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Studying Abroad? Start Preparing this Summer!

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Marina Lyushnevskaya
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Kathryn Burgner
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bentley chapter.

Like many other rising juniors at Bentley, I will be traveling abroad this upcoming Fall semester. Before I jet set off to Barcelona for 4 whole months, I have a lot of prepping to do to ensure that I am fully prepared for everything going abroad has to offer. Here are a few tips on how to spend your summer getting ready to go abroad!

1. Research places you want to visit.
Going abroad is a once in a lifetime experience and it is also a great opportunity to travel to places you have never been before. It is much cheaper and easier to travel around Europe, especially because all the major cities are relatively close by and are simple to get to by train or flight. Before getting to your destination, make a list of your top 3 must travel to locations and another 3 of places to go if you have time and resources. This way you will be much more prepared and organized when planning your travels!

2. Get a Summer Job
Going abroad can be quite pricy especially since you want to experience new foods, explore your city, venture to various places and of course go shopping. To fund all these things, you will need to get a summer job. There are so many different places that you can apply for the summer so start now before all the positions get filled!

3. Call your bank and make sure you can use your credit/debit cards abroad
This seems like a pretty straight forward thing, but many people forget to do so. Banks want to ensure that all your information is protected and that no one steals your identity, so if you do not tell them that you are leaving the country ahead of time and then use your card abroad, they will likely shut it off. You definitely do not want to be stranded anywhere in a foreign country without your credit/debit card, so make sure you tell your bank you are leaving for 4 months!


4. Spend time with Friends and Family
It may sound cheesy, but 4 months is a long time to be away so make sure you spend as much time as possible with your friends and family before you leave. Don’t lie, you will definitely miss them and they will miss you as well! Plan fun activities for you guys to do this summer and make sure to take lots of pictures.

5. Go Shopping
Going abroad is the perfect excuse to go shopping and invest in a whole new wardrobe for all your fun adventures. Make sure you don’t buy too much though because you’ll need to pack light!

The most important tip I can give you is to relax and have fun. Enjoy your summer to the fullest because it will fly by and you will be embarking on your abroad adventure before you know it.
 
Image Sources:
http://dressedtoat.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/study-abroad.jpg
http://www.studyabroaddomain.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Packing.jpg

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Kathryn Burgner is a member of the class of 2013 at Bentley University and is majoring in Information Design & Corporate Communications, with minors in Marketing and Gender Studies. Kathryn is so excited to be a part of the Her Campus team and be the founder of Her Campus Bentley! Kathryn loves going to school near Boston, but she also loves her hometown of Dalton, MA, where she grew up in the Berkshires on a turkey farm. Kathryn loves singing, acting, dancing ballet, baking, & playing volleyball, and is interested in gender issues, fashion, and health & fitness. She is a founding member of the Masters of Bentley Acappella (MBAs) and enjoys being involved with the Women's Center at Bentley, Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Theatre Society, and Resident Assistance at Bentley. Kathryn aspires to work as an editor, social media professional, or marketing design professional in Boston, MA after her experiences at Bentley! Kathryn would like to thank her family and friends for their love and support towards all of her experiences and dreams.