Survive College Abroad: 6 Ways to Make it Easier for International Students
Surviving college is no rocket-science – but that, we say in hindsight. Juggling between academics and the eternal “settling in” period that never seems to end when studying abroad can be challenging for many, and lead to an unpleasant college experience.
Thankfully, these can be remedied by incorporating some small but important changes to your day-to-day at your new university.
How to Survive College (And Freshman Year) Abroad:
- 1. Attend Your Classes, My Friend
- 2. Start Immersing Yourself in Campus Life…
- 3. …But Do Not Drop Contact Back Home
- 4. Manage Your Money…
- 5. …And Start Exploring Internship Opportunities If You Start Running Out.
- 6. Please Stop Assuming and Start Asking
Have you heard of any learning happening through slacking off? Except for a good lesson on the million methods of killing time, me neither. It is easy to fall into the trap of blowing off college just because you do not ‘feel up to it’. Whether or not you feel up to it, not attending classes could leave you with a lot to do by yourself and thus put you in a difficult spot – this becomes a vicious circle and you might just want to stay away from it if surviving college is something on your list.
This can be done in many ways. Here’s the most popular one: Clubs and Organizations. These will cater to your interests as a person and help you develop it as you make friends. As you start making bonds this way, you’ll also end up being more comfortable on campus, with more human connections.
It’s easy to get so involved with life at your new university that you forget to contact home for months on an end. While the sentiment is a valid reason for this, one must also realize that you have a much more stable base back home – both in terms of emotional and financial support.
Money management is an important task to take up as you begin your education abroad, away from home. Students often end up splurging their cash or misestimating their costs and end up having to pay far more than they would normally have to if they were to take time and actually plan their finances. Doing this early will ensure you don’t leave college with a literal or even a proverbial hole in your pocket.
The sooner you realise that the financing from back home isn’t going to last for an eternity, the better you’ll able to survive college without having to drop off to a bare-zero living condition. What this does is. This also means that you get a chance to garner relevant work experience while still studying.
A lot of college life could be made easier if one were to just stop assuming things. If you are unsure about anything, ask and clarify. This not only ensures that you stay accurately informed but also assists in making decisions that aren’t fluff and lead you down the wrong drain.
