10 tips to make a study abroad experience really great

Studying abroad is popular with students all over the world. It’s an opportunity to experience other cultures, meet new people, see the world, learn a language and lots more...

Here’s 10 tips for studying abroad…

1 Explore your new destination

Moving to a new city can be a daunting experience. You don’t have your friends and family around you and you’re in unfamiliar territory. But it doesn’t need to be like that. Explore your new surroundings, and in particular your neighbourhood, to make it feel like home.

2 Eat, sleep and drink the language

Whether or not your purpose for studying abroad is to learn a language, this is your chance to do just that if you’re in a country that speaks a language other than your native tongue. It’s a wasted opportunity otherwise. To pick it up you need to be disciplined – you need to live the language. It’s hard, but stick at it.

3 Get to know the locals

Getting to know your local shopkeeper, the waiters in the local restaurants, bus drivers and others in the service industry make an otherwise alien environment a familiar one. Say hi to people you see regularly.

4 Budget well

Part of living abroad is having fun and sampling the social scene. To do this you need funds. To have funds you need to budget well. After a week or two in your new routine, see what you spend on a day-to-day basis, then work out a budget, see if you can save anywhere, then more funds for playtime!

5 Set yourself some goals

Not enough people in the world set goals, meaning not enough reach their full potential. Setting goals will help you push yourself to meet them. They could be personal things like ‘visit a new neighbourhood every week’, or more academic ones like ‘I will reach certain marks in my exams’. Set goals and you’ll reap the rewards.

6 Keep in touch with back home

Contacting your friends and family every day isn’t a great idea if you’re homesick as it will only worsen your mood, however, a weekly phone call or Skype video call is a good idea. Take advantage of the technology available to you and it won’t feel like that long since you’ve seen the people you miss.

7 Get yourself a job

Getting a job helps with many things. For a start, you’ll have more disposable income. Secondly, it will create a routine in your new life – something that will help you settle in more. Thirdly, it’s a great way to meet new people and maybe even learn the language. Get out there in to the working world when studying abroad.

8 Wait a while before you go travelling

While it might seem tempting to explore parts of the world that, until studying in a new city, were far, far away, hang on a bit before you begin visiting new places. Wait until you’ve settled in, this will reinforce the feeling for your new ‘home from home’ when you return.

9 Have one weekly activity

Whether it be a class in the gym, a language lesson or football with some of your new colleagues, take up a regular activity. It will help with your routine, it will give something to focus on one day a week, and best of all, it will help you meet new people.

10 Use college benefits

Colleges the world over have lots of extra benefits that students don’t take advantage of. This might be discounts in local restaurants or free classes once a week in something. Look out for them and take advantage of them.

One more

Stay in a homestay when you study abroad for a real home away from home experience. Our hosts know the best activities, the coolest neighbourhoods, the top tips and more in destinations all around the world. Staying with a local host family will enrich your study abroad experience and make it an unforgettable time in your life.

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