6 things to do if you plan to study abroad

Movies that are staged in a school or a college location, like "pitch perfect", "Step up", "Diary of a wimpy kid", "High school musical", intrigues teenagers/students to studying abroad. They want to get the feel of it with high infrastructural and architectural designs of the campus and also the variety of extra-curricular activities they can be involved in. Not only that especially Indian students would understand the value of holding a degree that would help them get employed anywhere in the world. In fulfilling this desire a student has to prepare him/herself to get a confirm admission and VISA plus anticipate the stay there. Here are some of the things to keep in mind:

Study Abroad Counselors: The first thing a student who only has the desire but no knowledge how to proceed with it, needs to find out is if there are any consultants around who can guide and give provide information. These consultants should be equipped with all the correct information in helping a student find the right place and right course to choose to study. Many students only wish to go to study in USA, and they wouldn’t want to look into any other prospects while the consultants would know which country is the best suitable for a particular profile.

Documentation: Be ready with all the documents that are necessary for the admissions and VISA. The first important thing in this check list should be the passport. If a student doesn’t have one and still is dreaming about landing on the dreamland, then that is a hard task. Apply for it ASAP. Second thing that a student should make sure of are the filling of the academic certificates, LOR, SOP, score card of the exams you give as an eligibility criterion for admissions, passport-size photographs, etc. All the necessary papers that are needed have to be documented.

Financing: Before going a student should find out if his/her family is financially stable to fund for a study abroad program. Some might have to even take a loan which is easily available these days and is also repayable by the time the student is coming back. It is observed that most of the students opt to study in UK over studying in USA because the tuition fee is comparatively less in UK.

Research: Self-help is the best help. Once you have fixed where you are going, an extensive research about the city and the institute is very necessary. You want to know what the currency of that particular place is and compare the current value of it with your countries. Get to more about the food, weather, fashion, accommodation facilities and how cheaper it is, the restaurants near you that serves the food you like, places to visit so that you can make the most out of your stay there, the cheapest and the costliest mode of transport, the cost of living and the latest political news of that particular place for general knowledge. These are some of the few things that you should search on. Once you start researching you’ll find more information and gain more knowledge.

Expectations: Be prepared to expect the unexpected. Even though a complete research has been made, be ready to face any kind of misfortune. God forbid! But having the presence of mind and being prepared to combat a bad situation is always a good way to keeps troubles away.

Packing: Now that the weather conditions have been researched, we know the right clothing that has to be packed. While packing also keep in mind the airline restrictions of luggage weightage and also the rules and regulations of the stuff that is allowed to be carried on the plane. Everything differs according to the destination you are flying to and the airlines you are travelling on. Make sure to carry the tickets and the identity proof and the right currency (a little more, just in case of emergency).

It’s time to say Good-byes to your family and friend! It’s very important that a student is mentally prepared to face a new culture and background and to stay alone and meet strangers and make friends with them.

Manjiri Thakkar is a study abroad enthusiast and mainly writes about study abroad programs. She loves to explore new things. Also, she guides students for studying abroad. Get connected with her on Facebook and Twitter.