My study abroad year in Miami was not as glamorous as Will Smith’s 1998 hit single had me believe. As the USA continued to suck my finances dry, openly mock my vegetarianism and never once stymie in me an interest for baseball, I couldn’t help but feel that my needs would have been better served elsewhere.
So, you want to study abroad?!
Here are some top tips how to maximize your time studying abroad:
1. Choose destination carefully
The best place to study abroad depends on the individual, but there are several factors to consider: the standard of teaching, living conditions, fees and languages spoken are obvious, yet crucial, factors that will make or break your trip. Don’t rush into the decision and consider where you would most like to go and be happiest. This way you will help avoid culture shock and also enjoy the experience more.
2. Save money
Triple the amount of money you want to bring. You don’t want to be worried about money your entire time abroad. You’ll need money for traveling. After all, it is a once in a lifetime experience. View our tips for how to save money whilst studying abroad.
3. Make sacrifices
When you’re abroad, you’ll need to make sacrifices. Do you really need that new shirt or would you rather travel? Do you really need expensive food or would you rather go out with friends? I personally sacrficed food. I ate rolled oats for breakfast, granola bars for lunch, and lettuce with frozen mixed veggies for dinner everyday. I had just enough food to survive.
4. Do NOT come with a friend
Okay this is controversial, but if you come with someone else, you have to do everything he or she wants to do. I met so many people who came with a friend. They’d end up leaving the club earlier than they wanted to because their friend wanted to leave. Studying abroad is a time for yourself. It’s about you making friends and figuring it who you are. You don’t need to bring someone with you. You’ll have a much better time without them! Also, if you come with someone, you don’t get to meet as many people.
5. Learn the language
There are so many reasons to study another language, this is not only polite, but it will really help you when overseas. You could take an online language course to pick up the basics before you go.
6. Relax
It is okay to just sit in your room all day every once in awhile. You’re already busy enough, so it’s okay to just sit in your room and relax. Everyone needs those days where they can be by themself.
7. Take easy classes
I would recommend taking easy classes like electives abroad. I took a Physics class, and that was the worse thing I could have done. Every other country uses the metric system, so I had to keep converting everything so I could understand it. I know I missed out on some stuff because I had to study. When you’re abroad, who wants to spend time studying when you could be seeing the world.
8. Travel
Luckily for me, I had the amazing opportunity to travel. Traveling was the best thing I got to do abroad. I was in Australia, so I was close to many other countries. When else am I going to go to Bali? It’d be dumb to fly from America there, but since I was studying in Australia, it was so easy to travel.
This is by no means a definitive advice guide to study abroad in, but it does highlight some very important things to consider. If you like the idea of studying abroad search language courses abroad today.
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