Six ways to settle into your year abroad
It’s not easy to settle into a life in a foreign country. But once you’ve found your feet, your adventure abroad will happen. When I went on my year abroad, I was overwhelmed by a new found confidence. Despite this confidence, I found it pretty difficult to settle into life in Italy so I thought I’d share a few tips that helped me get through the more daunting days.
Get a SIM card
When I lived in Italy, I held out getting a SIM card for my mobile for a very long time but this was a mistake. At first, I tried to use my ‘feel at home’ when I lived abroad but the service wasn’t great, which meant I was at the mercy of free WiFi.
Not only will you be grateful for the instant access to mobile data but you’ll have a phone number to exchange with other Erasmus students. While Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram are great alternatives to texting, it’s always good to have a bog standard phone number as a back up.
Get out of your room
Before I arrived on my year abroad, I didn’t even think to research Erasmus groups and student networks on social media. After I touched down and I was alone in my room, I started finding groups on other Erasmus students on Facebook. Quickly, I found lots of events happening in my local area. Almost immediately, I was invited over for meals, went on picnics and spent days exploring nearby cities. in those first few days and weeks meeting new people, you’ll be sure to find your tribe and make some unforgettable memories.
Knock on doors
Instead of hunting for a room in Bari, I opted to live in student accommodation. I think student accommodation is a universal experience (no matter the language barrier). So when you’ve moved in and have unpacked, knock on your neighbour’s door – it is how I met my dearest friend. Once you’ve made friends in your student accommodation, you’ll have fiends to invite over for dinner, films and a drink. It’s these friends who will help to keep the homesickness at bay.
Know where you’re going
Whether you’re out exploring the local attractions or finding your university building, it’s important to know the way. Every time I got lost (it was a lot), I was filled with dread. If you don’t have Google Maps on your phone, earmark some local landmarks and poor over your route on a map before you leave. There’s also no shame in asking for directions from locals and taking time to get your bearings if you come across a map in a town centre.
Learn the language
If you’re heading to a country and you don’t speak the local language, then it’s time to whack out the foreign dictionary. Whether you’re studying business, psychology or journalism, so many courses have a year abroad option and some students won’t have been able to jump on a language course before studying but that’s ok.
Before you touch down research basic phrases. Watch videos on YouTube, give Duolingo a go, find language learning resources online. Whichever way you prefer to learn, there will be a learning resource out there just for you.
Don’t Skype home
I made the fatal mistake of Skyping home pretty soon after I landed. I was extremely homesick and it felt like the natural thing to do but it wasn’t what I actually needed. What I needed to do was give myself some time to get settled (maybe a day or two) and then Skype home. Not only will waiting to Skype benefit your time abroad but your family will be calmer and less worried too.
I hope you put these tips into action. But above all, I hope you have a great time wherever your year takes you.
