Study Abroad: Things You Won't Think to Do Before Your Trip

By Karolyn Castaldo on October 2, 2012

Having just arrived for a semester in Lancaster, England, there are a few things on my mind that I want to share with you. We all get excited and anxious for three months to a year of adventure and forget to check the little things before our trip, though in our minds we’ve assured ourselves that we’ve done everything we could to be completely ready (at least in my case). Here’s what I’ve learned that I should have done so far.

Photo by Karolyn Castaldo in Lancaster, UK

Check your electrical outlet adapters/converters with ALL of your electronic devices. 

There’s nothing worse than arriving, going to plug in your computer, and realizing that it won’t fit. Trust me. In order to have smooth sailing, these are things to consider before you get here. Rather than scrambling around your new home looking for a solution, take away the added stress by confirming that everything you want to bring will work.

Don’t bother with U.S. straighteners or other extremely high voltage products. 

Though you might think this is silly, it might be in your best interest to just buy a straightener (or other high voltage product) for your new host country when you get there. I bought an adapter that was also supposed to be a converter, and despite my efforts, my straightener no longer has any lights to indicate whether it’s on or off and how hot it is. It may seem like a useless extra expense, but it’s better to only have to buy one when you get here, rather than two once you’ve fried your U.S. one completely.

Be very specific with your phone company about what you want. 

I wanted to be able to use my iPhone for emergencies to call or text home and was told by my wireless carrier that I would be able to simply by calling a number before I left to set up an International plan. Wrong. The number I was given only told me the rates, and when I arrived in the U.K., my phone listed “No Service”. My parents could not get the phone company to change it. So, whether you want to be able to use your phone or not, make sure that you make that clear to your phone company so that you don’t have any mishaps.

Check the weather, and know exactly what it means. 

You might think I’m joking, but 50 degrees and raining in England is a lot colder than 50 degrees and raining at home. Be prepared. Just because you think that you know what a temperature feels like, doesn’t mean it will be the same in that country. Bring clothes for anything and make sure that you wear lots of layers.

These things will not make or break your trip. They are fairly quick fixes and though they will cost you a lot more, they won’t ruin the adventure you’re about to begin. Be smart and really have a handle on everything before you go!

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format