To round off this study abroad blog, I'll be sharing some tips that I personally followed, as well as some I wish I knew before studying abroad!
Tips for studying abroad in general:
Before departing the United States, if you are not fluent in your host country’s language, print out all important addresses (e.g., dorm, hotel, school) in English and the host country’s language to have in hard copy. This is so when you take a taxi, for example, from the airport to the dorms, the driver will easily understand where you would like to go. This is also helpful if you get lost on the way to your accommodations.
Keep your USD, foreign currencies, and passports on your person for the entirety of your flight and in transit to your accommodations. I suggest a hidden travel pouch that you can strap to your stomach or under your clothes!
Set up your expense spreadsheet prior to departure. It is best to have categories for your expenses that follow the Freeman Scholarship expense categories (e.g., Air Transportation, Meals). It will make logging and tracking expenses less of a chore!
Pack light! It is most likely that you will be able to find all personal necessities and more in your host country with ease. But if you are worried about the availability of an item you use often, I recommend doing a quick google search for that item in your host country; if the item doesn’t seem to be common enough, pack it!
Have at least half of one suitcase empty when you depart. More often than not, it is easy to underestimate how many things you are going to buy (and want to bring back) during your study abroad. ½ a suitcase of space is a good rule of thumb.
Here are some travel tips that will help if you are exchanging to National Taiwan University:
National Taiwan University (NTU) may be the top university in Taiwan, but the campus has a horrible WiFi network. In fact, the dorms I am staying in (Shui-Yuan dorms) have no WiFi access at all! You may be tempted to buy an entire wireless router, but I would suggest buying an Ethernet cable and a USB Ethernet adapter if your computer doesn’t have a built-in ethernet port. Not only is it cheaper, but it is easier to deal with when you move out.
The NTU student ID card doubles as a transportation card! Rather than spending money to buy a new card, you can load money onto the card and use it to ride the metro, the bus, rent a bike (YouBike), and make purchases at some stores like 7-11.
Buying a local phone plan with unlimited data is a must, especially if your accommodations have weak or non-existent internet connection. Most unlimited data plans come with unlimited hotspot service as well, but make sure to double check on that! I have had the best experience with Chunghwa Telecom’s service. Don't forget to ask about student discount plans!
If possible, try to go with school affiliated dorms for accommodations! The student dorms may not be extremely luxurious, but they are incredibly affordable and are very close to the school. Other non-affiliated housing are most likely more expensive and farther away from campus.
Although credit cards are more and more accepted nowadays, many local shops and some chain stores do not accept credit card. Expect to spend more on cash than card and plan accordingly. LINE Pay and JKO Pay are also popular payment methods in Taiwan, but they are inconvenient to set up as a foreigner and it is not worth it if you are only staying for one semester.
Regardless of whether you plan to go to Taiwan or not, through carefully planning your pre-departure and first couple days in your host country, the rest of your study abroad experience will be set up for success!
Signing off,
Deborah
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