It's almost April and most of you who have decided to go abroad in the Fall have just finished your applications, paying those deposits and signing up for classes.

You probably have about a hundred questions. Your parents probably have a thousand questions. I probably can't even answer a fifth of them, but I can give you some major tips that will definitely make a difference-- regardless of what country you intend to study in.

1. MAKE AN EARLY VISA APPOINTMENT

I can't stress this enough. Bureaucracy is tedious, slow and painfully annoying in virtually any country. The only way to minimize the stress of legal work is to do it early!

Make 2-3 copies of everything. And keep everything in folders: one folder to take to the consulate and another to take with you abroad. Also take pictures of all your documents as a virtual copy.

I missed my visa appointment!

I had just gotten back from traveling and confused the dates and the time zones. I woke up in a panic and called my dad and the program coordinators at SAI, completely freaking out. I honestly thought I would't be able to go abroad.

Thankfully, I was able to reschedule my appointment and go in the next week. The physical appointment was painless and fast, and it took less than 5 minutes. But I would have felt so much better if I had finished it early in the summer, especially since I had a lot going on that summer.

2. TAKE $500-600 (and convert to the country's currency)

Regardless of the country's standard of living-- unless it's extremely high or very low-- a few hundred bucks is going to be enough for the first few weeks.

It'll buy you time as you figure out how your credit card will work, where to find trustworthy banks and ATMs and how to convert your money without getting ripped off.

I used Western Union to receive money in Italy, which was super easy. Your parent/guardian can transfer an amount, which will automatically be converted, and you can pick it up at an Western Union location in the country you're in. Just make sure your name is spelled properly on the money transfer-- middle name and all.

The U.S. Western Union workers kept making a mistake in my middle name, which made me ineligible to receive any money and I ended up having to make 25 euros last me my first full weekend of traveling!

P.S. Don't freak out if you go through a lot of money in the first few weeks.

You're figuring out where to get your groceries, what public transportation costs, where to buy your textbooks, souvenirs and what not. It all adds up fast, but you'll quickly learn where to get better deals and find favorite markets. After the first month, you'll get a rhythm going and it won't be too bad.

3. Pack Lightly

Seriously, pack as lightly as possible and bring multiple travel bags/duffle bags for when you travel on weekends. When you're lugging a 50 pound bag, a purse, and a 12 pound carry on, your shoulders are gonna hate you. You're gonna hate you.

Pretend like you're going on a remote island and you only have 30 minutes to pack. When you're limited by time and necessity, you'll make smarter packing decisions.

Trust me, you don't need 4 bikinis, or 6 pairs of boots. Take one of every category, i.e. 1 pair of sandals, 1 pair of rain boots, 1 pair of short boots, 1 pair of sneakers, etc.

4. RESEARCH THE CLIMATE

Packing goes hand in hand with doing research on the climate and geography of the country you're going to. Are the streets smooth? Is there cobble stone? Is there a lot of walking? Is it always raining?

This is going to make a huge difference in what you end up packing!

5. FIGURE OUT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

It can be daunting to use public transportation in a big foreign city, especially if you have never been to the country before. But trust me, once you figure it out, it'll be easy and your feet will thank you.

Ask locals, maybe other students, or whoever you feel comfortable talking to. They'll be sure to help you out.

These tips will make a great difference in easing you and your parents' worries about travel. They will save you a lot of time and money, but at the the end of the day, nothing is certain when you travel. The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be.

You may run into other problems you hadn't even anticipated. The best thing to do is keep calm and stay focused on the reason you are going abroad. You know you're going to experience some hardships and difficulties and they will make you more independent and that much tougher. Always keep that in mind.