I've been starting to see more and more people posting on Facebook for advice on what they should do when they are abroad when it comes to travel, where to live, or just everyday basic needs. Going abroad for the first time, especially completely on your own, can be nerve wracking. I know when it was my time to head to Paris, France for a year, I was asking every friend or person who's ever studied in another country for every piece of advice I possibly could. Instead of forcing you to sift through hundreds of study abroad blogs like I did, here is a list the most frequently asked questions about going abroad and their answers.
1. Should I live in an apartment or opt for a homestay?
If you're going to learn a language, a homestay is definitely a way to quickly improve your speaking abilities. However, you don't want to end up with a family who isn't okay with you going out on late nights or having friends over. Apartments are going to tend to be cheaper, but you might not get the same kind of immersion. Personally, apartment living was better for me. I was able to have my foreign friends, but choose what time I went home.
2. Should I live on my own or should I have a roommate?
This is completely up to you and your normal preferences. For myself, having a roommate upon arrival was like automatically having a friend to explore the city with and someone to make even more friends with. Don't worry about not clicking instantly, I promise because of the situation at hand, you probably will. So if you are fairly independent and aren't worried about living on your own, then go for it! Although I warn that it may be more expensive and you may have to settle for a sub-par apartment in that case. Try looking into residence halls that might be offered. Often cities will have non-university specific residence halls for students where you can have your own room, but the comfort of making friends in a dorm like situation.
3. What do I do about my phone? Should I buy a new one over there?
If you have a smartphone, you're more than likely going to be fine. Normally, with a smartphone, all the phone company has to do is switch out your SIM card. But make sure you don't sign a contract for longer than you'll be there. Opt for paying month to month. Ask locals for advice before buying one because you'll often find the cheapest phone providers that way. For example, I opted for SFR in Paris when really Free would have been just as good and way cheaper. If you don't want to have that extra expense, then Wi-Fi is going to be pretty easily accessible and most of your friends will use WhatsApp to text anyway. The only downside is you won't be able to look up directions on the fly or call a friend if you're running late.
3. What clothes should I bring?
Stick with neutral colors and things that can be layered. Since packing space will be tight, you're not going to be able to pack a car and drive it down to your university like you may be used to. Bring a nice neutral colored winter jacket that can be worn with anything, along with a couple solid colored t-shirts and sweaters. Add some jeans and leggings and you're good to go. You want pieces that are able to be mix and matched with pretty much everything in your wardrobe. This maximizes your wardrobe and saves you space!
4. What are the best places to travel to?
If you're going to somewhere outside of Europe, try visiting countries surrounding the one you're in that are easy to get to and not too expensive. For example, if you're in Australia, try checking out New Zealand or Bali! My personal top five places to visit (besides Paris, obviously) are the Swiss Alps, Budapest, Dublin, Prague, and Florence. It's so hard to keep that list to a minimum, but if you're only going to be able to hit a few places, definitely try checking these out. They each have such different cultures and things to offer with new experiences to check out. Keep your mind open for places you wouldn't have normally tried either! For example, never would I have thought to go to Portugal, but on an impromptu invite to Lisbon, it ended up being one of my favorite trips that I went on.
5. What's the biggest piece of advice you can give me?
Stay in your city more than you travel. I remember asking this same question to my big in my sorority before I left for my year abroad. She had spent most of her weekends in a different country and remembered regretting leaving every time because she was leaving her closest friends behind. Remember, a lot of your friends who are from Europe aren't going to have the same desire to travel as frequently as you are. Those friends are going to be what you want to remember from your time abroad and sharing fun memories with them. Instead of going somewhere every weekend, I highly recommend only traveling at a max of two weekends a month. Make the most of those, but really spend a lot of time falling in love with the city you're in and become a local, not another kid who came just to travel for a semester.
