My biggest recommendations to make your study abroad experience better
Pack really light. I’m not saying don’t go without clothing, but be very prudent about what you pack. I over-packed a few t-shirts that I thought I would wear so much more and I can confidently say I never wore some of them. In another country, don’t assume that you will have the same style as you do at home. Think about the activities that you will be doing, and think of how you want to dress to look in pictures years from now. If you don’t see yourself in certain types of clothing, don’t bring them unless you have a specific reason (i.e., going to the gym). This will also leave space to bring home keepsakes and other clothes you may buy on your trip.
Plan to go with at least one friend!
Possible roomie! A built-in friend on the trip
Travel buddy!
Plan to have a good bit of spending money!
Souvenirs and new clothes are fun things you want to buy while abroad and you should have some spending money to do that
DON’T FORGET MONEY FOR STAMPS TO SEND POSTCARDS HOME
FOOD MONEY!
If your dorm serves food, you cannot guarantee food you will like, and extra food will be necessary.
Fun dinners with friends! There are so many fun restaurants in every city, make sure you budget so you don’t miss out
Extra activities
There will always be downtime and so it is good to plan to have some extra money to spend on tickets to museums and other fun attractions
There will always be free things to do but just in case 🙂
What toiletries women should definitely bring on the trip
At least one month’s supply of feminine products – you cannot guarantee that the new country will have all the products you need or like
Your hair and skin care products, if you use something very specific to you
It may take you a while to locate some products, if at all
In my experience, it took me a few weeks to find the face wash I like because it is behind the counter in the pharmacy and not sold in a goods store with soap or lotion
Tweezers and nail clippers! Chances are you will be gone longer than you can go without either of these items and it is always good to have nail clippers on hand in case of a broken nail.
And the basics – hairbrush, toothbrush, perfume, etc.
CHECK THE VOLTAGE ON YOUR HAIR IRONS AND BLOW DRYER BEFORE BRINGING IT
Things to buy BEFORE you go abroad
Either voltage converters or outlet adapters
If the voltage is anything besides 120v, your American products will not fit in the electrical outlets
If it’s anything more power intensive than a laptop, your American products will either short circuit or just not function
Travel journal! Travel journals are a fun way to record your travels and hold onto things like museum tickets or receipts from places you went and can put photos in them as well!
New shoes! Chances are you will be doing a lot of walking and new shoes are best to ensure you are comfortable during excursions.
Medicines to bring! People getting sick has been a constant in my study abroad, so here are the medicines to bring to help you with yours!
DAYQUIL AND NyQUIL I can’t emphasize this one enough! The US is the only place where this stuff is commonly available in stores. It is truly a God-sent medicine that takes care of the worst of being sick.
If you don’t get sick often, one box should be good
If you get sick often, bring two boxes, just to be safe. Allergy medicine! You are going to a new place with different dust and pollen that you may be allergic to, it’s a good idea to have on hand just in case! Whatever type works for you should be good. If it’s a medicine like Zyrtec D, bring a prescription from a doctor to make sure it gets through customs with you. Antacids, some food will make you not feel good so it’s always a good idea to have some Tums or Pepcid on hand to help in those situations.
Advil or other pain relievers – you will probably be sore on the trip from all the walking or from cramping, so it’s good to have a pain reliever on hand for those times.
Excedrin for those with migraines is a must-have during your time
Any of your prescriptions with the prescription tag
the tag is to help the medicine get through customs 🙂
If you can, study at the park!
I like to go study in a shady spot in a local park. It’s great exercise to go walk to a park, there’s fresh air, and there are plenty of cool parks to go see! Being in the shade is better than sitting in your room!
Take advantage of local public transportation!
The metro system in Madrid can get me pretty much anywhere I want to go in the city! Public transport in Madrid is cheaper, reliable, and makes getting across the city easier.
Be open to trying the local cuisine and even the local versions of other foreign cuisine! Disclaimer: I am 21 years old!!
I have tried a number of local dishes, and I do enjoy a good Catalan-style chicken breast and some local stews. I have also tried some local alcoholic drinks and love Tinto de Verano, Sangria, lemonades, and the different flavors of sodas.
I joke around that I came to Spain to find an ever-bigger love for Latin American food, and in some ways, I’m not kidding. I think I’m attracted to the spices.
Empanadas are very Latin-American, and I found an empanada shop that I adore in Madrid, where I didn’t really eat empanadas in America.
I also found a great burrito place that’s better than Chipotle or, dare I say, Taco Mama.
I love the mojitos I’ve had in Spain, whereas the ones I’ve had in the States aren’t as good.
Sew a key ring into your Lululemon belt bag!
A key ring in your belt bag will help keep items like your AirPods, any actual keys you may need, or small wallets in your belt bag!
I have my dorm key on mine and it is the easiest thing to do not to lose the key! 10/10 recommend.
Have copies of your passport on your phone or laptop, printed, and have paper copies; having these copies will be helpful to be able to get the student discount at museums and other places that offer student discounts.
What I wish I would have done to have a better experience:
Not knowing anyone going on the trip
This has led me to not really know anyone to hang out with on a regular basis
The good friends I did make went home after the first month 🙁
Not either choosing my roommate or having a room to myself
I have different living habits than my roommate and it can lead to some uncomfortable situations.
My roommate takes multi-hour naps every day and it makes me feel like I cannot exist in my room when she is napping. There are days I do whatever I need to do, but other days I end up leaving to go do anything else because it’s very uncomfortable.
My roommate has been sick multiple times. I don’t like being around people when they are sick normally, so I really do not enjoy this part. And this leads to people not wanting to be around me because she is sick and thinking that I am sick too when I’m not.
MY CLASS SCHEDULE! Plan your study abroad classes better than I did mine.
My whole problem is that I was required to retake classes because I only needed two classes but was required to take four. During my first month in Spain, my classes were SO easy, and this month is a lot harder. When I was looking at going abroad, the session was published as being 6–12 hours for two months and so I thought I was only going to have to take two classes. During the registration process, I was informed that I needed to take four classes and I had to retake two classes. Don’t retake classes, it’s not fun, and I enjoyed my Bama professor more than my professor in Spain.
Also, do not take business Spanish abroad – the professors don’t understand that we want to only learn vocab and not whole business concepts.
Not having a bucket list before arriving
Not having a bucket list of things to do makes it harder to think of things to go do in your downtime.
I have looked on the internet for all the different things to do in my downtime, and there are not many days that I can accomplish the things that I want because I find out too late.
