To help such students out and to make sure the young minds don’t wander away from their previous lives of happiness, we have selected the top 7 things you should know before going abroad for studies.
Admit it! Studying abroad is as exciting as it is daunting. It brings an overwhelming feeling of joy and happiness that you finally have surpassed all expectations and are ready to go overseas. Enjoying the company of new peers, finding extraordinary changes in your life, and growing your mindset over the next few years are some of the most crucial benefits of studying abroad.
But as this scenario strikes, many of the students such as yourself find it difficult to adapt to the new environment. They feel vulnerable in settling up in the first few months. While others may look enjoying the new gist of life, a handful of students experience a lack of proper knowledge about important things before studying abroad. That's why many of these are more likely to step on the wrong foot so to speak.
To help such students out and to make sure the young minds don't wander away from their previous lives of happiness, we have selected the top 7 things you should know before going abroad for studies. Let's start with the most important thing for you.
1. Choose your destination carefully
One of the most crucial points before going abroad is to make sure you choose your destination with the utmost inspection. Similar to making acquaintances, selecting a great nation to study abroad is crucial to land positive results for your academic year. Be it the country's culture, food, restrictions, religion, or mannerisms, it's always a safe approach to know what you will explore in the upcoming years.
2. Check up your health
In times of the ongoing pandemic, health has become a necessary action for every international student. That's why it is mandatory to get vaccinated before leaving your country. Moreover, it would help if you also aimed to get yourself properly checked in overall health checkups by getting in contact with your Health Insurance Company to get yourself fit to leave the country.
3. Don't let go of your finances
Being a student has become an expensive role in the past few years. While this may not be on your mind since your parents are around, you must always keep a tab on your finances well before going abroad. For starters, try contacting your bank to discuss your traveling to another city. This will help them charge up the transfer process of your branch so that you don't end up with empty hands while buying a cup of coffee.
Furthermore, here are some other significant areas of your finances that should be kept in the back of the mind:
● Bank's international charging fee
● Set up an online transaction account
● The monetary exchange rate between your home country and the country you're moving to
● Issuance of unique credit/debit cards, passbooks, cheques, etc.
● Pack some extra cash in case of emergency
4. Book your accommodation in advance
Another critical aspect you should know before going abroad for further studies is to book your student accommodation well in advance. At the beginning of the year, many students need to find a rental place after visiting their destination. But due to maximum competition and highly scarce availability, it becomes pretty difficult to find vacant student rooms in many countries.
That's why we advise you to always choose a trustable student accommodation service provider in the UK to find the best affordable deals for your stay. Also, make sure that your student housing is in your university's vicinity and is nearby to one or the other public transportation points and local markets. This way, you can save many bucks during your stay for over six months to even a year.
5. Weather vs clothes
This is, by far, the most common topic that many students fall short upon. Packing essential items as per the weather of your dream country is an essential thing to keep in mind. For instance, many people visiting the UK follow a general discussion about whether it is normal. But despite being in the Northern Hemisphere, where the sunlight is the maximum, the UK is one of the mixed weather countries in the world.
Be it your student housing in London, Birmingham, and Manchester, many UK cities often experience rainfall, snow blast, and humid summer recurring one after the other. This makes students deliberately confused while packing to leave. To make a point, make sure you pack:
– Your winter clothes (sweater, inner, sweatshirts, and jacket)
– Double layered duvets and pillow clothes (you'll thank us in the chilling December winters)
– Try packing extra pairs of socks, thick jeans/trousers, scarves, and gloves for maximum heat insulation.
6. Get your inventory ready
After you have packed your clothing in one suitcase, let's take you to another bag where the electronic or bare essentials fill well. Here, stationery is a must. So, try buying in bulk so that you can enjoy suitable discounts.
Additionally, pack your chargers for mobile phones, laptops, and keep a USB drive so that you can always take up a backup of all your assignments or projects.
Tip: Since many foreign countries have different types of sockets placed in their houses. It makes it quite an avoidable purchase for students to buy a new charger. To prevent such a case, make sure you pack an adaptor convertor for your charger well before leaving your home country.
7. Prepare yourself mentally and accept that it will all work out good
Once all done, now it's time to prepare yourself mentally and make sure you don't fall into the pit of homesickness. Many students, in general, feel the need to stay near to their homes and get reluctant before going abroad. Despite the maximum benefits that we discussed above, one main thing to keep in mind is to tell yourself that it will be all worth it.
Once everything feels smooth, things will surely start falling into the proper order. Of course, things could feel rough at the beginning. But once you feel the wave of calmness and comfort, the new experience will always keep you in harmony. Take our word: make sure you keep confidence at bay and always manage to choose excitement over fear, and all will be achieved.
How can Amber help you?
AmberStudent is a leading name in the student accommodation booking industry. The platform, which aims to deliver at par services in every country, is devoted to giving you the best experience and option for student accommodation worldwide because we apprehend its value. We have upgraded ourselves continuously with the COVID policies and would be more than eager to assist you in those.
