Arcadia England

Written by Kristen Swantek, a Pennsylvania State University student who studied on the University of Westminster program in Spring 2017.

The Departure Date for my program is quickly approaching. (41 days as of 11/30. Not that I’m counting or anything). Despite having to finish the rest of my fall semester, survive the battle ground that is finals, and write about 100 papers all before the end of next week, time seems to be flying by.

With departure deadlines for the spring semester quickly approaching, I thought I’d put together a quick list of things you should do before leaving. It can be hard to organize everything you need when you leave in January. After all, once finals finish the holidays are only a week away and next thing you know you’re scrambling to do last minute shopping and you still haven’t bought those rain boots you know you’re going to need.

So here’s my (somewhat) short list to preparing to study abroad

1. RESEARCH – for the love of your sanity and peace of mind, do your research! Learn about your future school, what life is like there, what the typical weather is, whether you will have a meal plan or will need to cook for yourself, the typical cost of living, etc. You’ll thank yourself later when you realize that you’re more informed than your peers.
2. Write down any and all questions you have. – Seriously, no matter how stupid or obvious you think the question is, write it down and ask your Arcadia advisor. My advisor here in the US, Kelly, is a blessing in disguise. She is so incredibly helpful and always responds to my emails right away. No matter how ridiculous my questions are, I can always count on her to answer them. It’s better to ask and be informed than to flounder and not know what’s going on.
3. Think ahead in regards to your home institution. – I’m actually transferring campuses when I return in the Fall, moving up to Penn State’s Main Campus. However, I will have several things to do WHILE ABROAD. This includes filling out a change of campus request, declaring my major, scheduling classes for the fall, and applying for Schreyer’s (Penn State’s honors college). While abroad, you won’t have access to the same resources at your home institution. Emails and phone calls are a great way to keep in touch, but it’s not the same as an in person meeting. Make sure before you leave your home institution you meet with your advisor and any other important people so you know what is still expected of you while you’re abroad.
4. Prepare yourself – Just because you’re accepted doesn’t mean things are over and done with. Studying abroad in the spring means leaving shortly after the holidays, but you don’t want to wait until January 2nd to start packing and preparing. Write a list of everything you need to do and buy before you leave (new glasses, a new bank, and outlet converters are currently at the top of my list). If you’re studying somewhere warm you don’t want to be shopping for shorts in January.
5. Know your communication methods – My parents are already pestering me about staying in touch while I’m abroad. Chances are, wherever you’re studying, your US phone won’t work (unless you pay those hefty phone bills). I’m still planning on bringing my iPhone, and my parents have decided to pay the extra $40 a month for unlimited texting so I can still stay in touch. They’re also dictating that we have mandatory Facetime sessions once a week so they can talk to me while I’m abroad. Make sure that before you go you have some plan of attack on how you will communicate with your friends and family back home, they’ll appreciate hearing from you and knowing that you’re having the time of your life.
6. Read those emails – Arcadia has been sending out a whole bunch of emails to help you prepare for your departure, and maybe your home institution has been to. ACTUALLY READ THEM. Don’t just skim over them and convince yourself you’ll read them later. Let’s be honest: you won’t. Take the five minutes out of your day to read about the place you’re going. They contain tips that will ease your transition into a new life.
7. Relax – Going abroad for months at a time can be a terrifying thing. Personally, I’ve never even lived on my own before, much less some 3,000 miles away. It’s ok to be nervous and worry about how you’ll adjust to things. Things might start off a bit rocky (personally I know many tears will be involved on departure day) but that's ok. Accept it, come to terms with it, and focus on the amazing time you’re going to have studying abroad. It’s easy to get anxious over everything you have to do in a seemingly short amount of time, but you can handle this. You made the decision to do this, and you’re the one who saw things through. No one else can do this for you. So take a deep breath and relax. You got this!!

So there you have it, 7 quick tips for preparing to study abroad. I hope these helped you and maybe even relieved some stress about traveling. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you over the next coming months. Who knows, maybe I’ll even meet some of you in person!