New city, new friends, new culture – a new start in your life. We’ve all felt those butterflies in our stomachs before moving to a new environment for studying and building our careers. While you might be super excited about this new chapter, managing in a new country can be challenging for the first few years. Hence, you must know the dos and don’ts for managing well and ensuring a good time.
In this blog post, we’ve shared survival tips for students studying abroad.
6 Survival Tips for Students Studying Abroad
Join an Online Community
Since you might have enrolled in a new college or university, getting along with new students can seem like a nightmare to many. One of the best ways to connect with other students and make new friends is through online groups and communities.
You can easily find different small groups of your college on Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms. Or you can also join ‘studying abroad’ groups to get survival tips from other students. You can use this opportunity to establish new connections, and new friendships and get answers to the queries you have.
This is one of the best survival tips for students studying abroad.
Stay Connected With Your Family
Leaving your home and settling into a place can be quite tough and make you homesick many times. Thus, it is important that you stay connected with your closest friends and family members.
Dedicate a day and time to talk to them while keeping in mind the pesky time zone changes. Or, you can ask your friends and family about their time schedule to decide a suitable time for you and them, as well.
This is another one of the best survival tips for students studying abroad.
Know About Local Laws and Customs
When going abroad to study, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with the local laws and customs of the country. This is because once you start living in a country, you automatically get subjected to its laws. Knowing the rules and regulations will help you avoid certain situations. Besides, don’t forget to have your signed, valid passport and visa, and other important documents with you. Make sure you have insurance that will take care of your emergency medical needs while you’re away from home.
Avoid Drugs & Drinking
Drinking and taking drugs are very common in university life. Students often start drinking just to get along with new people and get their attention. Make sure you do not overdo it or avoid it, at least while traveling. This is because driving under the influence of alcohol or other illicit drugs can increase your risk of DUI and put you in trouble.
And if you get into such a situation, have contacts of criminal defense attorneys who fight for your rights. These defense attorneys will analyze your case and defend you with the right legal proceedings. So, it is wise to have contacts of criminal defense lawyers who are equipped to handle different cases, including DUI.
Another one of the best survival tips for students studying abroad is avoiding drugs and drinking.
Familiarize Yourself With the People & Language
Your environment has a huge impact on you. So, if you’re moving to a new country for study purposes, it is necessary that you familiarize yourself with the local people, their language, culture, etc. It will help you get along with the people well, share your concerns more easily, and get a home-like feeling where you know your people and the culture. For this, you will have to spend more time with the local folks, your fellow mates or friends in the university.
Also, many students feel shy about talking to new people when studying abroad. However, one should be open to conversations and other experiences. This will not allow them to learn more about the country’s culture but also improve their social skills. And social skills are important to excel in your academic career.
Be Patient & Stay Positive
Lastly, stay positive. Moving to a new place, making new friends, and perhaps living alone can make you uncomfortable initially. There will be moments when you may feel like giving up or going back to your home. Whenever you get such thoughts, just ask yourself the reason you started, and you’ll get the strength to push yourself. If needed, talk to your family and friends and tell them how you feel, as it might make you feel better.
You will have to find your own ways of staying patient and positive during your journey. Remember, it is okay to cry a few times more than to leave your course and go back. So, hang on there until you get comfortable in the new city.
The last and one of the best survival tips for students studying abroad.
Final Thoughts
Studying abroad is the greatest experience you can have as a student. While it can be the best decision of your life, settling in can be pretty difficult for some students. So, if you’ve just gone to a new place to complete a course or a degree, consider the above-mentioned tips and see if they help.
We hope we have cleared all your queries about survival tips for students studying abroad.
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