August 10th, 2018
What's your general advice for students preparing to go abroad? How about for students going on your study abroad program?
I would advise students preparing to study abroad to first familiarize themselves with the foreign currency! I distinctly remember being embarrassed whenever I would purchase something with cash and had to ask “How much is this?” or “Will this cover the cost?” Approximately three weeks following my arrival in Australia, I ended up giving up on trying to understand the foreign currency and resorted to using my credit card instead.
Another piece of advice I would give to my fellow student travelers would be to master the metric system. I understand this concept doesn’t necessarily apply to all exchange students, however, I cannot stress the importance of comprehending it (especially for Americans). Rather than attempting to adopt the metric system, I had decided to avoid it completely. I felt much less pressured without having to understand speed limits, climate conditions, and recipes than to have had put forth effort in incorporating them into my daily life.
For students participating in my study abroad program, I would remind them that they are never alone. I can guarantee that any fear they manifest regarding studying abroad is the same as several other nervous students’. There are also likely to be plenty of resources at their host university for them to call upon for help or support if needed. The program is much less complex than it may seem, so I advise studious adventurers to embrace the challenge and enjoy their experience!
Another piece of advice I would give to my fellow student travelers would be to master the metric system. I understand this concept doesn’t necessarily apply to all exchange students, however, I cannot stress the importance of comprehending it (especially for Americans). Rather than attempting to adopt the metric system, I had decided to avoid it completely. I felt much less pressured without having to understand speed limits, climate conditions, and recipes than to have had put forth effort in incorporating them into my daily life.
For students participating in my study abroad program, I would remind them that they are never alone. I can guarantee that any fear they manifest regarding studying abroad is the same as several other nervous students’. There are also likely to be plenty of resources at their host university for them to call upon for help or support if needed. The program is much less complex than it may seem, so I advise studious adventurers to embrace the challenge and enjoy their experience!