Category: Advice

13 days Until Departure- What’s Left to Do

Published on by emmygrabLeave a comment

I fondly remember the Global Reveal day back on February 17th, 2017. I had a good idea of which program I was going to be nominated for, but either of my selections, UOttawa or Lancaster, would have been satisfactory. Upon opening the envelope, a red leather baggage tag with the DU logo engraved on the front held my study abroad destiny, which ended up being UOttawa. I was elated and from that point on, I started to prepare for my departure.

University-of-Ottawa

From February 17th to today (August 20th, 2017), 184 days have come and gone. The amount of preparation so far has been immense, from registering for classes to finding on campus housing. Although the majority of the tough preparation is over, there are still things to do in these short 13 days.

Start organizing and packing: I created an “Ottawa box” in which I set aside various items I knew for sure I wanted to bring with me abroad. These were winter sweaters, coats, boots, school supplies, and other things along that line. Instead of scavenging through my winter clothes in the basement, keeping them in my box saves me a ton of time. I plan on bringing a carry-on suitcase and large suitcase with me, no more and no less than that. Would one suitcase be ideal? Yes. Is it practical? Nope. I had to buy some of the books for my classes ahead of time, which adds some weight to the case. I would like to avoid having to pay extra for a heavy suitcase, so I spread out my belongings between two cases. I am extremely lucky that my mother is coming with me to Ottawa to “drop me off” and visit the city, so she can help with some of the belongings too. I just need to organize my belongings in a way that is practical and “weight-conscious”. As of now, there is a heap of belongings in both cases. It will be packed eventually, but some stuff in my life right now is keeping my schedule a tad busy. I’ll talk about my packing and organizing more in a later post.

Creating Communication Plans: I am leaving my family, dog, best friends, and boyfriend behind in Colorado for four months. This makes my stomach turn a bit, since four months seems like a long time. However, in the grand scheme of things, four months isn’t the longest time away. That said, I am setting up communication plans with all my loved ones. My phone carrier, Verizon, isn’t changing my communication plan because I am still living on the North American continent, a definite perk for me. My friends and I have Skype, so we plan on communicating via that media as well. I’ll need to schedule time to talk with my family, friends, and boyfriend, whether it means waiting until the weekend or finding some downtime in between classes. We’ll make it work and I plan on being “present” at my home while I’m physically away.

Settling DU matters and plans before departure: I changed my English major and dropped one of my minors over the summer. These forms needed to be turned in before I left in September. I also sent in some course approvals request for my English classes that could count for major requirements. For me, doing this all ahead of time before you leave is easier than trying to deal with everything abroad.

Talking with the Roommates: I’m living in a four bedroom apartment on the UOttawa campus and had the pleasure of finding out who my roommates were just this past week. One is from England, the second from Germany, and the third from South Korea. All those people that told me Ottawa wasn’t an exotic study abroad location may be biting their tongue now. I have the opportunity to befriend and network with girls from Europe and Asia through cross-cultural connections and various global perspectives. How cool is that? All of us set up a group chat on Facebook for questions, comments, and just getting to know one another before we live together for four months.

Depart to Ottawa: Finally, we have to actually reach Ottawa. September 2nd is the golden day in which I’ll connect from Denver to Chicago, then Chicago to Ottawa. I can’t wait any longer for this day to come.

airplane

Next time I write, I will be in Ottawa, staying at the Swiss Hotel waiting to move in to my dorm. Until then. . . I’ll be packing, communicating, creating, and departing. 13 days! I am so excited!

Preparing for Study Abroad

Published on by taylorjohanemanLeave a comment

Studying abroad is a major life experience. You’re living in a new country, in a new culture with people you’ve never met before thousands of miles away. Living in a new country requires a big transition that can feel quite intimidating. Fortunately, there are lots of study abroad prepping you can do to secure a smooth transition and an incredible experience abroad. Here are some of the major preparation categories.

 

Expenses:

A major part of preparing for abroad is thinking about expenses: How much money will I need? How often can I spend money? Do I have the funds to travel during my time abroad? These questions can be easily answered with a budget. I created a budget with Microsoft Excel and it has really helped me manage my money abroad. I know how many big trips I can take while I’m here, how much money I can spend a month, and much more. You can tailor your budget to your wants and needs by looking at a daily, weekly, or monthly budget. Whichever option you may choose, budgeting is key to making the most out of your abroad experience without having to stress about money.

 

Communication:

Yes, your mom is going to want to hear from you as often as she can, and you’re probably going to want to tell her about all of the amazing things you’re doing too! But how will you communicate with her while you’re abroad? Researching how you will be able to communicate with people back home and people within your selected country is really important. Will your phone work in your country? Should you get a burner phone abroad or an international plan from back home? How good is the wifi in your country? These are the things you should be researching in preparing for abroad. Trust me, you’re going to need Google Maps on your phone everywhere you go.

 

Weather:

You will definitely want to find out what the weather will be like while you’re abroad. This is key when deciding whether you need to pack 10 sweaters or 10 tank tops or if you’ll ever get the opportunity to wear your sandals. This is especially important for people studying abroad in the Southern Hemisphere because it will be winter when you arrive. Depending on which country you study in, the weather may be regionally specific. For me, Australia is such a large and meteorologically diverse country that I had to specifically search “average weather conditions in Tasmania, Australia”. While the Northern Territory may be hot all year, Tassie has defined seasons.  I’m glad I packed my sweaters because it truly is “bloody cold”.

 

Mental Preparation:

Mental preparation is so important! You need to realize that you’re going to spend 4-6 months (or more if you’re going for a year) in a completely new place. Try to come to this realization a few weeks before your departure, rather than the day before (whoops). Mentally preparing yourself for the ups and downs of being in a completely different environment with new people will ensure the smoothest transition into your new life as possible. For some, realizing that they won’t be able to see their friends and family for a few months may mean taking lots of time out of their schedule to spend time with them before their departure. Do whatever you have to do personally to combat potential issues abroad. Personally, I worked up until the day before I left, which left me with very little time to realize that the flight I was taking the next day wasn’t to DU. Thus, I felt that if I had handled this aspect better, my transition could’ve gone a bit smoother.

 

Now, don’t let all of this overwhelm you. Studying abroad has been amazing and is an experience that I think everyone should have. It is just a big change in life that will produce a beautiful outcome, so long as you prepare for it!