Heading abroad for a vacation and studying abroad may seem similar at first—both involve exploring a new destination, connecting with locals, and immersing in the culture. However, studying abroad often means a longer stay, tighter budgeting, and academic responsibilities.
Unlike vacations, studying abroad requires adapting to daily life changes while managing coursework. Many students also lack extensive travel experience and may not have every trip detail planned, even if supported by academic programs.
To help, we’ve compiled practical advice based on our travel expertise for aspiring international students.
Key Takeaways
- Having the right gear can make your life abroad much easier
- Sometimes even temporary vacationers feel homesick, so you’re nt being overly emotional and silly here
Immediately Register With The Student Liasion Groups & Programs
One of the first things you should do upon arrival is connect with your institution’s student liaison group or international program reception. It may be called different things but you’ll no doubt be told about this before you leave.
These groups are there to help make your transition as smooth as it can be, and they’ll generally offer support for everything from managing sign-ons and administrative requirements to introducing you to other international students. If something they say counters something you read in this post, prioritize their explanation first. They can also help you with practical advice, such as finding housing or setting up a bank account which gives you the chance to situate yourself more comfortably. This might take a couple weeks to go through everything but it will help you at least find the foundations of your travel experience.
If you’re enthusiastic about being part of these groups, they can also introduce you to social events and cultural activities specifically designed for newcomers. That’s not to say they’ll be perfect, but they will be heartfelt and curated by people who care. This network is often a comfort in the early days when you’re still adjusting to your new environment.
Learn Your Chosen City & Its Culture
Now is where the real fun begins. Every city, even in a wider area, has its own culture. For instance, if you head to Liverpool in the United Kingdom, you’re likely to hear about the River Mersey and The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and Liverpool FC before you even step off the boat or plane.
Learning a city and its culture can be a heartfelt way to feel welcomed there, because if you embrace it, we can absolutely assert that the place will embrace you. Places like this might seem super regional but they’re very welcoming to the outside world – think about it, Liverpool FC (to continue our example) has fans from all over the world.
Depending on where you live, learning the major landmarks, the customs, and unique habits can be essential. The London tube, for all the criticism it gets, is a fantastic means of transport and picking up your Oyster card or getting used to the card scanning system is a worthwhile use of your time.
Make In-Roads With The Language & Idioms
Now, you don’t have to talk like a resident within a month of moving to a place. But it can be helpful to put yourself out there and find someone who can guide you in the local culture.
Making in-roads with the local language and idioms can help you feel a little more connected and you’ll no doubt find some fun friendship in this. For instance, learning the nicknames for local places can help you ask for directions easier, while having a phrasebook handy if you need it can help.
Now, we’re sure you know at least some of the language if you’re heading to study in a brand new place, because often this is an essential qualifier before the program will take you. If you’re reading and haven’t translated this article, we’re willing to bet you speak some English, which means heading to Australia from the USA might not give you much trouble, to use an example.
But again, knowing a couple of phrases can help. “Pluggers” and “thongs” in Australian idiom refers to sandals, for example, which can seem a little weird to most other English speakers, but it’s harmless there.
If asking about where to buy pants in the UK, they might refer you to underwear and not trousers. You can’t really have a complete education in this within a day, but looking at the most popular differences can help.
Immediately Meet Other Student Travelers
We mentioned above that your program may or may not help you be introduced to other students. If it does, that’s great! If not, you may need to engineer that yourself.
There will usually be some kind of society or meeting group where you can come together with others. Your accommodations might involve mostly student travelers too, because they tend to group like by like.
For this reason, finding others who feel like a fish out of water too can help. We often see this with solo travelers where those staying in hostels and backpacking can make friends and move with one another for the best possible time. If you can do that, then the end result is sure to be much more successful.
Perhaps you’ll find someone from where you are. That doesn’t mean you should be glued at the hip, but it’s a good way to feel somewhat ingratiated into the new space.
Visit The City Forum
No matter your thoughts on Reddit, as a platform for collating information re: geographic regions it can be great. There’s usually a country subreddit and those for local cities too. Any question you want to ask is usually found here, even if you feel a little embarrassed about it. For instance, if you’re having a hard time figuring out the bus or tram system, then there’ll be at least a few residents willing to help you.
Depending on the culture you might experience a little sarcasm or some jokes, but that’s fine. You might even post there if you’ve been having trouble making friends and they could point you in the direction of places to reach out.
A city forum is often a good tool to use, and the good thing about sites like Reddit is that they’re generally moderated with care. So don’t worry about asking questions, you can always register the account to be anonymous.
Find Familiar Comforts In Food & Culture
Now, while immersing yourself in the local culture is important, it’s also okay to seek out some familiar comforts when you’re feeling homesick. This might mean visiting an international grocery store that stocks all your favorite – like a Japanese supermarket that has the exact kind of soy sauce you like – or finding a restaurant that serves your home country’s cuisine, or streaming your favorite shows from back home by using a VPN and even showing them to friends.
Sometimes even temporary vacationers feel homesick, so you’re nt being overly emotional and silly here. In fact, these small comforts can provide a sense of stability and make your new environment feel a bit more like home when you need it. Also, your culture isn’t just something that vaporises the moment you try to make the best of your student exchange, being proud of it and keeping it with you is entirely fine.
Prepare With Travel-Friendly Equipment
Having the right gear can make your life abroad much easier, and we’re not just talking about a hat with corks if you’re visiting the land of Aussies. A backpack, a reliable laptop you can keep with you, a local phone and local SIM card, and an international power adapter are just a few essentials that most people recommend.
Don’t forget a reusable water bottle and a good pair of walking shoes, especially if you plan on exploring your city or traveling during your breaks too. We’d also recommend some of the items that are rarely discussed but often highly important in certain areas.
For instance, pocket WiFi Japan is very popular because connecting to the standard network over there can be somewhat hard for newcomers, whereas a device like this can keep you connected and paying for what you use with reliability. This means you can connect no matter where you’re staying for the most part. As a student, that kind of internet access is very important and can be cheaper than using mobile data on a roaming plan.
Final Word
With this advice, we hope you can more easily study abroad and use this opportunity to see a new part of the world. You’re going to have a fantastic time.
