1. Pack lightly but thoroughly: look up the average weather for the months you will be abroad and bring the appropriate articles of clothing. You will probably buy clothing there to blend in more with locals so you don’t have to bring your entire wardrobe. Same goes for things like shampoo and conditioner, liquids are heavier and may put you over the weight limit so bring travel sized things and you can buy regular sizes when you get there.
2. I recommend buying a sim card in your host country so you can keep in contact with people more easily. It’s also more cost effective than paying for an international plan.
3. Get involved in activities like dance lessons, sports teams, volunteering, etc. This will make you feel less homesick because you will be busy immersing yourself in the culture and not thinking about home.
4. Be prepared for culture shock, especially if this is your first time abroad. Language barriers can be scary but if you focus on improving your language skills and practicing with locals, it will become much easier after a couple weeks.
5. Write down what you do as often as you can (journal, diary, blog). If you don’t write it down you probably won’t remember when you get home. You will be grateful to look back on what you’ve done.
6. Don’t spend all your free time online in contact with people from home. Skyping your family once a week is a good amount in my opinion.
7. You will probably spend more money than you think. For example you will run into problems where you need to pay a fine or fee for an airline company (avoid Ryanair if possible) or your phone gets stolen etc. Don’t freak out about it because that won’t help anything. Calmly solve the problem and learn from your mistake.
8. Have fun! This is your semester/year/program. Say yes to new things even if you aren’t so sure about it. You will most likely have a great time and be glad you did it!
For me studying abroad was the best decision I’ve ever made and I’ve learned so much by being here. I will be sad to leave my new home when our program ends but I’m going to enjoy every minute until then!
Molly is a fourth year student at SUNY New Paltz with a major in Spanish and a minor in Latin American Studies. She is excited to explore the culture of Spain and to add another interesting element of her studies of Latin America and Spain.
8 Tips for Studying Abroad!
1. Pack lightly but thoroughly: look up the average weather for the months you will be abroad and bring the appropriate articles of clothing. You will probably buy clothing there to blend in more with locals so you don’t have to bring your entire wardrobe. Same goes for things like shampoo and conditioner, liquids are heavier and may put you over the weight limit so bring travel sized things and you can buy regular sizes when you get there.
2. I recommend buying a sim card in your host country so you can keep in contact with people more easily. It’s also more cost effective than paying for an international plan.
3. Get involved in activities like dance lessons, sports teams, volunteering, etc. This will make you feel less homesick because you will be busy immersing yourself in the culture and not thinking about home.
4. Be prepared for culture shock, especially if this is your first time abroad. Language barriers can be scary but if you focus on improving your language skills and practicing with locals, it will become much easier after a couple weeks.
5. Write down what you do as often as you can (journal, diary, blog). If you don’t write it down you probably won’t remember when you get home. You will be grateful to look back on what you’ve done.
6. Don’t spend all your free time online in contact with people from home. Skyping your family once a week is a good amount in my opinion.
7. You will probably spend more money than you think. For example you will run into problems where you need to pay a fine or fee for an airline company (avoid Ryanair if possible) or your phone gets stolen etc. Don’t freak out about it because that won’t help anything. Calmly solve the problem and learn from your mistake.
8. Have fun! This is your semester/year/program. Say yes to new things even if you aren’t so sure about it. You will most likely have a great time and be glad you did it!
For me studying abroad was the best decision I’ve ever made and I’ve learned so much by being here. I will be sad to leave my new home when our program ends but I’m going to enjoy every minute until then!
Molly Madden
Molly is a fourth year student at SUNY New Paltz with a major in Spanish and a minor in Latin American Studies. She is excited to explore the culture of Spain and to add another interesting element of her studies of Latin America and Spain.
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