You feel very excited to study abroad and get acquainted with a new culture. Not only will you embark on an unforgettable adventure, but you will also learn a lot and develop your way of thinking while studying abroad. You may be nervous about studying abroad because you realize that you will be stepping out of your comfort zone, but this is common. If you want to know how to study abroad, follow the tips below.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Getting Ready to Study Abroad
Step 1. Choose the right study program
This is the most important step. You have to determine the program that is best for you-not the program that is best for your friends on campus. You also have to choose the course you are interested in, and choose the city you want to live in. Below are ways to help you choose:
- If you're not majoring in a foreign language or aren't interested in a foreign culture, do some research. Read travel guide books and search the internet for the city that interests you. When you've found several options, ask other people who are taking the same major with your interests, and ask how the learning process.
- If you are majoring in a foreign language or have studied it before, you are better off studying in a country in a language you already know. You should see how many semester credits (credits) you have to take in each course you choose.
- You can also decide whether you want to choose a study program directly from your university or another university. Both have advantages and disadvantages. If you choose a course of study through your own university, there is a chance that the credits you take will be easier to transfer. You can also study with people you know and you will feel more comfortable. The files that you have to prepare are even fewer. If you choose a course outside your university, you will have many options and will feel challenged because you will be studying with people you don't know. However, you have to go the extra mile to find the right course and apply to it.
Step 2. Once you have selected a course of study, you must take a test and you must obtain a test score before the application deadline for that course
Then, you must report your test scores to the major of the study program you choose as described on the "how to apply" or "how to apply" page on the official website of the study program.
Step 3. After you have completed the test and prepared the registration documents, fill out the registration form and submit it to the relevant party
Ask about the requirements for applying for a student visa and make sure you have a passport. Every country has different rules, so think carefully about this first.
Step 4. Once you know the results of your admission, ask for an official letter stating that you have been accepted at the university
Each country has different official documents, and you can use them to apply for a visa. After that, apply for a visa.
Step 5. Start learning about the local culture of the country
You can start getting ready to study abroad ahead of time. This will not only make you more ready to start your adventure in a foreign country, but it can also make you even more excited to start your adventure. Below are the things you can do:
- Check your language skills. If you are required to speak a foreign language in the country of your choice, take a language course and practice speaking on your own. Watch movies in that language to improve your understanding.
- Take a course in the culture of the country of your choice. If your school offers a course on the history or culture of the country of your choice, take that opportunity.
- Try the typical food of the culture. If you make the right choice, it won't be difficult to try the specialties from faraway regions. Try to taste the food so that you get used to the thought that you will eat it every day.
- Hang out with friends who are studying in the country or city of your choice. You can also begin to understand the country together.
Step 6. Prepare anything related to your destination city
Once you've decided where you live, read up on everything about the city. Read blogs on the internet, buy travel books, and read the history of the city. This can make you appreciate your new home more, and all the things you can do when you get there.
- Make a wish list (bucket list). Make a list of at least 20 things you must do in the city before you return to your hometown.
- Bookmark the pages in your travel book that indicate the places you should visit.
- Talk to other people who have lived or attended school in the city. Write down their recommendations.
- Read about the weather in your destination city. This can help you determine what kind of clothes you should bring.
Method 2 of 2: Making Your Study Abroad Experience Valuable
Step 1. Learn about the local culture of your destination country
Among other things, this should be the ultimate goal of your study abroad experience. You have chosen a study program in a foreign country because you want to learn about its culture and customs, and because you want to broaden your perspective on the world. Therefore, you must take advantage of all opportunities to try new things, add new experiences, and leave your safe zone. Below are the things you can do:
- If you are in a foreign-speaking country, learn the language. Try to speak the language as often as possible, read books in that language, and watch TV shows on local television channels.
- Enjoy the specialties of the country of your choice. Even if you crave your favorite food and feel compelled to fulfill that desire to indulge yourself, try to eat as much local food as possible.
- Understand the local customs of the country of your choice. If you choose a country where you're used to napping, you're better off doing that too.
- Enjoy local cultural music and dance. Go to an event or concert.
- Watch local films. Go to the cinema in the city of your choice. You will have fun even if you don't understand anything.
- Visit museums, exhibitions, and other cultural venues as much as possible. Learn and record everything about the country of your choice.
- It's okay to rest for a while. Order a pizza, watch your favorite “What's Up with Love” DVD, and sleep when you hear Raisa's voice. You can't be a good student all the time.
Step 2. Hang out with the right people
One of the important things that can enhance your experience of studying abroad is having friends to hang out with. The friends you choose can make your trip perfect or ruin it, so be careful when choosing your friends. If you choose the right friends, you will learn a lot about the country's culture. Here's what you can do:
- Find some trusted friends in study abroad programs. It's a good thing to keep in touch with the people on the program you're taking. You will stay humble, participate in fun activities, and will be less lonely.
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Focus on finding friends who are natives of the city of your choice. While you may feel shy when you meet new people or speak a foreign language, people from foreign countries are generally friendly and will be attracted to your unfamiliarity. In addition, these people know where to eat, where to hang out, and places for tourists.
When you hang out with these people, try to speak their local language. They may say that they want to practice their English skills on you; You can go along with what they want, but ask them to speak their language to you
- If you live in a homestay, take advantage of your host's presence to study. You can learn a lot about local culture from them. If they invite you to come with them to out-of-home events, don't miss this opportunity.
- Your main goal is not to be seen as an ordinary tourist. If you spend time hanging out with students from your home university who are both studying abroad, you will not broaden your perspective.
Step 3. Take time to walk around
If you are studying abroad, it is possible that the distance between you and a fantastic tourist destination is only a few hundred kilometers. Tickets to go to these places are much cheaper than going from your home country. So, you should take advantage of this opportunity to visit exotic places that you have never been. However, don't forget that your main goal is to understand the country you have chosen to study in, so you should explore more of that country.
- Take a walk in the country where you are studying. This will give you the opportunity to understand the complexities and customs of the different regions of the country. It can also help you appreciate an art or history class about the country of your choice.
- Plan several trips to visit foreign countries. Ideally, you can visit the cities where your friends go to school, so they can be your tour guide.
- Try taking a travel buddy or two with you wherever you go. Not only do they make traveling more enjoyable, they also make your trip safer.
- If you're traveling and can't stay at a friend's house, you may need to find a hostel, a cheaper alternative to hotels. Hostels can be a great place to stay and a great way to meet new people. However, try to book a room with a friend to look after your belongings, and to help you find as much information as possible about the hostel before you book it.
- Many students studying abroad in the fall love to visit Munich to participate in the Oktoberfest event. If you want to participate in this celebration, you will need to book your tickets several months in advance, maybe even before you go to study abroad.
- While your study abroad program will give you great opportunities to travel, make sure you still have time to enjoy your holiday in your destination city. So, get used to the rhythm of the life you live there, and take time to enjoy the city where you live.
- If you travel to another country, you should always keep your friends, teachers, and administrators up to date.
Step 4. Don't forget to learn something
That's right. The reason you study abroad is to spend some of your time in class, or learn about local culture through study trips to museums, palaces, and other historical sites. Don't forget to realize what a wonderful opportunity you get to learn about the culture you love right where it's from. Here's what you should do:
- Don't be truant. Pay close attention to the lessons, take notes, and do well on the exams, as you usually do in your hometown.
- Take time to talk to your teachers. They are people who represent the local culture, and they can teach you a lot.
- Focus on the time of the cultural visit. When visiting the Eiffel tower, the Taj Mahal, or any other historical site, don't spend time joking around behind your group while your teacher is explaining something important. You could miss an opportunity to learn something that will stick in your memory for a lifetime, and you'll regret it if it does.
- Always pay attention to the tour guide on the bus. If you're lucky enough to get on a tour bus with friends on your overseas school program, don't close your eyes and deal with your hangover head. Instead, listen to the tour guide's explanation and write it down.
- Take the initiative to educate yourself. If you're taking an excellent art class in Madrid, head to The Prado alone. Nothing beats the experience of exploring a museum in a foreign country alone.
- When you're hanging out with locals-and hopefully you are-think of them as an opportunity to learn about the local cultural attitudes and perspectives of the area. Without sounding like an interview, ask local people how they feel about certain issues happening in their country and in the world.
Step 5. Overcome feelings of homesickness
You may be looking forward to studying abroad from the moment you get accepted to the university you want, so there's no way you won't enjoy your adventure there. However, you should also be aware that there will be times when you will miss your family, your friends, the customs and specialties of your home country. Preparing yourself for this before you live abroad will make it easier for you to overcome homesickness. Below are some ways to beat homesickness:
- If you're feeling homesick, make a list of the amazing opportunities you get from studying abroad, such as meeting new people and tasting delicious food. This will make you feel grateful for your experience.
- Talk to other students who are also studying abroad. It's possible they've been through or are going through the same thing, and they may have some tips for dealing with it.
- If your family can afford it, ask your family to visit you after the second half of your school session. Meeting them will make you feel closer to home, and will make it easier for you to stick around for the rest of your trip.
- Stay in touch with people in your home country. Send your friends emails or messages on Facebook, and call your family when you have free time. Don't talk to them too often because you will think too much about the things going on in your home and won't focus on your once-in-a-lifetime experience.
- Don't forget to bring some things that remind you of home. You can bring your favorite doll, favorite CD, or your favorite movie collection. Bring some photos of your friends and family, but don't post too many as you will feel homesick.
- If one of your best friends is also studying abroad, plan to visit them or invite them to visit your new home.
- Keep a journal so you can write down your homesickness and overwhelming experiences.
Step 6. Stay safe
Even if you study abroad with some students from your campus, or a campus similar to yours, never forget that you are in a foreign country. This may sound casual, but the point is that you shouldn't behave the way you did when you went to school in your home country. You're in a new environment, and you're surrounded by people you just met, or even people you don't know at all, so you have to stay alert. Below are the things you should do to have a fun and safe study abroad experience:
- Don't drink too much alcohol. While drinking is a favorite activity of many students studying abroad, you shouldn't drink as much as you used to at your home campus. You can still have fun, but don't drink until you don't know what's going on, because when you do, you could get lost without knowing the address to return to, and you could be in big trouble too.
- Know your address. Save your address on your phone, or write it down on a piece of paper in your wallet, and memorize it.
- Do not make out too often with local residents. While studying abroad is mostly about taking risks and having fun, remember that you're in a foreign country, and don't let you go home with someone you just met. Even though people from other countries are basically the same as people from your home country, your chances of getting involved in an adverse situation will be higher because you are acting outside your safe zone.
- Don't do stupid things to impress your friends. Don't let your opportunity to study abroad become a contest to determine who can do the craziest things just to impress people you just met. You shouldn't be rude to locals, drink lots of weird drinks, or kiss locals on the dance floor just to look cool.
- Obey the rules. You can still be adventurous without being reckless. Police officers in a foreign country may not tolerate your jokes as much as the police in your home country. So try to be nice.
Tips
- If you live with a family on a homestay program, write a letter in advance. Tell them that you are very excited and can't wait to stay with them.
- If you love to read and would like to live in a place where neither Indonesian nor English is the main language, bring plenty of books to read while you are there. While you don't want to carry too much stuff in your suitcase, you should stay away from situations where books in English are very hard to find, as well as very expensive.
