So you're thinking about studying abroad.

This is a super exciting time that can and will inevitably change a lot of things about you.

Here are some things I learned while studying abroad (and some things I'm still learning, since I'm still here for another three weeks.)

1. It is totally possible to defeat jet lag in 24 hours or less.

A lot of people are terrified that their trans-oceanic flight will put them out of commission for the first few days of their trip, which doesn't always have to be the case. It's a matter of planning ahead. For example, I knew that my flight from The States was landing in Dublin at 6:30 a.m., so I refused to take any sort of snooze until I was on my international flight and had eaten my dinner. This way, I tricked my mind and body into thinking that I had gone to sleep when it was dark, and woken up when the sun was out. I haven't had a problem sleeping here since.

The same applies for when you fly home as well. I won't land back in Atlanta until 6:45 pm, which means I don't get to sleep on my flight home. This is where in-flight entertainment becomes really handy.

2. Patience is a virtue.

Inevitably, something will happen that is going to try your very last reserves of patience. For me, my flight was a nightmare--delayed by over two hours, switching planes, and sitting on the tarmac for an hour while maintenance worked on the plane for another hour. I was stressed and irritated and just wanted to throw up my hands and go home. But learning to deal with things that are out of your control without becoming snappy and rude is a skill all adults should be able to access--just go to your happy place.

3. Money is complicated.

I'm studying abroad in a country that uses the Euro system. This means that the relatively simple change of the US--quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies--has turned into one cent, two cent, five cent, 10 cent, 20 cent, 50 cent, one euro, and two euro coins. Some of these are extremely similar in size and color, and it makes standing in a line while trying to pay an embarrassing nightmare.

Try to figure out your new country's monetary system as quickly as you can to avoid these problems. My family also strongly suggested I use cash instead of a card as often as possible to avoid any possible "banking ID getting stolen" mishaps, but that may just be their paranoia.

Finally, try to budget your money wisely. It's much better to pinch pennies for the first part of your trip and then be able to splurge on the last week than to over-spend and not be able to afford to eat at the end of the trip.

4. Things can, and will, go wrong.

For my first week abroad, I dealt with the following: my glasses broke; I wound up with an ear infection; the walking around (and hiking, can't forget the hiking) had turned my joints to mush; I was severely homesick; and I wound up missing one of my classes because my alarm didn't go off.

Your school will probably require you to purchase student travel insurance if your study abroad program doesn't provide it, so for sickness you should be fine. But it is almost inevitable that something over the course of your trip will not go your way. Be prepared for this--and don't let it sour your mood towards the entire experience.

5. Pack light, because shopping happens.

Inevitably, you're going to pick up some new souvenirs and clothing while you're abroad. This is going to do you no good if you can't fit these awesome new things into your suitcase when you're flying home. Airline weight limits are a terrible thing, but ultimately you can figure it out. Pick up a handy luggage scale that you can toss into one of the zip-pockets on your suitcase, and make sure you're under limit when you fly home. Unless you want to ship some things back to The States, which would probably be cheaper than your airline's weight overage fee.

There you have it. Now pack your bags, guys!