10 Tips For Freshmen Students Abroad

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10 Tips For Freshmen Students Abroad

It is the dream of every ambitious student to travel the world, study in the best colleges on the planet, and compete with the best of the best brains from all over the world. Such education opportunities are rare to find, so one must make the most of them when they come knocking.

Written exclusively for Expat Network by George Foster of Day Translations

In this post, we will help you settle seamlessly in your overseas university and succeed in your quest for greatness. Please check out our 10 tips for succeeding as a freshman student abroad.

1. Have Your Visa Ready Early Enough

Students from selected nationalities do not need a student visa to study at a US-based university. You need to know if your country of origin is among the selected countries. If it isn’t, be sure to apply for a visa before booking your plane tickets.

The same case applies to European colleges; students from EU-member countries can study anywhere on the continent without a visa, but students from other continents must have valid visas to join. Don’t wait until the last minute to determine your eligibility to study at your dream college.

2. Research about Your Destination

How well do you understand your host nation’s laws, culture, religion, political stand, and education curriculum? In the same vein, do you understand the local dialects? What does the university administrators expect from you? What are the dos and don’ts for a foreign student?

Seek answers to these questions, among others, before boarding the plane. The answers are readily available on the university website, international media sites, and social media.

3. Prepare For a Smooth Arrival

A smooth arrival translates to a smooth transition from the culture you are used to, to the new overseas culture. You will have a smooth landing if you have all the necessary travel documents with you, health insurance, proper airport pick-up payment arrangements, ready accommodation, and, of course, enough money to sustain you for an extended period. It will also be great if you can find reliable local contact to help you absorb the culture shock that comes with moving abroad.

4. Take Care of Your Important Documents

To avoid losing your important documents, make a point of photocopying them all. You can leave some copies at home and then carry the rest with you. For safety reasons, it is wise to carry the original documents when and only when necessary. Duplicates will be fine on all other occasions.

5. Have a clear-cut plan

Your success or failure is dependent on how clear your academic goals are. Although you might need to revise and update your plan along the way, it is important to have a long-term career and life goal from the very first day in a foreign college. Know what you want to study and the career you intend to pursue after graduation.

6. Find a Workable School-Life Balance

Studying at a local university, within your comfort zone, gives you a degree at the end. Studying abroad gives you more than a degree. It teaches you many life skills e.g. how to live amongst people with varied religious and political opinions, for example. It also opens up your mind to new ideas, new food recipes, and new career aspirations. You get to see the world from an advanced perspective.

However, you will only achieve any that if you dedicate a significant amount of your time to exploration. Study hard for your exams but spare at least an hour per day or one day every week to interact with the locals as well as with your fellow foreign students.

7. Adopt the Local Culture

Even before boarding the plane, make a point of watching movies/documentaries, reading books, and listening to music about and from your soon-to-be home. If possible, start learning the country’s prominent language(s) while still at home. That will help you settle in faster.

8. Join a Club

Being in a club is a good strategy of getting your mind off books for a while. Clubs also help you get friends, learn things that aren’t taught in class, and develop as a person.

9. Spend Money But Not Extravagantly

Have a budget for all possible expenditures to curb extravagant and impulse buying. You are a student, after all: You don’t need to dine at 5-star hotels or party all night. Be sure to spend your money only on important stuff such as groceries.

You can always make extra money by finding online jobs. Some interesting online jobs are: translating, online tutor, resume writer, designer and many more. This would even make a great addition to the CV.

10. Keep Your Professors Close

If you didn’t grasp a concept in class, the onus is on you to ask for clarifications from your professors. Make good use of office hours by showing a strong, genuine desire to study and learn. Your professor can even guide you into making the right career choices later in life.

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.