Heading Overseas

Elizabeth Jackson

Heading Overseas

Some tips I would like to share before heading overseas to study abroad, which for me was to Australia, are plentiful as I feel the way in which I traveled was the best way to start my study abroad experience. Before I left the country I did extensive research on all areas of the country, the surrounding countries, the culture, the people, and the economy. For me personally this contributed to my experience tenfold because it allowed me to feel mentally prepared for my trip. In addition I researched the best way to sort out my finances which was a huge factor in allowing me to get around as soon as I landed in the country. I opened an international bank account with my local bank branch that you could very easily collect information about prior to your departure. This allowed me to transfer money with minimal fees and helped me to feel as though I was prepared while in a foreign country.

In addition, getting a SIM card was also a very important factor in helping me to feel prepared while I was out of the country which I did while arriving at the airport. Most airports will have fairly cheap SIM cards for purchase that you can load at any time. However, some prior planning is involved when doing this because you must unlock your phone with your US phone carrier in order to activate the SIM which must be done in the country. Having a phone was important for me because it allowed me to access maps, communicate with family, and organize my activities for the day. It’s nice to have access to the internet as well if you ever quickly need information and I would highly recommend getting a SIM as soon as arriving in your country of study.

Another big thing to have sorted when arriving in your exchange country is to get some currency converted, which can be done either at the airport as there are always currency conversion stations or at your local bank before you leave the country. I personally felt better having cash on hand before I arrived at the airport just to be safe but either option works and is definitely a significant part of travel as sometimes credit cards can be canceled. With that being said it is also important to put in a travel notification to your local bank so that they know you are traveling outside of the country and don’t cancel your card.

Overall I would say one of the most simple but helpful things I did before leaving the US was making sure to pack extremely light; I only brought one backpack with me that had everything I needed in it. Traveling light is a huge advantage and simplifies moving from place to place when you don’t have so much to carry with you. Before I went to Australia I traveled around New Zealand and it was the best month of my life. I would highly reccommend doing something like this before or after your study abroad experience as it is good to take advantage of the area you are in and learn more about the environment you will be or have lived in.

6 months of Australia

Elizabeth Jackson

January 06, 2019

6 months of Australia

While studying abroad in Australia I fully took advantage of experiencing as much of it as I could by traveling all over and I believe that that was what made my study abroad experience so amazing. When I landed in Australia I went and stayed with my best friend who is from Byron Bay and I spent two weeks with her and her family. It was the most amazing time and I was able to spend Australia Day with them which is a big day for Australians. Spending the day in a very Australian manner was an amazing way to spend the holiday and get to know the culture of Australia. I was also able to spend my birthday with them and it was easily one of the best birthdays I have ever had. If possible, meeting up with friends or family in your study abroad country is a must do as it brings you comfort to know you have support in a foreign country. After I spent my birthday in Byron Bay my sister flew to meet me on the Gold Coast and we roadtripped all the way from Byron to Melbourne which is a huge trip. Road tripping is something I would highly recommend as it is fairly cheap to hire cars but an amazing way to be able to see so much of your country. We camped along the way (also highly recommend) and spent time in the Australian national parks that are all along the coast. Needless to say it was amazing and an experience to remember.

I also flew to Tasmania which is a more obscure part of Australia and less traveled but was the most beautiful place I have ever been. I came prepared to do a lot of hiking and brought the proper gear for it which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys doing outdoor activities. Buying gear overseas is generally a lot more complicated and expensive because the high charge is for the convenience of it. My attitude while traveling was one that was very open; this is important in order to get to know the people of the country. Most people are very friendly if you put out the same attitude and that was something that made my traveling experience amazing. Again, renting a car is the cheapest way to see the most in my opinion and spending time on the road allowed me a lot of time to myself that I will cherish forever. Having a plan is also an integral part of seeing the most as seeing what you want to see in each area cannot always be achieved if you are not efficient with your time.

In addition, towards the end of the semester I flew to Cairns to dive the Great Barrier Reef and that was also an experience I will never forget. Australia is known for the Great Barrier Reef and being able to experience that was incredible. I would definitely recommend exploring the parts of your study abroad country that it is famous for because while it may be cliche it is still attracting attention for a reason. I also flew to Malaysia for a few weeks during our mid semester break and had an amazing time there, which I thought was amazing because normally I am not in the same part of the world and felt it was smart to take advantage of that while I was there. I would recommend visiting areas all around the country you are studying in and not just the country itself as it is the best way to take advantage of your surroundings.

Maintaining positive mindsets when returning home

Elizabeth Jackson

Maintaining positive mindsets when returning home

January 12, 2019

After living in one place for the duration of 6 months or longer, it’s just natural to form a connection to the place and bond with the people you had met. Assimilating back into the life you had before you went to study abroad can be very difficult if you’re not mentally prepared for it. It’s a huge transition moving from one place to another in this way and I found it difficult personally. I had become so accustomed to the life I had created that I didn’t put any energy or effort into preparing myself to coming back to America. Initially it was very shocking and I wish I had some guidance to help me through what I was going through at the time.

The most important and useful piece of advice I could give on the matter is to always maintain a positive mindset. It will not serve you to think in a definitive way of “I’ll never see these people again” or “I’ll never be back” because as I soon came to find, neither of those sentences were true for me and most likely will not be true for you either. In fact, I am in Australia at the moment and am already planning on going back again in a few months to live indefinitely. It’s easy to get down about leaving your study abroad country but stay positive in thinking and planning on visiting or even moving. Another useful piece of advice is to focus on what you gained from the experience rather than lamenting your departure. While it can be difficult at times because we are emotional creatures, it really helps to contemplate all of the things you have gathered from the experience.

Upon arriving back in America I found that there were a surprising amount of things that were different that I hadn’t been used to and the shock of that was pretty overwhelming at times. Being born in the US I never thought I could experience culture shock to the place I was born but it happened nonetheless. In order to cope with this I tried not to get too focused on the things I didn’t like and just focused on the parts of living in America that I had missed while I was away. There are so many simple joys of being back in the state you are from and I decided to hold onto those things rather than how much I missed Australia. Mindset is everything and circumstances are never permanent; it is up to us how we choose to see the world around us.