15 Things You Should Know While Preparing for a Study Abroad

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Studying a diploma in a famous university in a foreign country is a dream of many students. It can significantly boost your career after the study. But more than that, studying abroad gives you a lot of life lessons and makes you tough for real-life challenges.

So, are you one of the students looking to get a diploma abroad? If yes, you have a lot to do before you can start a smooth academic journey in a foreign country. While it seems exciting to have a diploma from abroad, preparing for the same is a completely different thing. It’s a long, tiring and complex process and you have to take care of many things if you don’t want to get into trouble later.

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  • 1. Know your goal

This may seem simple but is the most important tip. Knowing your real goal or the real purpose for going abroad for the study is not easy. Many students say they want to have a strong academic credential by studying from a famous university. However, having a specific and long-term goal for your future and career will help stay determined and take the right decision throughout the preparation process.

  • 2. Know your strengths and weaknesses

Choosing the best program and institution that fit within your budget is highly recommended. At the same time, you should also have a clear checklist of your strengths and weaknesses. Knowing where you are good and where you lack will help you adopt a new environment and new culture. Take your weaknesses seriously and try to improve or train yourself where needed. This way, you will be ready for the new things by the time you reach the foreign land and get into interactions with local people. Also, do not forget that there are many helpful resources: https://www.aresearchguide.com/dissertation-help.html

  • 3. Select a program

With clear goals in mind and a well-written checklist of your strengths and weaknesses, selection of the best program will become easy. Universities offer a wide range of programs so you can choose one based on your future goals. Search extensively online and check out university websites to know everything about the program, i.e. duration, university fees, accommodation fees if they provide any and other terms.

  • 4. Arrange the fee

Once you have selected the program, you will be having almost accurate information on how much cost would be there for your diploma study in a foreign country. Thus, you should start working around the ways to arrange the amount. Inform your bank that you will be in abroad during a specific period to avoid getting your account locked. Also, you may be able to use your account from a foreign country with an international debit/credit card. So, arrange for the account and cards if you don’t have before you leave for the host country.

  • 5. Get cards that offer rewards and cashback

You shouldn’t miss any help or opportunity for saving money while traveling abroad. Many credit card companies offer good rewarding points and cashback on your daily expenses including your trips. You can save a lot if you wisely use the offers and rewards during your study.

  • 6. Get fit for the travel

Staying healthy is as important as other qualifications to get an entry into a foreign country. So, ensure that you are on top of your health and have all the check-ups done. Many countries require certain health immunizations before they let you enter. You should get the latest information from the respective department of the country you are going to. Make sure to have all medical records with you so that they can be checked during an emergency.

  • 7. Get your documents ready

When you are going for a short vacation trip to a foreign country, you will have quick preparation and less documentation. But when you are going to a country for a study, for a longer period of time, you will need a lot of documents to carry with you. So, get a list from the program coordinator or from the university website as well as administrative offices of your and the foreign country and get them ready.

  • 8. Understand the country you are going to

You will be in a totally new location with a different language, different people, and different culture. Of course, it’s better to know as much as possible about that country. You can view movies, read articles, and watch videos posted by travelers. You can also visit local websites that provide a map and other useful information about the country, region and the city where you will be living.

  • 9. Stay updated with local news

If you want to know about the community and society of a locality, you should learn the things happening there. Look for the latest news and events taking place your selected country, especially the city. Having the latest local news and knowing what is going on there regularly will help you shape your routine and behavior with the locals.

  • 10. Improve your foreign language skills

If you are going to a country where the first language is not English, you would better have a good knowledge of the local language of that country. You will have enough time before the departure date so that you can take a class to learn that language. You should also read articles and news in that local language to get better at it.

  • 11. Read travel tips and hacks

You would want to know hacks and tips for saving money, staying healthy, keeping good relationships with locals, and managing your study smoothly. So read articles that suggest practical tips and hacks. Especially read the articles written by previous students and travelers as they have actual experience and can provide you more authentic information that you will find useful.

  • 12. Have a personal and travel insurance

It’s good to hope for the best, but you should also be prepared for unexpected situations. That’s why it’s highly recommended to have a personal and travel insurance before you take your flight. They will avoid a lot of trouble in the event of accident or theft or any personal injury.

  • 13. Have some contacts abroad

Having contact with a local person or a student will be helpful in finding things of daily need easily. He/she can help find a restaurant where you can enjoy the food whenever you want to feel like home. Your local contact can also help you find books at low cost, comfortable accommodation and many other things that make your life in a new country more comfortable.

  • 14. Look for ways to save money

There are many ways you can save money abroad. Ask locals for the best and the shortest way to reach college, best and the cheapest restaurant to eat, and the ways to get old books if possible. You can also have good friends to share rooms and cleaning costs. Also, stay away from junk foods to be healthy and avoid medical expenses.

  • 15. Pack your things

Make a list of the things to carry from the day you start preparing to get a diploma abroad. Ensure that all the records and documents are included in your pack so that you don’t have to face any issue when you land in the new country. Remember every small thing like your purse, backpack, cash, credit/debit cards, clothes, 3 to 4 pairs of shoes and socks, blanket, power adapter, 2 pairs of contact lenses or glasses if you regularly wear, a journal etc.

There are some items you can buy at cheap prices, i.e. towel and sheets, so you can avoid taking them as they will just add extra weight and take extra space in your luggage.

These are among the most important things you should take care of apart from the major things like your passport, admission letter from university and other certificates from the concerned authorities in both your own and the foreign countries. Take care of each and every small thing. After all, you are going for a study and not for fun, so your focus should be on your study instead of other issues.