Study Abroad - Pre Landing Resources > Pre-Departure Briefing

Resources> Pre-Departure Briefing

Students heading towards a study abroad adventure has lots of plans and preparations to make so that their experience in a foreign country is safe, healthy and fruitful. You can find helpful information and advice regarding Pre-Departure Orientation to the study-abroad hopefuls in this section. The opportunity to travel, study or work abroad in any of the foreign country is undoubtedly one of the greatest privileged moments in any student aspirant's life. The pre-departure information provided here will also assist the students to make all the preparations that are necessary for staying healthy and safe abroad.

However, study abroad aspirants are recommended to assume the responsibility of ensuring that they have effectively prepared themselves with complete pre-departure orientation preparation by doing adequate research until they are satisfied that they have done their best.

In the Pre-departure planning, students have to understand the health and safety issues relevant to their study abroad program, administrative details and formalities that must be completed prior to their departure and general and country-specific cultural issues. Meeting the students who have returned from similar study abroad programs and international students will also help you to learn a lot about what lies ahead.

The first thing that any study abroad student needs to do before leaving his or her homeland is to prepare a Pre-departure checklist. It will help you to remember everything and not forget anything that you might require in going to, during your prolonged stay or coming back from the foreign country. Your checklist should include:

Documents that you may require on your journey - You will need required documents to prove that you have adequate money to pay your fees and support yourself while studying such as recent bank statements, proof of scholarships or any other financial support that you are eligible to get for your studies abroad program and letter of financial support from family members. Other papers that are compulsory are:

Air-tickets,
Address and telephone numbers of your final destination,
Insurance documents,
A valid passport that will not expire during your stay in the country abroad, and
Letter of acceptance from your institute of study.

Other preparations - You will have to arrange for the required money to go and settle down well in the respective country and submit all the forms that are required by your college or school or university. Accommodation forms are especially considered very important to submit. Other things you need to do are:

Obtain a letter of explanation from your doctor and an ample supply of the medication if you are currently using medication of any kind.

Get the medical insurance.
Make sure you know exactly when and where you are supposed to arrive at your place of study.
Do not forget to have your student's identification card.
Have at least three passport-size photographs with you.
Label your entire luggage with your name and address.
Make a list of what you have packed in each item of your main luggage, in case you need to make an insurance claim.
Ensure that you are not carrying any of the 'prohibited and restricted goods' with your luggage such as steroids, firearms, weapons and any kind of illicit drugs.

Finally make a list of various queries you need to make regarding Housing, Communication and other important factors that you need to know about to make your study trip a perfect and problem-free one.

While going abroad you have to fulfill many formalities. As soon as you reach your destination, officials from the immigration department will carry out an immigration check. It involves checking your passport and visa details for authenticity, determining the purpose and duration of your visit followed by Customs check.

Here are some important formalities and vital essentialities that you should keep in mind while going abroad.

Soon after landing at the airport your luggage will be checked by the customs officials. Truthfully declare all the terms that you are carrying with yourself.
Always be respectful and polite to the airport and immigration officials.. Avoid cracking jokes or making irrelevant comments at them.
The first few days of your study trip in the foreign country may make you feel weary. You may feel tired by the long distance flight and traveling through a number of time zones. Your body clock may take some time to accustom to the new time zone and you will probably be sleeping and waking at the 'wrong' times. You will get over this lack of comfort in a few days as your body gets in sync with the physical conditions of the new place.
Though the short-term jet lag is unavoidable, you can minimize its effects by avoiding alcohol and other related products prior to and during your flight and drinking plenty of other fluids.
Set your watch to the time zone to which you are flying as soon as you get on the plane. Try to postpone your inbuilt sleep time on arrival by doing some exercises and try to get used to the sleep time in the new time zone.