Studying abroad is an unforgettable and even a life-changing experience for many. It doesn’t matter if you are a passionate traveler dreaming of seeing the world or a student seizing an opportunity to learn something new – either way, you’ll be able to enjoy it greatly. But if you want to truly make the most out of it, you’ll need to know what to focus on. Here are some study abroad tips that could help you make your experience truly fulfilling and pleasant.

1. Manage your workload right.

Of course, you came here to study in the first place. However, if you spend all your time studying, and looking for definition essay examples only, you won’t be able to explore the country. In fact, you won’t have much time to do many of the things that make studying abroad truly pleasant.

So if you do have an opportunity to pick your courses, don’t overload yourself with them. Try to pick easy ones. Pay attention to the schedule too: if you will be able to free your Fridays (or Mondays), you’ll have more time to travel on weekends.

2. Do your research.

Though it’s always better to explore a country on your own, not using any tourists guides, those things can still help you a lot with an initial research. For example, you’ll be able to find out how much traveling between cities will cost you (at least approximately). In some cases, you’ll also be able to find out more about the nearest countries, the distance between them, and so on – this could help you plan your travels. Moreover, studying a travel guide would mean that you’ll know where to go in this city at first before you make some friends among locals.

3. Come up with a list of things you want to do.

If you’re lucky enough, you’ll spend a year or even two abroad. If you’re not, you’ll still be able to spend a month or up to six months. Either way, you should make a list of things you want to do, to try, to explore, and so on.

If you’re here not for long, it might seem like you won’t enough time. If you are here for long, it might seem like you have plenty of time and will be able to think of what do you want to do later. But don’t let the dates fool you: try to make the most out of your journey now instead of putting it away until the last moment or missing this opportunity at all. The list won’t let you forget what do you need to do.

4. Travel a lot.

Being a student, you might not have much money – but you do have something even more valuable: time, energy, and opportunities. Besides, if you’re lucky enough to study in Europe, this means that your traveling opportunities are almost limitless: it doesn’t take much time to get from one country to another and the tickets are pretty cheap. You can even travel by bus, which is much more cheaper than even flying a low-cost airline – and could be an amazing new experience for many.

5. Use student discounts.

It’s always good to save some extra money, especially when studying abroad. There are plenty of places offering discounts to students, so you should try learning about them once you arrive. Moreover, registering some of the many international student cards like ISIC can be a good idea too.

6. Find a way to communicate with your friends.

No matter how interesting and amazing a new country is, there’s always a chance you get homesick or simply would want to talk with your friends. Of course, these days it’s much easier than before, assuming you both have access to a quick and stable internet connection. However, you still should discuss how you’re going to communicate with them.

For example, you or they might need to install Skype or another software with voice and video calls function; purchase a webcam or a set of headphones with a microphone. Discussing it beforehand would be much easier than struggling to do those things when you arrive in a foreign country.

7. Bring some of your favorite food with you.

While a comfort food is not the best thing to indulge into, it’s still good to take some of your favorite snacks with you. Chances are you won’t find them in local stores or they would taste differently here, etc. It might seem not very important before you leave – but actually, it could help you deal with homesickness a bit. So make sure to take at least some snacks with you, just in case you’ll miss them.

8. Go meet local people.

Having some friends from your country in your college is great – however, don’t limit yourself with them. The whole point of going to a foreign country is to do something different, to explore a foreign culture, to learn more about the locals – and the best way to do so is to become friends with them.

Join a couple of college clubs if this seems the easiest way to make some local friends. And don’t be shy – they are probably as interested in you as you are in them.

9. Take pictures.

Hopefully, there would be plenty of moments worth remembering during your journey. And you might think you won’t be able to forget them, ever, – but it’s still important to document them. Photos will remind you of this amazing experience even years after it’s over. Moreover, photos could serve as a great way to illustrate your story to the others.

10. Consider documenting your experience in some way.

If you really enjoy documenting things that happen to you, consider starting a blog – a text or a video one. This might not bring you instant and insane popularity, but that’s actually not the point. Such blog could become a place where you can store your experience and share it with the others – both your friends and people from the internet.

Enjoy the world with a few study abroad tips

Going abroad to further your education might look intimidating to some of us – but it’s a great opportunity you should definitely seize when it appears. So remember these study abroad tips and do your best to make this experience one of the most enjoyable and memorable in your life.