Advice for your Year Abroad
From someone who’s been there, done that, and got the camiseta!
With summer looming, many of you will be getting ready to head off out into the world on a Year Abroad: and I can’t tell you how jealous I am. My year abroad in Spain last year was undoubtedly the best year of my life (so far!).
But moving to another country for a year is never going to go completely smoothly.
Here are the things I learnt from my experiences, and the things I wish I’d known before heading merrily off to Málaga with barely any knowledge of Spanish and about 60kg of luggage…
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BEFORE YOU GO…
1. First things first: PACKING.
You do not need to take your whole wardrobe! Limit yourself to, say, 14 outfits, and take clothes that you can mix and match together. Think sensibly about what you’ll need – if you’re heading to the south of Spain, go easier on the jumpers; if you’re bound for Finland, take your thermals. And don’t forget smart wear if you’re going to be working.
As for toiletries and other bits, remember that you don’t need to take a year’s supply with you – you’ll be able to buy things once you’re there! If you’re particularly set on a specific brand that you know isn’t sold in your host country then take some along with you, but don’t go overboard.
2. Take photocopies of important documents with you.
Passport, EHIC (if you’re going to a European country), visa (USA/Canada/Australia), your work contract, and anything else you can think of…. You never know when you might need them!
3.Learn as much as you can about your new home.
It’s great to talk to someone who can give you personal advice. If you’re going to be an English Language Assistant you could have a chat with the assistant who was at your school last year (British Council usually send out a list with their contact details in around July/August), and get in email contact with your school’s head-teacher or bilingual coordinator. If you’ll be studying or working, join the Erasmus Facebook groups for your destination city.
You can also familiarise yourself with the customs and quirks of your host country and find out things to do in your destination city by checking out Wikipedia and Lonely Planet, as well as blogs and Third Year Abroad (http://www.thirdyearabroad.com) for more specific info.
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4.Have you applied for Student Finance?
Believe it or not you might still be entitled to a loan, even though you won’t be in the UK! Check out your eligibility now.
5.Take a parent or friend with you for the first few days.
It’s hard being completely alone in a brand new place, especially when there’s a huge culture shock involved. Having a familiar face around for the first few days will help you to adjust, and they might be able to provide a handy second opinion when you’re flat-hunting. Added bonus – they can help you carry your suitcases!
6.Get to grips with the local language.
(If you’re heading to the US, Canada or Australia, you obviously don’t need to worry about this!)
If you’re going on Erasmus, you will need to communicate in a different language (that is, after all, the whole point of the year!). BEFORE you get there, brush up on useful vocab for situations such as finding a flat, opening a bank account, and sorting out a phone contract. It will make those first few days a little bit less daunting! Also consider downloading a bilingual dictionary app to your phone to help you out in sticky situations – Word Reference is a life-saver.
“It’s never too late to be the person you could have been…”
Learning Spanish from the inspirational quotes on my receipts.
Photo credit: Sally Waitland
7.Stay on top of paperwork.
Unfortunately, endless amounts of forms and documents are part and parcel of a year abroad and it’s important to stay up-to-date with them: otherwise you might miss out on opportunities. Keep them all organised, either in digital form on your laptop, or in paper form in a folder.
8.Go with an open mind.
Every year abroad is a totally unique experience, just like every country and its culture are unique. You can make integration into the host culture much easier by forgetting about stereotypes and preconceptions, and taking everything as it comes.
Marbella is far more charming than its reputation would have you believe.
Photo credit: Sally Waitland
AAAAND YOU’RE OFF!
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9.Find accommodation once you’re there.
N.B. Not applicable to people who will be studying – you lucky things should get accommodation provided by the host university!
Whilst it might seem sensible to find a place to live before you leave the UK, it’s actually better to wait until you arrive in the new country. That way, you can look round a few different flats to get a feel for them (many will not be the same as they look in their online adverts!), meet your potential flatmates and landlord, and get a sense of the area you’ll be living in and how far it is from the city centre/your workplace/the beach….
I also strongly advise that you live with native people – it’s absolutely the best way to improve your foreign language skills, plus they can show you round your new city and introduce you to their friends!
10.Don’t worry if you’re not having fun all the time.
There will be days when you just want to lay in bed watching your Friends DVDs and eating (inferior, non-Cadburys) chocolate – and that’s totally fine. Living in a foreign country, surrounded by so many cultural differences, can be really overwhelming, and sometimes you just need a bit of ‘me-time’. Just make sure that it doesn’t happen every day.
11.Don’t be afraid to move flats if you’re unhappy.
More than half the people I know who went on a year abroad chose to move flats at some point during the year – and they were all much better off for doing so. If you’re feeling miserable because of where you’re living (because it’s really far away from the city centre or your friends, or you don’t get on with your flatmates), do something about it!
12.REMEMBER: the world will not end if you lose something important.
Having only been in Spain for 10 days, I had my purse (containing my driving license, EHIC card, student ID, and Euro currency card) stolen from my bag. I wasn’t drunk, and I wasn’t flashing it around – it was simply bad luck. Pickpocketing is an unfortunate reality in many cities, and when I tried to report it to a police officer I was told “well, you’ll probably never see that again”. It’s amazingly easy to cancel cards online and order new ones, and within two weeks they had all been replaced as good as new. The saddest part is that there were only about 3 euros in that purse, so the thieves got almost nothing from it!
13.Document EVERYTHING.
Photos are an obvious must, but you could also consider starting a blog, keeping a diary, or making a scrapbook to help you save all those amazing memories.
14.Make the most of your time.
Everyone says it, but the year really does fly by. Don’t sit back and just assume that incredible experiences will fall into your lap – go out and make things happen, and your language skills will improve along the way. Join the local Erasmus society, learn a new skill like salsa dancing or patisserie, say ‘yes’ to everything you’re invited to, attend cultural events….and travel as much as you possibly can!
Photo credit: Sally Waitland