*I meant to post this several weeks ago, but didn’t get around to it until I already arrived in Europe. Oops…I’ll do better in the future

Today, my best friend asked me “How many days until you leave?” After counting on my calendar, I tell her 23. 23. That’s less than a month until I leave to live in another country for four months; to fly internationally by myself for the first time; to live out of a small carry on for a month; and to go to school where I will not know a single person.

While that all is still sinking in for me, I can’t help but think about all of the work that has gone into being able to only think about these things. Now, I don’t have to worry about any application fees (except tuition, but we can ignore that for now), getting into my school in France, my courses not transferring back to La Crosse, my visa, nor the countless other things that stressed me out indefinitely over the last four months. So, if you are considering going abroad at some point in the future, don’t let these things stress you out. Instead, take my tips!

• Find someone who has studied abroad in your program, region or country to answer your questions.
• Be ready to shell out a lot for your program. I dropped about $2,000 in application fees, flights, trains, and visa fees ahead of time.
• Speaking of visas, know your required documents for your appointment and make your appointment as early as you can. Also, make your appointment as early in the day as possible. When the people in front of you aren’t prepared their appointments take longer which pushes later appointments back. This is especially important if you’re going in the summer (busy season). ***if you need any help with French visa process, let me know***
• Track your flights early. If you have time to travel beforehand, you can see a couple different countries by being flexible with where you fly into.
• Get TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry. They make getting to your flight on time so much less painful.
• Make hostel and train reservations ahead of time, especially if you’re travelling in summer because they fill up fast then.
• Get some quality luggage and travel with only a carry-on and personal item if you’re able.
• Don’t be afraid to travel alone (if you are confident you can get around)

Honestly, you are in charge of your own experience. The more preparation you have and research you’ve done, the better you are going to feel going into a study abroad experience.