Mistakes Students Should Avoid Studying Abroad

Study abroad represents a great opportunity to experience a difference culture and make new friends. Students should make the most of their study abroad experience by avoiding these common mistakes.

Staying in Touch while Studying Abroad: Don’t Spend All the Time Talking to People At Home

Modern technology allows people to stay in touch virtually anywhere we go that has cell phone reception or an Internet connection. It might be tempting to spend hours every day talking to friends, boyfriends or girlfriends at home, but if students spend all their time interacting with friends from home, they’ll miss out on fun they could be having in their new country.

Stay in touch with friends and family; emails, Skype, instant messaging and Facebook all provide easy ways to stay updated with people students care about. But don’t let it get in the way of getting to know new people and doing new things.

Dealing with Loneliness while Studying Abroad: Not Getting Help If A Student Is Unhappy

Although it can be lots of fun, study abroad isn’t always an easy experience. Some students feel bad if they aren’t enjoying study abroad, especially if it is expensive or if they had very high expectations.

Students should get help if they feel lonely or scared. Their university likely has counseling services, or they can talk to someone at their study abroad program. If they need to, they should contact their home university for help.

Saving Money while Studying Abroad: Not Travelling Anywhere

It’s expensive, and students are already spending a lot of money to study abroad. Students have too much homework. They think they have had enough adventure. They don’t want to figure out the logistics of travelling.

No matter the reason, students are missing out if they don’t explore a little while they’re abroad. On the other hand, though, they don’t have to see everything.

Travelling While Studying Abroad: Feeling Obligated to See Everything

If students try to visit every tourist attraction in their city or country, or visit all the neighboring countries, they’ll probably get overwhelmed. Students don’t have to spend every weekend touring somewhere new; they should give themselves time to relax, get their homework done and spend time in local pubs and coffee shops.

Rather than seeing everything, students should choose their top few attractions or research attractions that relate to their interests. And students shouldn’t feel compelled to take a picture of every attraction, either.

Staying Safe while Studying Abroad: Being Unsafe

Some areas are more dangerous than others, but no matter where a student is, he or she should always be careful about personal safety.

Students should know how to get help in case of an emergency, tell people where they’re going when they go places alone, travel with a group in more dangerous areas, and never flash money or valuables.

Making the Grade at a Foreign University: Slacking Academically

Study abroad is not supposed to be a vacation. Students should make sure to balance academic pursuits with traveling and socializing; even if students’ grades don’t factor into their GPA at their home university, they may need a certain minimum grade to get credit at their home university, and graduate schools will ask to see a transcript from their time abroad.