Posted on Friday, October 25th, 2013 at 7:05 am

The trip that you’ve been dreaming of for years is finally here – not just a week cruise or weekend road trip, but a whole semester or year of cultural exploration! It’s time to study abroad, but before you do, don’t forget the following:

• Know where you are going 
  It may seem obvious, but with all of the excitement and plans to tend to, a few travel details can be overlooked. Make sure you buy your plane ticket but also have arrangements made for once you get into your host country. Many schools will help their new international students get to the university once they arrive- contact your host school ahead of time and see if they offer this service.
• Keep a record:
  Make sure you bring a copy of each of your important documents along with you and leave a copy with a trusted friend or family member. A few documents you will want to make copies of before you study abroad will include your passport, visa, birth certificate, study abroad insurance and travel itinerary.
• Get your finances in order:
  It’s best to start out with a small amount of the currency that your host country uses, this will be helpful during those first few hours as you don’t want to be stuck at the airport in a foreign country with no money and no cash machine in site. Also, look into what the international cash machine fee will be and make sure you notify your bank and credit card companies of your time abroad so they don’t freeze your account.
• Remember you will be coming back:
  Before you study abroad you will need to prepare for your time in your host country, but also when you return. This means make sure your credits will transfer for the classes you choose to take, that you keep a healthy relationship with those back home, that you have your housing arrangement for when you return lined up and you understand that returning will be just as much of an adjustment as going abroad.

Make sure you do plenty of research when it comes to preparing for study abroad as you can never be “too ready.”

Posted by Bryanna Davis

Bryanna joined International Student Insurance in 2011 after returning to the United States from teaching English in China. Her interest in international education, sparked initially by her own study abroad experience in Wales, led her to the company. Bryanna is originally from Missouri and is a graduate from the University of Central Missouri.