If you love to travel but don’t really have the time to spend going on trips as often as you’d like because of your commitment to school, you might want to consider looking into spending a semester abroad. This can be the perfect blend of travel and adventure while still moving forward with your education simultaneously. And while you might not see how this could help you with your future career, you might be surprised just what you can learn, regardless of your area of study, when you travel and live in a new country for a while. So to help you get ready for this new adventure, here are three tips for preparing for a semester abroad.
Get All Your Paperwork In Order
To legally travel to and stay in another country, there’s going to be some paperwork that you need to take care of. The first thing you’re going to need is a passport. According to Andrew Dunkle, a contributor to Go Overseas, a passport can take anywhere from six to twelve months to secure. While you can speed the process up, it’s going to cost you extra. In addition to a passport, you might also need to acquire a visa. If you’re not sure whether or not you need a visa for where you’re going, search on the State Department’s website or call the embassy or consulate for the country you’re planning to stay in.
Figure Out Your Communication Options
When you’re in a different country, it’s not as easy as you might like to think for you to just pick up your phone and call back home. Because of this, it’s important that you and your friends or family spend some time figuring out your best options for communicating with one another when you’re studying abroad. According to Mathilde Frot, a contributor to TopUniversities.com, there are quite a few free services you can use to call or video chat your loved ones, just so long as they have that app, too. This might be your best option to keep up with your relationships without having to spend a fortune in calls.
Research The Area You’ll Be Staying
Before you get to your destination, you should try to research the area you’ll be staying at as much as possible. By doing this, you’ll feel much more comfortable and at home with very little awkward time in between. Heather Yamada-Hosley, a contributor to LifeHacker.com, recommends looking into things like housing, transportation, entertainment, medical services, and your campus so that you’re completely prepared once you land in this new country.
To help you have a fun and successful semester abroad, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you prepare for this new adventure.
