How-To Study Abroad, Get the Most Out of Your Experience and Not Upset the Locals (…Well Not Much, Anyway)

So the typical college experience just wasn’t enough for you, was it? You’re starting to realize that you’re not getting any younger and you haven’t really seen the world…so why not study abroad?

If you’ve somehow successfully completed all the paperwork (no thanks to the study abroad coordinator who can’t remember your name), booked your flight (and nearly died from the price), and attained your passport (with a semi-decent photo), don’t breathe that sigh of relief just yet.

Before you leave, you need to realize that living abroad is nothing like a vacation. Let’s face it: You’re going to be living in a completely different culture away from everything you’ve ever known for months. Never fear. You can make the most out of your study abroad experience with a little common sense and a few tips from someone who has been exactly where you are.

Learn the ‘traditions’ of the locals ASAP.
I don’t mean the traditional Irish Two-Step or the best way to make haggis.
Every culture has its strange little rituals. For example, in London proper escalator etiquette is strongly observed. In America, people practically do their best to take up the entire escalator draping their limbs over the sides thus forcing those impatient people behind them to wait when all they want to do is run to the top. In London, one stands on the right and out of the way, so that those who are in a hurry can run up the left.

Do your best to learn these local ‘quirks’ as quickly as possible. While most of these people have been perfecting things like ‘elevator etiquette’ for years, it’s not impossible for you to learn it in a few weeks. Soon enough, when you spot a tourist not following these guidelines, you’ll understand why they get a bad rap.
According to one of my fellow partner’s-in-study-abroad-crime, Michelle Prengaman, “Another good way to adapt to local customs is to always read the newspaper...and not the real newspaper. No one wants to be depressed. We want to hear how Kate Moss slipped into cracks because of her weight loss. We want Posh Spice news and we want it NOW.”

Know your currency conversion rate.
In case you didn’t know, the American dollar’s value is sinking faster than the Titanic. Unless you’re studying in an obscure country, chances are that your money is going to be a lot more worthless than it already is in the States.
Know the conversion rate and adjust properly to it. You don’t want to run out of funds the first month you’re there.

Save your change too. “Don't spend those spare pence because like in airplanes, things tend to shift and sometimes...you just have to use that ‘public’ pay-to-use restroom...” Prengaman said.

Act like a tourist in tourist places.
While learning the local customs is a must, feel free to let loose and act like a tourist in tourist-like places. Take scandalous pictures in a red phone booth by Big Ben. Act like a dinosaur at the British Natural History Museum. Take photos with a pre-psych ward Britney Spears at Madame Tussaud’s. The people who visit these places are typically tourists and definitely won’t scorn you for your behavior.

Note: Avoid taking pictures on public transport. These are not tourist like places and acting like an idiot will only earn you dirty looks.

Make friends.
“You need to make friends quickly so that you can actually remember a night in London,” Prengaman said.

It’s important to keep some contact with those back home, but make new friends. Your fellow “study abroaders” will be some of the best friends you ever make. No one else is ever going to fully understand your experience. While it makes for great memories, it also means that after some long nights at the pub, they will have blackmail that will haunt you forever…especially if they’ve witnessed you confessing your love to a guy at the pub who you barely know.

Realize this is your home…for the next few months, anyway.
Like my good friend Mari once told me, you have a postal code when you live abroad. You will be living there for more than a week. This is your new home. Do your best to make it feel that way. Decorate your walls. Unpack. Throw yourself into your new environment.

And don’t forget to study.

Living abroad isn’t that difficult. Use some common sense and you’ll be blending in as best as you can in no time. Try to get the most out of your time abroad. Now sit back, put your seat into an upright position and get ready for take off. You’re about to embark on an adventure that you’re never going to forget.