There are a lot of tips on what you shouldn’t do while studying abroad. Many students take the advice too seriously and in return say no to too many things on their trip. Such an approach can ruin everything about this experience: from gaining great memories to impacting your future the right way. In this article, we’ve collected three pairs of extremes you should forget about when studying abroad and added one universal advice for you.
Here are the 7 most vital things you should avoid when studying in a foreign country.
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Putting Your Healthy Habits on Hold
If you think that going to bed and waking up early can wait until you are at home because there are some many things to do and to see abroad, you can’t be more wrong! Your body needs as much energy or even more. That is why studying abroad is in no way an excuse to forget about what’s keeping you healthy, and sometimes a reason to develop a couple of new habits. Here is what you have to pay attention to:
- time of going to sleep. You can go and see the night city. But it shouldn’t be every night you stay out. Some students spend their nights studying to make a better impression on new teachers and friends. This is not the best option either. Studying late will only make you exhausted. The older you are, the worse it is for you to go to bed late. Teenagers can go to sleep a little later than adults, but they still need at least eight hours of sleep. Mind that next time when you stay up late. Maybe, you can let essay writing services help you once in a while?
- time of awakening. If you want to have more time, it is not the reason to go to bed late, but the reason to wake up early. If you have a big time difference with the country you live in, it may be difficult at first. But still try hard to start waking up early as soon as you can.
- staying hydrated. Drinking water is equally important in any country on any continent. Staying hydrated will allow you to feel more energetic. Besides, it will mitigate the possible effects of nutrition failures.
- eat healthily. Water, however, won’t save you from everything. One of the most common examples of malnutrition leading, in turn, to weighing and digestive problems, is that of students coming to the US from other countries. Following some terrible stereotypes, all they are craving to eat is fast food. Even today, when the majority of Americans choose organic products, most of the international students keep gaining weight. It can also happen in any other country. The stress that students undergo when they leave home is one of contributing factors to them. Cuisine peculiarities also matter. Some nations like spicy food, others prefer food rich in fats. One way or another, you have to know the basics of healthy nutrition and stick to them, no matter in what country you study.
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Being Too Conscious
Keeping your healthy habits on track doesn’t mean you have to be paranoid about your health. First of all, it will never help. Be cautious, but not super cautious. Be wise enough not to do what you shouldn’t do, but don’t close yourself for any new experience altogether.
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Planning Everything
Planning each small step of your stay abroad will bring you nothing but disappointment. You will not be able to stick to a stringent plan, especially if you haven’t been to this country before. Again, too much attention to the details of your trip can make you paranoid and ruin all the fun. Don’t let your desire to control everything influence arguably the best experience in your life.
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Not Planning a Thing
It doesn’t mean that you can be completely spontaneous about what you do in the other country. You can and should plan the following in advance:
- Visiting places of interest. Can you imagine studying in London without visiting the Elizabeth Tower? Haven’t thought about that? This is the one that features the Big Ben. See, you have to collect some info about where you are going: some unusual facts about famous places, some places that are not so renown but still of great interest, etc. You can make a schedule or just put sightseeings on the list. Make sure you’ll visit everything to make this journey count.
- Not managing the money issue is such a common mistakes made by students studying abroad. You need to estimate the overall amount of money you’ll need, how much you are going to have in cash and where to keep your cash and your plastic cards, how much you can spend on food, transport, entertaining, etc.
- Studying abroad usually presupposes staying in the other country for a considerable amount of time. You can buy some clothes you need when you come, but it may not fit your budget. Don’t take all your extensive wardrobe with you, of course. But it will be no harm if you do a little research on the weather and the geographical features of the place you are staying.
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Partying Too Hard
Everybody on the Web says you shouldn’t party too hard. Why are people so like-minded? It’s because there are numerous cases when students didn’t just screw their trips up but ruined their lives and their future because of student parties abroad. We are not here to scare you, but as a foreigner, you seem more vulnerable than others. This can make you may get hurt. Besides, alcohol, hormones, and burning emotions can lead you astray. Even if you don’t get in trouble, you are sure to regret the time you spent having hangovers instead of studying.
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Neglecting Networking
You still have to communicate a lot with your fellow students. Some of them can become your real friends; others will make useful acquaintances beneficial to your future career. Please mind that parties can be the right way to make friends, as long as you are cautious. But there is quite some choice of other activities that help you to get in touch with other students: volunteering, amateur activities, like student theatres, various student organizations, etc. Besides, it is quite important to stay in touch with your foreign teachers as well. Who knows, maybe someday you’ll have the opportunity to work in this country? So, useful contacts can contribute to your success. After all, you can always email your teachers and ask for some advice about the subject you’ve been studying.
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Having Prejudices!
The opportunity to study abroad may be one of the most exciting things in your life. You can’t ruin it with any prejudices. Don’t be afraid that locals won’t be kind to you and don’t fear of the language barrier. Narrow-minded people never get the benefit of such journeys. For them, it is just another point on their checklist. But the experience is not just about going abroad to study at a particular school; the essential experience is about letting a different culture and different people teach you something valuable.
To cut a long story short, the main mistake you can make while studying abroad is going to extremes. Listen to your heart, plan, but stay flexible, be open to something new, but don’t forget about your health, make friends, but don’t let new acquaintances influence you negatively.
