Hello all and welcome to my semester abroad!
Ever have a mixture of emotions running through your body – anxiety, fear, excitement, and achievement, all potentially supplemented with a side of nausea? This is how I felt during the week leading up to my trip to study abroad and during the first couple days of my stay.
A cool building in Sunderland, England where I am studying abroad
This semester I am studying at the University of Sunderland in Sunderland, England. I have three courses on my plate, Introduction to Fashion Journalism, Magazine Design and Production, and the American Century. I will be living in Clanny House, which is where all of the international students reside. Throughout the semester I will be sharing my experiences with all of you: tips on studying abroad, my travels, and my experiences at the University.
3,2,1…. Liftoff
Let’s start with the beginning of my adventure: the packing and flying. Here are the top ten tips I learned from my travels to England.
- Try and book a flight that will help you ease into the different time zone the easiest.
Figure out the time difference from home and where you are going. England is 5 hours ahead of Towson. I booked a flight at night that would take me into the next morning in England. This gave me the opportunity to sleep on the plane so I wouldn’t be jetlagged the next day.
- Pack only the essentials.
I know it may be tempting to want to bring your whole wardrobe along with you but trust me it will not all fit into the suitcase! Plus, once you are abroad, there will be so much time for shopping and so many trendy stores that you won’t even want to wear that t-shirt you were dying to squeeze into your suitcase to bring. Any necessities you might need such as, bathroom essentials, school supplies, etc. can always be picked up once you arrive to your school.
- Adapters can be tricky.
I went through the trouble to search five different stores for the right adaptor to take with me. When I got to England, the adaptor didn’t work. There are differences between adaptors and converters. But your best bet is to hold off on getting one. Chances are, the country you are going to will have a million places to find an adaptor. Or better yet, don’t bring anything that will need one. My laptop charger, hair dryer, and curling iron did not work with the adaptor. So I ended up getting a new laptop charger and hair dryer.
- Weigh your luggage before you get to the airport.
Check with the airport and country you are going to but most luggage is required to weigh under 50 pounds. That sounds easy enough right? But if you are over the weight limit than you will be charged around fifty or sixty bucks. Make sure you weigh your luggage before you get to the airport so you are not surprised with any fees they may charge you. My bag was five pounds over when I weighed it. It actually costs around the same to get a second bag. That’s what I ended up doing so I wouldn’t be overweight with my first luggage bag. And an extra bag means more room to bring back souvenirs!
- A lot will happen over a semester so write everything down!
Bring a journal with you and keep up with it routinely. Set some time aside to write in it and stick to that schedule. You may think that taking photos will be enough but you will see so much that you won’t remember all the names of the places you have traveled. Writing everything down guarantees that you won’t forget one minute of your trip!
Pretty building in London
- Bring a camera.
There’s a lot to see.
- Decorate your room.
A semester is a long time. I didn’t want to stare at blank walls for four months. I wanted to create a space that felt like home. So I packed posters and cards to hang up around my room. They will give your room some color while taking up practically no space in your suitcase.
- Skype.
It’s better than a phone call and free. Before you head off for your trip make sure your family is set up with an account. Give out your Skype name to friends. It’s an easy way to stay connected to your home life.
- A window seat with a nice view.
Most likely when you get your bags checked the airport employee will ask you where you want to sit on the plane. Get the window seat; you’ll see a lot.
This is actually a campus building at the University of Sunderland!
- Passports, visas, and university acceptance letters.
These are very important items to bring, not something you want to forget. Make copies of your passport in case it gets lost or stolen. Depending on the country you go to and what you want to do there you may not need to get a visa. So check first before you get one because visas are pretty pricey. And finally, the university acceptance letters. When you get to your country’s airport, customs will ask you why you are coming into the country. If you say you are a student studying abroad they expect to see a letter from the university confirming that.
But most importantly, GET EXCITED! Spending a semester in a different country is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Make the best of it and have fun!