>\n

Work out where you\u2019ll live<\/strong>. Some universities offer accommodation for exchange students, but some will leave that up to you to sort out. Don\u2019t assume that your accommodation will be sorted and ready for you when you step off the plane \u2013 find out where you\u2019ll be staying and if you need to make any arrangements yourself.<\/p>\n

Write up a budget<\/strong>. Never done this before? Well, now is the time to learn! If you\u2019re studying in Eastern Europe or South East Asia, you\u2019ll find the cost of living<\/a> to be significantly cheaper than what you\u2019re used to \u2013 but you may end up spending more if you head to Australia, the UK, or one of the Nordic countries. It\u2019s important that you have a general idea of how much you\u2019ll be spending on a monthly basis and you\u2019ll probably find in your first couple of months, you\u2019ll end up spending way more than you originally anticipated!<\/p>\n

See your doctor<\/strong>. No one likes going to the doctor, but this is really important, especially if you\u2019re travelling to somewhere off the beaten track. You might need certain immunizations or medication, and if you\u2019re on repeat medication, order enough to cover you for the length of your study period. You\u2019ll also need your doctor to write up a letter to accompany your medication, as customs often ask to see this when you arrive.<\/p>\n

It might seem like there\u2019s a lot to do before you head off on your study abroad adventure (see here<\/a> for a few more tips), but once you\u2019ve got it all out of the way, you can do all the fun things \u2013 like planning your weekend getaways, making travel plans, and reading city guidebooks! There will no doubt be things you can\u2019t plan for and a few bumps along the way, but hopefully these tips will help you hit the ground running.<\/p>\n

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Guest Posting from Victoria Moretti, a professional writer from the UK who contributes to Abroad101 from time to time. Victoria loves to write about businesses and macro economic affairs that move the needle. Her other loves include travel, long walks and flat whites.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anyone who has ever studied abroad will tell you that it was one of the best experiences of their life. What\u2019s not to like about seeing a new part of the world, making new friends, exploring independently, and making memories that will last a lifetime? But before you head off, there\u2019s a few things you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[4,464],"tags":[420,497],"ppma_author":[684],"class_list":["post-7938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abroadadvice","category-students-2","tag-guest-author","tag-victoria-moretti","author-abroad101"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t