Argentina, Malta, Israel, Australia, Thailand... Wherever students are planning to spend their year abroad, they'll need to prepare for the stay. It's not easy to know what items they'll need for six months or a year. Should they pack six or seven pairs of underwear? What about that bilingual dictionary? A hairdryer? How can everything possibly fit in just one suitcase? Here are some suggestions to help study abroad students get it right.
Researching The Destination
The most important step is researching the destination country. First, bone up a bit on the history, culture, and geography of the place. How often does it rain? What are the average temperatures? What kind of clothes or hairstyles do people there consider inappropriate? Do they have 120v or 220v electricity?
Expats often form online communities and will love answering questions from students. They'll have the best suggestions since they already know the terrain.
These are some of the most popular study abroad destinations along with their corresponding expat groups:
- China - China Expat Society
- Australia - Expats in Australia, Facebook group
- France - Expat Life in France, Facebook group
- Russia - Moscow Expats, Facebook group
- Germany - I Am Expat
- Japan - Tokyo Expat Network, Facebook group
- Spain - Spain Expat
Pack Light
Packing checklist:
- Passport and copy of passport
- Debit or credit card and cash
- A paper copy of their address at their destination, important phone numbers, etc.
- Health insurance
- Vaccination record
- Extra pairs of prescription lenses, insoles, and bite guards
- Laptop
- Cell phone
- An e-reader
Forget about clothes and toiletries. These will be available at shops in the destination country. Unless students are strapped for cash or terribly picky about how they dress, they should pack the bare minimum when it comes to clothes and toiletries. Travelers can even set aside a specific budget for buying a new wardrobe. Going out shopping in a foreign country is incredibly fun. This is also the perfect opportunity for language students to get some real-life practice.
The same philosophy should apply to books and school supplies. A bilingual dictionary weighs a huge amount and can't tell students anything that Google Translate doesn't know. Avid readers should take an e-reader that will allow them to carry thousands of books in one small device.
Health
Travelers need to research the healthcare system of their destination country. Is there universal healthcare and is it available to foreign students? What insurance options are there? If students have an accident or become ill, they'll need to see a doctor or seek medical help. Knowing how to do this ahead of time will make life easier.
Students with chronic illnesses or conditions like diabetes should talk to their doctors before traveling. If they can, they should seek out information about physicians in their destination before moving. That way, if they need a prescription they can get it with relative ease.
People who wear glasses or contact lenses should take an extra pair along. Since their program won't last more than a year, they'll want to avoid seeing an optometrist during their stay. Prescription insoles, bite guards, and other such personalized items should also be duplicated if possible.
Electronics
Students should pack their laptops, tablets, and cell phones. These items may be expensive to buy in their destination country. Additionally, students may find it difficult to use devices if they come in a different language.
If students are headed to a country with a different electrical system, they'll need to buy a new cord for their laptop charger. They can also replace the plug for their cell phone and get a new local SIM card. Some smartphones come with slots for two SIMs so students could potentially have one from home and one from their destination country at the same time. Travelers should be able to find chargers, plugs, and SIM cards wherever they're headed, so there's no need to shop for expensive adapters ahead of time.